The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, has welcomed the city of Hoboken, New Jersey into UNISDR's Making Cities Resilient Campaign in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Hoboken brings to four the number of U.S. cities who have joined UNISDR's global campaign, which has 1,400 adherents.

The news release quotes Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer as saying, "In the face of stronger and more frequent storms, the cost of inaction is too great. We must act now to make our communities more resilient. This campaign is an opportunity for us to learn from other communities around the world."

In an effort to raise awareness on the topic of community resilience, “the city is hosting the 5K Hoboken Resilience Run on Saturday 6 April 2013 at Pier A in Hoboken, coupled with a morning community fair, to raise awareness on community resilience.”

Hoboken will donate proceeds to the Rebuild Hoboken Relief Fund, the New Jersey Relief Fund, and its Jamaican sister city, Port Maria, which was also impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

Ms. Wahlström, head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), said: "The mayor and citizens of Hoboken epitomise the spirit of resilience. They have made good progress to recover from one of the worst storms ever to hit the United States. It means a lot to the campaign to have that experience to tap into. Unfortunately, extreme weather events are on the rise worldwide and it is important that exposed communities like Hoboken are seen to take a lead on reducing their risk."