Connecting Business initiative

Connecting Business initiative Connecting Business Initiative strengthens business engagement to reduce disaster risks, prepare and respond to emergencies and help communities recover

What if businesses were not just donors... but first responders?Because that's the reality already, one that we at the O...
26/03/2026

What if businesses were not just donors... but first responders?

Because that's the reality already, one that we at the OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business Initiative and our Member Networks live and breathe. Businesses are an integral part of any disaster management system, because businesses are there, in the communities, affected by crises alongside everyone else. Or at least, they could and should be.

In a world facing more frequent disasters, rising uncertainty, and increasing pressure on humanitarian and development systems, one thing is clear: we need to rethink how we manage risk and deal with emergencies.

CBI shows what's possible when the private sector steps in - not just with funding, but with what they do best: logistics, technology, infrastructure, and expertise.

From rebuilding homes after wildfires in Chile to supporting population after cyclones in the Philippines, businesses are already playing a critical role on the ground.

In 2024-2025:

🛟 9.9 million people reached
⚠️ 54 crises responded to
🗺️ 67 countries with a CBI presence

This is not about charity.

It's about partnership.

The future of humanitarian action and disaster management will be built together.

The CBI Annual Report 2024-2025 is published, download it on the CBI website.

Thank you to our partners for all their support!

There's a partnership you may not know about, even though it has been on-going for two decades. DHL and United Nations O...
24/03/2026

There's a partnership you may not know about, even though it has been on-going for two decades.

DHL and United Nations OCHA have been working together for 20 years on emergency response, and with the United Nations Development Programme - UNDP on preparedness through the Get Airports Ready for Disasters (GARD) programme.

(So yes, technically it's actually two partnerships!)

Here's why these stand the test of time:

💙 They are built on common values
💪 They play to each organization's strengths
🛟 They make a difference on the ground
☎️ They rely on consistant communications

What core capabilities could your organization bring to the table in such a partnership?

Beyond that, as Kareem Elbayar puts it:

"We need champions – within the UN and within businesses – who can build trust, translate between sectors, and combine a longer-term vision with low-hanging fruit. And if you’re not sure what that means or where to start, reach out – that’s what we’re here for."



Photos: DHL Group

Women matter when it comes to emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. But how can businesses engaging in disaste...
16/03/2026

Women matter when it comes to emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. But how can businesses engaging in disaster management weave gender considerations into their efforts?

That was the topic of our recent webinar, co-hosted with UN Women Asia and the Pacific.

Had you ever considered...

💡 The importance of an inclusive, accountable, and responsive humanitarian response

💡 Processes such as participatory consultations, gender-disaggregated assessments, and partnerships to enable women to access resources and opportunities during crises

💡 Women-led businesses are often economic drivers and community responders

And these are just a few examples given that the conversation was intentionally practical in nature.

Thank you to our wonderful partners who made this webinar so inspiring in a tangible, practical way Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation (FCEF) United Nations OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and UN Women Pakistan

🌀 Last year, Hurricane Melissa devastated the Caribbean. The private sector was at the table and an integral part of eff...
03/03/2026

🌀 Last year, Hurricane Melissa devastated the Caribbean. The private sector was at the table and an integral part of efforts before, during, and after the crisis.

But as with any emergency, there are always lessons to learn - things that went well, and things that could be improved.

With a specific focus on how to better coordinate, track, and visualize such a complex response involving a multitude of stakeholders, join us at our upcoming event to gain practical insights into how digital coordination tools can enhance humanitarian response when thoughtfully adapted to local needs.

🌀 Lessons Learned from Private Sector Engagement during Hurricane Melissa
📅 Tuesday 10 March 2026
⌚ 14:00 - 15:30
📍 CICG, Geneva, Switzerland

Find out more on the CBI or the HNPW websites (or comment below and we'll share a direct l!nk).

🙋‍♀️Women matter in humanitarian action: Not only are they often more vulnerable, they are often the caregivers for chil...
02/03/2026

🙋‍♀️Women matter in humanitarian action: Not only are they often more vulnerable, they are often the caregivers for children and the elderly - and we all know that investing in women means investing in families and communities.

What does this mean at the intersection of business engagement and humanitarian action?

Join us to find out - and for an opportunity to ask any questions you might have about the topic to experts.

📅 This Wednesday 4 March
⏰ 9-10am Geneva time (CET / UTC +1)
ℹ️ Register ahead of time: https://bit.ly/IWD2026-CBI-UNWomen
🤝 With UN Women Asia and the Pacific Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation (FCEF) United Nations OCHA

Don't hesitate to tag someone who might be interested! (Even if you or they can't make it, signing up means receiving the post-event resources.)

In a crisis, you have to act fast. But what about afterwards? Do you ever think about what happens when the storm passes...
27/02/2026

In a crisis, you have to act fast. But what about afterwards? Do you ever think about what happens when the storm passes and the floodwaters recede, of who is going to clean up, rebuild, and more importantly, restore hope?

And in the meantime, where do the children go if the schools are destroyed and teachers unable to make it back to the classroom?

In Sri Lanka, HSBC and the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Sri Lanka (A-PAD SL) worked together to distributed thousands of brand new backpacks full of school supplies, a requirement for children to be able to go back to school - one that many families couldn't afford if they were going to prioritize recovering from Cyclone Ditwah.

This story is one of light, of a partnership that saw families and children in need and took action, overcoming literal obstacles on destroyed paths and roads to make it to where their support was most needed.

Seeing the joy on these children's faces is everything.

Thank you to our amazing partners for all the work they do, and the way they do it. Fostering resilience isn't just a buzzword, it's happy children, in school, with reusable water bottles and lunchboxes, and families who can exhale a sigh of relief knowing that they have one less hard choice to make.


