tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67201816824046608222023-11-15T08:48:01.808-08:00The Other World News<br><b>About humanitarian aid, development, relief operations and trouble spots.</b>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-13311907841447759282010-02-20T01:04:00.000-08:002012-06-02T12:57:40.156-07:00The "Other News" Aggregator<p><script language="JavaScript" src="http://feed2js.org//feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fhumanitariannews.org%2Fblog%2F9%2Ffeed&utf=y&chan=y&desc=1&targ=y" type="text/javascript"></script></p><br />
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<p><script language="JavaScript" src="http://feed2js.org//feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fhumanitariannews.org%2Fblog%2F8%2Ffeed&utf=y&chan=y&desc=1&targ=y" type="text/javascript"></script></p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-68478030917890802562010-01-02T08:24:00.001-08:002010-01-02T08:25:13.955-08:00The 2009 Humanity's Shame list - The results are out!<a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2009/12/2009-humanitys-shame-top-10-and.html#poll"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 0px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="http://theroadtothehorizon.net/photo/2009%20Humanity%27s%20Shame%20Top%2010.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Two weeks ago, <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2009/12/2009-humanitys-shame-top-10-taking.html">readers sent in nominations for the "2009 Humanity's Shame List"</a>, a Top-10 highlighting the last year's events we, humanity as a whole, should be ashamed of.<br /><br />I pulled all suggestions into a poll and for one week, readers could <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2009/12/2009-humanitys-shame-top-10-and.html">vote on this post</a>. A total of 299 votes were cast before the deadline of Dec 31st midnight.<br /><br />Check <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2010/01/what-humanity-should-be-ashamed-of-in.html">this post</a> for the results.Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-65994811787759012942009-12-30T01:13:00.001-08:002009-12-30T01:13:48.323-08:00The 2009 Humanity's Shame List. Vote Now!<a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2009/12/2009-humanitys-shame-top-10-and.html#poll"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 0px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 150px;" src="http://theroadtothehorizon.net/photo/2009%20Humanity%27s%20Shame%20Top%2010.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>A week ago, <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2009/12/2009-humanitys-shame-top-10-taking.html">I called for nominations for the "2009 Humanity's Shame List"</a>, a top-10 highlighting the last year's events we, humanity as a whole, should be ashamed of.<br /><br />As of now, until December 31st, you can <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2009/12/2009-humanitys-shame-top-10-and.html#poll">cast your vote</a>, to stress the importance of the individual disgraces.Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-62857337103113274672009-12-21T07:17:00.001-08:002009-12-21T07:18:01.094-08:00Feature: The 2009 Global Hunger Index<center><img style="display:block; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 430px; height: 258px;" src="http://theroadtothehorizon.net/photo/IFPRI%20world%20hunger%20index.jpg" border="0" alt="IFPRI Global Hunger Index" /></center><br /><a href="http://www.ifpri.org" target="_blank">IFPRI</a>, the International Food Policy Research Institute, released its <a href="http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/ib62.pdf" target="_blank">2009 Global Hunger Index report</a>. <br />The report is the fourth in an annual series, that records the state of hunger both on a global level, as well as by country.<br /><br />They conclude that in 2009, high and volatile food prices combined with economic recession posed significant risks to poor and vulnerable households, with often dire consequences for their food security. The 2009 Global Hunger Index (GHI) shows that the global economic downturn could make many countries even more vulnerable to hunger and that high rates of hunger are strongly linked to gender inequalities. In summary, they state "limited progress has been made in reducing hunger since 1990."<br /><br />Between the 1990 and the 2009 GHI, Kuwait, Tunisia, Fiji, Malaysia, Turkey, Angola, Ethiopia (ED: not too sure if that takes into account the latest famine), Ghana, Nicaragua, and Vietnam saw the highest improvements in their scores.<br />Nonetheless, 29 countries have levels of hunger that are alarming or extremely alarming. Burundi, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sierra Leone have the highest 2009 GHI scores. (<a href="http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/ib62.pdf" target="_blank">Full</a>)<br /><br />Article courtesy <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org" target="_blank">The Road to the Horizon</a>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-70329495858822497052009-10-21T02:29:00.000-07:002009-10-21T02:31:05.819-07:00A billion for a billion<center><object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6jSBW0BOPqM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6jSBW0BOPqM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object></center>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-75343652689810282252009-10-14T14:40:00.000-07:002009-10-14T14:41:14.300-07:00Blog Action Day: Drought and Floods hit the poorest<center><img style="display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="http://theroadtothehorizon.net/photo/kenya%20drought.jpg" alt="Kenya drought" border="0" /></center><br />Fewer and fewer people who believe "Climate Change" is fiction. The hard evidence the climate *is* changing, is in our face: Hurricanes and typhoons become more frequent and more violent. Extensive droughts are followed by devastating floods.