The Connecting Business initiative (CBi) Annual Report provides an overview of our activities in private sector disaster preparedness, response and recovery in 2021, plus a look back at the past five years of CBi projects and programmes.
Since its launch on 24 May 2016 during the World Humanitarian Summit, CBi has helped the private sector respond to more than 100 disasters ranging from tropical cyclones, major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to situations involving conflict, violence and displacement. CBi Member Networks have helped over 18 million people and mobilized more than US$72 million of cash and in-kind support.
In 2021, CBi supported 13 networks around the world in strategically engaging the private sector in disaster management. Together, the 13 CBi Member Networks reached more than 275,000 micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
CBi Member Networks continued to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and to other emergencies, including an earthquake in Haiti, floods in Sri Lanka and a super typhoon in the Philippines. In addition, CBi Member Networks worked on disaster preparedness and resilience. They reached at least 1 million people through crisis response activities and raised US$ 7.2 million in cash and in-kind donations.
CBi is also expanding, working with existing local business networks and federations to establish relationships with new prospective Member Networks. Our areas of focus include East Africa and Latin America.
The Annual Report is currently available in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.