Photos: A-PAD Sri Lanka

🤔 Do you ever find yourself at an event thinking "this is an interesting topic, but the session format is a little under...
20/02/2026

🤔 Do you ever find yourself at an event thinking "this is an interesting topic, but the session format is a little underwhelming not to say boring"?

That's why our⚡"Private Sector Welcome & Networking"⚡session at the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW) in 2.5 weeks is designed for movement and interaction, and to foster connection.

If you'll be in Geneva, join us!

📅 Tuesday 10 March
⏰ 8.00 - 10.30am
🥐Breakfast included!
📍Centre International de Conférences de Genève (CICG)

🌀 On February 10, Cyclone Gezani struck Madagascar's second largest city, Toamasina, and caused widespread destruction a...
18/02/2026

🌀 On February 10, Cyclone Gezani struck Madagascar's second largest city, Toamasina, and caused widespread destruction across the northeast of the country. This on the heels of Tropical Cyclone Fytia which made landfall on the night of 5-6 February.

More than 16,000 people have been displaced.

Approximately 25,000 houses were destroyed, and another 27,000 flooded.

The local private sector mobilized immediately through the Plateforme Humanitaire du Secteur Privé (PSHP) Madagascar, the CBI Member Network in the country.

PSHP...

📳 coordinated the release of early warning text messages

⚠️ attended national meetings to ensure business capacity and voice were part of the coordinated response

🫱🏾‍🫲🏻 activated their emergency operations center to coordinate private sector response

⛑️ deployed a team to carry out assessments and distribute aid

And so much more (see visuals for more examples).

Details on how to help are in the visuals below.

🚺 Let's talk women, gender, and disasters.As humanitarian needs grow, private sector engagement is becoming a central pa...
13/02/2026

🚺 Let's talk women, gender, and disasters.

As humanitarian needs grow, private sector engagement is becoming a central part of preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. For this engagement to be effective, inclusive, and accountable, it must address the specific risks and realities women face.

To mark International Women’s Day 2026, we're thrilled to be partnering with UN Women UN Women Asia and the Pacific to bring you a learning webinar on advancing gender-responsive private sector engagement in humanitarian action.

📅 4 March 2026
⏰ 15:00 – 16:00 Bangkok (GMT+7)

We'll share more soon, including the speaker line-up.

Perspective matters. That's why, even before the humanitarian reset was in the works, we kickstarted an independent eval...
10/02/2026

Perspective matters. That's why, even before the humanitarian reset was in the works, we kickstarted an independent evaluation process for the OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business Initiative (CBI).

Here are some of the strengths that came through:

🤝 CBI's ability to organize private sector engagement across the full disaster risk management cycle, before, during, and after crises. Rather than mobilizing companies only once disasters strike, CBI invests in preparedness, coordination, and trust long before emergencies occur.

⚠️ The critical convening role of CBI is not always visible, but it is essential.

💪 Across contexts, Member Networks reported stronger capacity, better coordination, and increased credibility with governments and humanitarian partners.

📍 CBI contributes to localization by working through national and regional networks, strengthening local leadership and embedding private sector engagement within national systems.

Interested in exploring a collaboration? 📧 Reach out to connectingbusiness@un.org or via DM on Facebook!

Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

🌧️ Heavy rains and flooding across Mozambique have affected an estimated 600,000 people as of 19 January 2026, with proj...
09/02/2026

🌧️ Heavy rains and flooding across Mozambique have affected an estimated 600,000 people as of 19 January 2026, with projections rising to 1.1 million, according to the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD).

🥫 What are the current needs?
🚚 How are businesses supporting the response?
🤝 What are practical ways for the private sector to engage constructively & responsively?

Join us for a briefing where, along with colleagues from the Government of Mozambique and the United Nations, to answer these questions and more:

🚨 This Thursday 12 February
⏰ 2-3.30pm Maputo (GMT+2)
💻 Details on the CBI website

We look forward to seeing you there!

(And if you can't make it, feel free to drop any questions below.)

When the private sector partners with humanitarian actors, coordination becomes more effective and impact travels faster...
06/02/2026

When the private sector partners with humanitarian actors, coordination becomes more effective and impact travels faster.

🌍🌊 Yesterday in Manhiça District in Mozambique, CBI's Florian Rhiza Nery carried out a joint field mission with the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team, Vodacom Moçambique Foundation, and the Vodafone Foundation Instant Network Emergency Response Team.

Together, we supported the installation of ✨phone-charging units and Wi-Fi connectivity kits✨at the largest accommodation centre in Manhiça — helping displaced families stay connected and supporting flood response efforts on the ground.

This is what coordinated private sector engagement looks like when aligned with government leadership and humanitarian coordination.

For businesses looking to support the Mozambique flood response:
👉engage early,
👉coordinate with Government and humanitarian partners, and
👉align your capabilities with real needs on the ground.

That’s how support delivers real impact.

For more information, check out our Business Briefing Note for the Mozambique Flood Response ▶️ https://bit.ly/4cjIRgm

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Connecting Business initiative

Connecting Business initiative (CBi) engages the private sector strategically before, during and after emergencies, increasing the scale and effectiveness of the response in a coordinated manner.

While governments maintain the overall responsibility for responding to humanitarian emergencies, local communities and private sector networks also play crucial roles in disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, response and recovery. The Connecting Business initiative strengthens and supports those private sector networks.

In the last year seven of the 13 CBi Member Networks responded to 15 emergencies in their respective countries, helping communities to recover quicker.

The Connecting Business initiative was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in May 2016 and it takes forward the Summit outcomes, as well as the 2030 Development Agenda and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.