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the poorest are hit the hardest. Look at what <a href="http://www.humanitariannews.org/search/node/Ketsana" target="_blank">Typhoon Ketsana</a> recently did in the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Followed a few days later by <a href="http://humanitariannews.org/search/node/typhoon%20parma" target="_blank">Typhoon Parma</a>.<br /><br />For months now, the humanitarian community has been warning about <a href="http://www.humanitariannews.org/search/node/Kenya%20Drought" target="_blank">the droughts in Kenya</a>, which is now taking its full toll. What is said <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/2009/10/07/is-kenyas-drought-a-climate-changing-warning/" target="_blank">to be the worst in the country since 1996</a>, with <a href="http://www.wfp.org/stories/farmers-herders-rely-wfp-get-through-drought" target="_blank">3.8 million people now tumbling over the poverty line and becoming dependent on food aid</a>.<br />The misery is not over, as <a href="http://humanitariannews.org/blog/20090828/floods-sweep-across-africa" target="_blank">floods are kicking off the rainy season</a> in many parts of Africa.<br /><br />The frustrating part is that even those who previously were able to sustain themselves independently, are pushed again to become dependent on aid. One step forward, two backwards. And the answer is in the hands of the richer countries, to impose proper limits on pollution. Is that not tragic?<br /><br />Unless we can turn around the causes of climate change, it will only get worse.<br /><br />This post is part of <a href="http://www.blogactionday.org/" target="_blank">Blog Action Day</a>, which concentrates on Climate Change this year.<br /><br />Picture courtesy BBCPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-78467767520186888952009-08-14T12:31:00.001-07:002009-08-14T12:32:34.650-07:00Feature: World Humanitarian Day on August 19<center><img src="http://theroadtothehorizon.net/photo/world%20humanitarian%20day.jpg" alt="World Humanitarian Day" height="300" width="214" /></center><br />OCHA (the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) launches <a href="http://ochaonline.un.org/News/WorldHumanitarianDay/tabid/5677/language/en-US/Default.aspx" target="_blank">the "World Humanitarian Day"</a>. It is dedicated to <span style="font-style: italic;">"thousands of aid workers who have devoted their lives to humanitarian work, matching idealism with action, and principles with practice. Their selfless and non-political endeavours are vital for the necessary acceptance by all concerned that assistance to the needy should be provided impartially and neutrally, without</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">reference to religion, gender, or race."</span><br /><br /><span id="fullpost">In short, it is a day dedicated to us, aidworkers. Why August 19th, you may ask? On August 19 2003, "Canal Hotel", the UN office and living compound in Baghdad was hit by a massive terrorist attack, leaving 22 UN staff dead and dozens wounded, as you can read in my Ebook shortstory <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2007/01/tales-of-horizon-m.html">A Requiem for Baghdad</a>.<br /><br />August 19 2003 was a turning point after which attacks on aidworkers became more frequent and equally violent. 2008 had the highest amount of security incidents involving humanitarian aid workers: 260 humanitarians were victims of security incidents. 122 aidworkers were killed, and 62 were kidnapped. (<a href="http://ochaonline.un.org/OchaLinkClick.aspx?link=ocha&docId=1112615" target="_blank">Source</a>)<br /><br />Despite all these efforts and human sacrifices, the world is still in a sad state:<br /><ul><li>According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), world hunger is projected to reach a historic high in 2009, with just over a billion people going hungry every day.</li><li>Violence and war forced 15.2 million people to flee their own country while at least 26 million have been displaced within their own countries.</li><li>In 2008 more than 9 million children died before their fifth birthday. Most of these children lived in developing countries and died from a disease or a combination of diseases that could easily have been prevented or treated.</li><li>Every year, 1.8 million people die from diarrhoeal diseases</li><li>An average of 211 million people are directly affected each year by natural disasters.</li><li>Millions of the world's most vulnerable are expected to be affected by climate change, increasing prolonged droughts, repeated floods and more frequent cyclones and hurricanes.</li><li>While humanitarian needs are increasing because of the economic crisis and other global challenges such as population pressure, global health pandemics, and price spikes, the global economic crisis puts pressure on the aid budgets of all donor governments.