MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 19 April 2014

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 19 April 2014]

Field News
Treating Chronic Diseases Among Syrian Refugees
April 16, 2014
Since April 2012, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has managed a chronic disease treatment program in Lebanon to meet the desperate needs of Syrian patients who no longer have access to treatment.
“Nearly 90 percent of our patients arrive with prior diagnoses of chronic disease—typically hypertension and diabetes,” says Dr. Wael Harb, MSF supervisory doctor in the Bekaa Valley.

Field news
CAR: Thousands Flee Fighting in Boguila Town
April 14, 2014
Nearly 7,000 people fled into the bush after fighting erupted in Boguila on the night of April 11, 2014.

MSF International ‏@MSF Apr 18
Everyday 300 South Sudanese are crossing into Uganda escaping insecurity & lack of food, more news here http://www.msf.org/article/uganda-msf-increases-its-capacity-action-aid-refugees-south-sudan#.U1FRlIxCQ8c.twitter …

Retweeted by MSF International
MSF UK ‏@MSF_uk Apr 17
Since Dec MSF have performed 207,785 ouptatient exams, 1,572 major surgeries & delivered 4,486 babies in South Sudan pic.twitter.com/gFjAqZUMaF

Retweeted by MSF International
MSF Science ‏@MSFsci Apr 14
New @MSF research shows the benefits of community based treatment for DR #TB in a township in #SouthAfrica. http://msf.me/1eB6H6k

MSF International ‏@MSF Apr 13
7000 people flee clashes in Boguila on friday, 30 women & kids flee to MSF hospital to stay overnight #CARcrisis : http://tinyurl.com/ojm5c73

Partners In Health [to 19 April 2014]

Partners In Health [to 19 April 2014]

Apr 18, 2014
Dr. Paul Farmer on Medicine and the Boston Marathon Bombing
At the inauguration of Haiti’s University Hospital last year, Dr. Paul Farmer addressed the need for a system of medical care in disasters.

Apr 18, 2014
Archie Ayeh: ‘The World of Global Health Requires a Team Effort’

Apr 16, 2014
Working in Global Health: Jean Claude Mugunga
Economic Evaluation Analyst Jean Claude Mugunga discusses his path to a career in global health.

Apr 15, 2014
Saving Mothers and Babies in Haiti
Training is critical to reducing the deaths of women and newborns in pregnancy and childbirth.

Apr 15, 2014
Meet the New Doctors of PIH Mexico
Compañeros En Salud welcomes a new class of young doctors to provide quality care in rural Mexico.

Apr 14, 2014
Reflections on the Rwandan Genocide: Antoinette Habinshuti

Retweeted by Partners In Health
Dr. Joia Mukherjee ‏@JoiaMukherjee Apr 18
Great talk! Dr. Aamir Khan http://irdresearch.org/aamir-khan TB–Pakistan &beyond. Thx @s_keshavjee for bringing him into the @PIH family

Partners In Health ‏@PIH Apr 18
We work in eight countries around the world and 98% of our staff are field-based. Learn more in our annual report: http://bit.ly/1eQccZr

PATH [to 19 April 2014]

PATH [to 19 April 2014]

Announcement
April 17, 2014
PATH marks World Malaria Day 2014
Events in Seattle and Berkeley, California, highlight progress and commitment toward eliminating malaria

PATH ‏@PATHtweets 16h
Our partnership with @msftcitizenship helped deliver this lifesaving vaccine in Laos. http://www.path.org/blog/2014/04/partnership-in-laos/ … pic.twitter.com/9ZfNYK2ifA

PATH ‏@PATHtweets Apr 18
Vaccination will protect these boys from Japanese encephalitis, which claimed their brother. http://www.path.org/blog/2014/04/partnership-in-laos/ … pic.twitter.com/E0QGkCbHjL

PATH ‏@PATHtweets Apr 17
Surely you already subscribe to PATH’s monthly e-newsletter, and you received today’s issue. Right? http://createsend.com/t/r-7AA0DBB89E4642CB2540EF23F30FEDED ….