</li></ul>Crossposted from <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/">The Road to the Horizon</a></span>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-69399371045305639922009-03-08T04:23:00.000-07:002009-03-08T04:24:48.751-07:00Feature: International Women's DayToday, March 8th is <a href="http://www.internationalwomensday.com/" target="_blank">International Women's Day</a>. While in the past decennia we witnessed a significant change in attitude both in women's and society's opinion about women's equality and emancipation, there are still places in the world where women suffer greatly.<br /><br />One of those is Eastern DRC where women are systematically raped as a war strategy between warring fractions. Used as a weapon of war, sexual violence and rape exist on a scale seen nowhere else in the world.<br /><br />Often successful in its intent to destroy and exterminate, rape is causing the destruction of women, their families, and their communities. While Congo’s women are the backbone of their society, efforts to protect women and girls in the Congo are failing spectacularly.<br /><br />Here is a video from a shelter for women, victims of sexual assault, in Bukavu in DRC.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="324"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dnH-9jcmHbY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dnH-9jcmHbY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="324"></embed></object><br /><br />The video was produced by <a href="http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/about" target="_blank">Raise Hope For Congo</a>, a movement aiming to protect and empower Congolese women and girls. You can help them, and the women of Congo by raising awareness and rolling up your sleeves with <a href="http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/awareness" target="_blank">a toolkit</a> they provide.<br /><br />Via <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org">The Road to the Horizon</a>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-70825466090494355232008-12-30T12:33:00.000-08:002009-01-10T07:46:03.322-08:00Feature: MSF Top 10 humanitarian crisis of 2008<p></p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/theroadtothehorizon/3129991693/" title="MSF crisis in DRC"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/3129991693_60844b9178_o.jpg" alt="MSF crisis in DRC" width="400" height="268" /></a><br /><br />At the end of the year, MSF (Doctors Without Borders) used to publish their <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2007/12/rumble-most-under-reported-stories-of.html">"top 10 under-reported crisis"</a>. Now, their hit list is called plainly "Top 10 Humanitarian Crisis".<br /><br />No "under-reporting" this year. Guess there were sufficient press spotlights turned to the humanitarian aspect of any crisis:<br /><br />Myanmar's cyclone emergency was an excellent opportunity for the West to wedge some cracks in the Generals' totalitarian regime and the press was present.<br /><br />Zimbabwe got its fair share due to the West's tendency to collectively sideline 'no-longer-wanted' leaders from African countries. And the press was present.<br /><br />Somalia got floodlights due to the piracy plague. Sexy subject, and the press was present.<br /><br />I still think a full blown crisis was avoided in DRC when the media jumped onto the plane direction Goma real fast. Fast enough for the different warring parties to sit around the table and go chest-thumping. A million people affected by the crisis.<br /><br />So no "under-reporting" this year. MSF still wanted their top 10. And no surprises as to who got listed. Some of them have been in there for years: Somalia, Ethiopia, DRC, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Iraq. With a special emphasis for TBC/HIV co-infection and malnutrition. (<a href="http://doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/topten/" target="_blank">Full</a>)<br /><br />Cross posted from <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org" target="_blank">The Road to the Horizon</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Picture courtesy Sven Torfinn (MSF)</span><p></p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-18086094226436557712008-11-30T15:38:00.001-08:002008-12-02T11:15:38.165-08:00Feature: World Aids Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://unite.blogcatalog.com/" target="_blank"><img style="margin: 3pt 10px 0px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 160px; height: 205px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3140/3066994562_3929f95841_o.jpg" alt="Bloggers unite against AIDS" title="Bloggers unite against AIDS" border="0" /></a>December 1st marks the 20th anniversary of <a href="http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/FeatureStories/archive/2008/20081027_WAD_2008.asp" target="_blank">World AIDS Day</a>.<br /><br />While the global percentage of adults living with HIV has leveled off since 2000, <a href="http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/GlobalReport/2008/2008-gr-mediakit.asp" target="_blank">33 million people</a> are still living with the virus.<br />Every day, 8,000 people die of AIDS, and 7,500 more get infections.<br /><br />End it is not just a medical issue, AIDS is also the cause of a larger and longer term social problem. Just as an example, by 2010, 18 million children will be orphans due to AIDS. (<a href="http://www.wfp.org/food_aid/doc/HIV_Children.pdf" target="_blank">Full</a>)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">This post is part of the <a href="http://unite.blogcatalog.com/" target="_blank">Bloggers Unit Against AIDS Campaign</a>.</span><p></p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-83265430708252807272008-10-02T10:34:00.000-07:002008-10-16T09:39:26.442-07:00Feature: How much is $700 billion really? A humanitarian perspective.<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/theroadtothehorizon/2338263755/" title="Kids in Caia Mozambique"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/2338263755_750cac3202_o.jpg" alt="Kids in Caia (Mozambique)" width="400" height="300" /></a></center><p><small>The arguments for a bailout to avoid systemic collapse are of course genuine and persuasive, but so are the arguments for aid and against standing by and allowing a child to die every 3 seconds, or a woman to die in childbirth every minute.<br /><br />To put the proposed Wall Street bailout into perspective. $700bn:</small></p><small> </small><p><small>· Would clear the accumulated debt of the 49 poorest countries in the world (<a href="http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/DATASTATISTICS/0,,contentMDK:21725423%7EpagePK:64133150%7EpiPK:64133175%7EtheSitePK:239419,00.html" target="_blank">$375bn</a>) twice over<br />· Is almost 5 times the annual amount of extra aid needed to achieve all the <a href="http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/" target="_blank">Millennium Development Goals</a> on poverty, health, education etc (<a href="http://www.oxfam.org.uk/resources/policy/debt_aid/bp113_credibility_crunch.html" target="_blank">$150bn a year</a>)<br />· Is about 7 years of current global aid levels (<a href="http://www.oecd.org/document/8/0,3343,en_2649_34447_40381960_1_1_1_1,00.html" target="_blank">$104bn in 2007</a>)<br />· Is enough to eradicate all world poverty for over two years (UNDP calculates it would take <a href="http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2005/" target="_blank">$300bn </a>to get the entire world population over the $1 a day poverty line).</small></p><small> </small><p><small>On the other hand it’s<br />· only a quarter of the cost of the Iraq war (<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Trillion-Dollar-War-Conflict/dp/1846141281/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222593629&sr=8-1" target="_blank">$3 trillion</a> on Joseph Stiglitz’ calculation)<br />· a half of annual global military spending (<a href="http://www.sipri.org/" target="_blank">$1339 bn</a>)</small></p><small><br />All about perspectives...</small><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Source: <a href="http://www.oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/?p=50" target="_blank">Oxfam blogs</a>, via <a href="http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/">The Road to the Horizon</a>. Picture courtesy Joakim Kembro (WFP)</span><p></p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-29424407838515166262007-02-02T15:45:00.000-08:002008-04-09T11:38:01.569-07:00Feature: The cost of saving the planet: US$190 billion.<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2347/2178561188_9b5d130a60_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 3px 10px 0px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2347/2178561188_9b5d130a60_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>What would it cost to wipe out world poverty, guarantee universal health care, stabilise population growth and roll back the ravages of global warming?<br /><br />About $190 billion a year, or the equivalent of a third of U.S. annual military expenditure, says Lester Brown, a prominent environmental economist, in his new book.<br /><br />"Once you accept that climate change, population growth, spreading water shortages, rising food prices are threats to our security, it changes your whole way of thinking about how you use public resources."<br /><br />From eradicating adult illiteracy to restoring fisheries and stabilising water tables, the head of the Earth Policy Institute think tank in Washington calculates the cost of saving civilisation in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Plan-Rescuing-Planet-Civilization-Trouble/dp/0393325237" target="_blank">a new edition of his best-selling "Plan B"</a>. (<a href="http://www.alertnet.org/db/an_art/1564/2008/02/7-101902-1.htm" target="_blank">Full</a>)<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Thanks to "E" for the link. Picture courtesy Michael Huggins (WFP).<br />Source: </span><a href="http://aidworkers.newsvine.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">International Aid Workers Today</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">.</span>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-87876411925451331312007-02-01T05:57:00.000-08:002008-01-13T11:45:11.950-08:00Feature: 2007 Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories (MSF)<small><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2390/2130890662_4cf1ec29ed_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 200px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2390/2130890662_4cf1ec29ed_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF or Doctors without Borders) just published <a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/reports/topten/" target="_blank">the Top Ten Under-reported humanitarian stories of the year 2007</a>:<br /><ul><br /><li>Displaced fleeing war in Somalia face a humanitarian crisis</li><li>Political and economic turmoil sparks health-care crisis in Zimbabwe </li><li>Drug-resistant Tuberculosis spreads as new drugs go untested </li><li>Expanded use of nutrient dense ready-to-use foods crucial for reducing childhood malnutrition </li><li>Civilians increasingly under fire in the Sri Lanka conflict </li><li>Conditions worsen in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo </li><li>Living precariously in Colombia’s conflict zones </li><li>Humanitarian aid restricted in Myanmar </li><li>Civilians caught between armed groups in the Central African Republic </li><li>As Chechen conflict ebbs, critical humanitarian needs still remain<br /></li></ul><p>The ten stories also come <a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/photogallery/2007/topten/index.cfm?id=7" target="_blank">in pictures</a>.