PATH ‏@PATHtweets Apr 16
How can human-centered design improve global health impact? PATH and @artefactgroup partnered to explore: http://bit.ly/Qq4IGp

PATH ‏@PATHtweets Apr 15
Through the Nutrition Embedding Evaluation Programme, PATH is awarding grants to CSOs to improve nutrition. http://bit.ly/1kGPHJU

SOS-Kinderdorf International [to 19 April 2014]

SOS-Kinderdorf International [to 19 April 2014]

Children’s Villages ‏@sos4children 23h
Is India a developed country? What defines ‘developed’ or ‘developing? http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/news/charity-blog/is-india-a-developed-country …

Children’s Villages ‏@sos4children Apr 18
Are you on Google+? Why not follow us and join the discussion on our community page. See what’s being talked about https://plus.google.com/communities/110525154711562620595 …

Children’s Villages ‏@sos4children Apr 17
By sourcing local produce, international food aid programmes are more sustainable and support regional economies http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/news/how-us-farming-policy-effects-people-in-crisis-globally …

Tostan [to 19 April 2014]

Tostan [to 19 April 2014]

April 18, 2014
Communities gather for an intervillage meeting to promote the abandonment of violence against all children in the Somone, Senegal
13 communities from the department of Thiès gathered in the Somone, Senegal on April 10 for an intervillage meeting to discuss violence against children in school establishments and in their communities. Each of these communities had previously participated in Tostan’s nonformal education program as well as the Reinforcement of Parental Practices (RPP) module focused on improving early child development. This gathering followed the interzonal meeting that took place on March 23-24 in the Kaolack region to prepare communities for a public declaration to abandon violence against all children in schools and communities….

Tostan ‏@Tostan Apr 18
Help inspire activists everywhere with However Long the Night. Support our Thunderclap! Find out more: http://bit.ly/1jdsZYJ #HLTN

Tostan ‏@Tostan Apr 17
Our founder @MollyMelching’s bio, However Long the Night, will be released in paperback on May 6th. Read more: http://bit.ly/Zxigle #HLTN

Tostan ‏@Tostan Apr 16
RT @OrchidProject Monitoring the effects of the work we support to #endFGC in Senegal: http://ht.ly/vya8G

Tostan ‏@Tostan Apr 15
Nyima creates income-generating goods w/ re-used trash to promote environmental sustainability http://bit.ly/RlUW9t pic.twitter.com/T3OMMvQVOC

Women for Women International [to 19 April 2014]

Women for Women International [to 19 April 2014]

Women for Women Intl ‏@WomenforWomen Apr 18
In uncertain times, #WfWI stands with the #women of #Afghanistan. Check out our latest blog from the field. http://ow.ly/vVpzZ

Women for Women Intl ‏@WomenforWomen Apr 16
Join our online community by signing up for email updates. Sign up today! #WfWI http://ow.ly/vR8cR

Women for Women Intl ‏@WomenforWomen Apr 14
Learn more about our involvement in #Kosovo and the #women we serve. #WfWI http://ow.ly/vLFLK http://ow.ly/i/5f7B7

United Nations – Selected Meetings Coverage and Press Releases [to 19 April 2014]

United Nations – Selected Meetings Coverage and Press Releases [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/

Meetings
Assistant Secretary-General Stresses Need to Uphold Human Rights Standards in Security Council Briefing on Ukraine Visits (16 April 2014)
Protest-related human rights violations in Ukraine must be urgently investigated and verified, and security forces must maintain public order in accordance with human rights standards, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonović told the Security Council today.
SC/11358

Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2150 (2014), Security Council Calls for Recommitment to Fight against Genocide (16 April 2014)
Twenty years after the genocide in Rwanda, the Security Council condemned without reservation any denial of the genocide and urged member States to develop educational programmes to help prevent similar events.
SC/11356

Speakers Call for Practical Ways to Implement International Monetary Reform As Economic and Social Council Event with Bretton Woods Entities Concludes (15 April 2014)
Representatives from world financial institutions, the global private sectors and civil society took up the question of practical implementation of international monetary reform today, as the Economic and Social Council concluded its two-day special high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
ECOSOC/6609

Illicit Financial Flows Reinforce Corruption, Deplete National Revenues, Warns Deputy Secretary-General during Meeting with Bretton Woods Entities (14 April 2014)
ECOSOC/6607