</small><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Picture courtesy Claude Mahoudeau/MSF. </span><span style="font-size:78%;">Source: </span><a href="http://theroadtothehorizon.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">The Road to the Horizon</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;">.</span> </p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-16305064590431641612007-01-02T02:52:00.000-08:002008-01-13T11:44:44.512-08:00Feature Article: UNICEF Pictures of 2007<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2285/2122414138_e7b3143c2e_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="Happy birthday in Manila" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2285/2122414138_e7b3143c2e_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>Unicef published <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/0,5538,27399,00.html" target="_blank">the pictures of the year</a>, snapshots of children around the world. This picture shows a girl on her birthday, living near a waste dump in Manila (Philippines).<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Picture courtesy Hartmut Schwarzbach. Source: <a href="http://theroadtothehorizon.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Road to the Horizon</a></span>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-25123718883816441952007-01-01T10:37:00.000-08:002008-01-02T05:56:27.287-08:00Feature Article: Ten Stories the World Should Hear More About (2006)<p><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/200/528014460_21a2cc357b_o.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 0px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/200/528014460_21a2cc357b_o.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The UN released the "</span><a href="http://www.un.org/events/tenstories_2006/index.asp" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;">Stories the world should hear more about</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">", for the year 2006.<br /><br />Journalists are often inundated with stories, all competing for their -and the public's- attention. The aim of the stories is to make it easier for the press and the public, to see that important issues <strong>do not fade</strong> from the headlines."<br /><br />The initiative, first launched in 2004, covers a spectrum of issues and geographical regions, some of which draw on troubling humanitarian emergencies and conflict situations, while others focus on such vital areas as human rights and development. The stories are:</span></p><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Liberia:</strong> Development challenges top agenda as the nation recovers from years of civil strife </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Lost in migration:</strong> Asylum seekers face challenges amid efforts to stem flows of illegal migrants </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>DR of Congo:</strong> As the country moves boldly towards historic vote, humanitarian concerns continue to demand attention </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Nepal's hidden tragedy:</strong> Children caught in the conflict </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Somalia:</strong> Security vacuum compounding effects of drought </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Protracted refugee situations:</strong> Millions caught in limbo, with no solutions in sight </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>South Asian earthquake:</strong> Relief effort saves lives, stems losses, but reconstruction tasks loom large </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Behind bars, beyond justice:</strong> An untold story of children in conflict with the law </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>From water wars to bridges of cooperation:</strong> Exploring the peace-building potential of a shared resource </span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Côte d'Ivoire:</strong> A strike away from igniting violence amidst a faltering peace process </span></li></ul><span style="font-size:78%;">Picture courtesy </span></span><a href="http://www.irinnews.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">Irin</span></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Source: </span><a href="http://theroadtothehorizon.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">The Road to the Horizon</span></a></span>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6720181682404660822.post-7424067578680078332007-01-01T05:03:00.000-08:002008-01-02T05:55:50.539-08:00Feature Article: Top 10 Underreported Stories in 2006<p></p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">MSF (Doctors Without Borders) published the </span><a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/reports/2007/top10_2006.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Top 10 Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories of 2006</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">: </span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/192/471126834_e3f13ef45f_m.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/192/471126834_e3f13ef45f_m.jpg" border="0" /></a>The current conflict in </span><a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/somalia.cfm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Somalia</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> may generate fleeting worldwide attention, but the abysmal day-to-day living conditions faced by Somalis remains largely forgotten. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Civilians in the </span><a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/car.cfm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Central African Republic</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> (CAR) once again fell victim to horrific violence in the latest bout of conflict in a string of coups and rebellions that have plagued the country since it achieved independence from France in 1960.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">While many people in the West consider </span><a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/tuberculosis/index.cfm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">tuberculosis</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> (TB) a disease of a bygone era, the devastating human toll taken by the disease is increasing worldwide.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">The conflict in </span><a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/russianfederation.cfm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Chechnya</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> and its consequences on civilians has been almost entirely hidden from the rest of the world. While it may be decreasing in intensity, for many people who lived through the ebb and flow of this bitter twelve-year war, physical and mental scars remain.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Civilians in </span><a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/srilanka.cfm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Sri Lanka</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> have born the brunt of major fighting that resumed in August 2006 between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), especially in the country's east and northeast.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/471164015_a8fe3c16fa_m.jpg" border="0" />Every year, </span><a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/malnutrition/index.cfm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">acute malnutrition</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> is implicated in the preventable deaths of millions of children worldwide. At any given moment, more than 60 million young children in the world have signs of acute malnutrition. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">In 2006, people living in the vast </span><a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/drc.cfm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> voted in democratic parliamentary and presidential elections for the first time in decades. The elections may have thrust the DRC into the media spotlight for a brief moment, but the extreme deprivation and violence endured by millions of Congolese continued unabated and out of view. </span></p><p><a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/colombia.cfm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Colombia</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> is now in its fifth decade of violent conflict, and only Sudan has more internally displaced people. Massacres, executions, intimidation, and fear remain inescapable parts of everyday life for civilians living in conflict-affected areas. To date, almost three million people inside Colombia have fled their homes as the result of a conflict fueled by the narcotics trade that involves government military forces, paramilitary groups, and armed guerrillas from ELN and FARC. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">With the exception of a short respite following presidential elections in February 2006, violence and insecurity was widespread throughout the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Even with a newly elected government in place, the violence ranged from confrontations between various armed groups in the city and the Haitian National Police and UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), to extensive kidnappings and sexual violence.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Ongoing conflict in several parts of India — including northeastern </span><a href="http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/voices/2006/01-2006_assam.cfm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">Assam</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"> and Manipur states highlighted in last year's Top 10 Underreported Humanitarian Stories list — has gone virtually unnoticed by the outside world for years.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:78%;">Pictures courtesy MSF</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Source: </span><a href="http://theroadtothehorizon.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:78%;">The Road to the Horizon</span></a></span></p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877671849645884790noreply@blogger.com