Press Releases
Secretary-General Says, in Message for World Malaria Day, that Disease Still Kills More than Half a Million People Annually (17 April 2014)
SG/SM/15786-OBV/1327

Human Consumption of Planet’s Resources Unsustainable, Secretary-General Says in Mother Earth Day Message (17 April 2014)
SG/SM/15785-ENV/DEV/1426-OBV/1326

At Genocide Commemoration Event, Secretary-General Pays Tribute to Victims, Praises Remarkable Resolve of Rwanda’s People (16 April 2014)
SG/SM/15782-AFR/2865

Post-2015 Disaster Risk Reduction Framework Should Be Based on Evidence, Experience, Secretary-General Tells Briefing (16 April 2014)
SG/SM/15781-IHA/1337

Deputy Secretary-General Recalls, in Security Council Meeting, Collective Failure to ‘Recognize and Act’ on Warnings of Rwanda Genocide (16 April 2014)
DSG/SM/768-SC/11357-AFR/2863

Addressing Global Partnership Forum, Secretary-General Calls for Resolute Commitment to World’s Poorest People (15 April 2014)
SG/SM/15779-DEV/3081

Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Must Aim for ‘Transformative Change’, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Economic and Social Council Event (14 April 2014)
DSG/SM/767-ECOSOC/6608

Security Council Press Statement on Terrorist Attacks in Nigeria (14 April 2014)
SC/11352-AFR/2861

Secretary-General Welcomes Findings of Climate Change Panel, Urges All Countries to Reach Global Agreement in 2015 (14 April 2014)
SG/SM/15776-ENV/DEV/1425

UNICEF [to 19 April 2014]

UNICEF [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_71508.html

Media Releases [selected]
Children killed in brutal South Sudan fighting
JUBA, South Sudan, 18 April 2014 – A number of children have been killed in this week’s fighting in South Sudan – some in an attack on displaced civilians while others have been caught in the crossfire or died as a result of being recruited by armed groups and forces, UNICEF said today.

UNICEF condemns attack on school in Damascus, Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria, 16 April 2014 – The latest reported mortar attack on a school inside the old city of Damascus on Tuesday during school hours is a stark and horrific reminder of the violence that children across Syria are enduring on a daily basis. The attack is reported to have resulted in the death of one child and the injury of many others.

UNICEF calls for immediate release of abducted school girls in Chibok, Borno State, Nigeria
DAKAR, Senegal/NEW YORK/GENEVA, 16 April 2014 – UNICEF condemns in the strongest possible terms the reported abduction of some 100 school girls between 12 and 17 years old from their school hostel in Chibok Borno State on Monday night, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.

Yemen takes a major first step in reaching marginalized communities
SANA’A Yemen, 15 April 2014 – UNICEF and the Social Welfare Fund (SWF) of Yemen’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour today launched the mapping of muhamasheen communities (locally known as Akhdam) in Taiz Governorate. The first of its kind survey is expected to reach some 10,000 households in Yemen’s most marginalized population.

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom meets with Syrian children
NEW YORK/AMMAN, Jordan, 12 April 2014 – UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom wrapped up a visit this week to Jordan where he met with children from Syria and their families whose lives have been devastated by the conflict – now in its fourth year.

UNOCHA [to 19 April 2014]

UNOCHA [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.unocha.org/

Press Releases
18 Apr 2014
South Sudan: Humanitarian organizations in South Sudan condemn violence against civilians – Press release by the Humanitarian Country Team
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: South Sudan Juba, 18 April 2014: Country representatives of key non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies and donors in South Sudan unite in condemning recent days’ attacks against civilians in Bentiu, Bor, and other parts of the country. Humanitarian partners are particularly outraged by deliberate and targeted killings of civilians in hospitals, churches, UN peacekeeping bases and other places where people’…

17 Apr 2014
South Sudan: Devastating cycle of violence and revenge in South Sudan must end – Statement by Toby Lanzer, Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan Country: South Sudan Juba, 17 April 2014: “I am deeply saddened and frustrated by the violence that has ravaged Bentiu and Bor in the past 72 hours. There is no excuse for direct attacks on civilians, or on those risking their own lives to protect them. These events show, yet again, the pointlessness of the violence engulfing South Sudan. The current cycle of revenge will…

17 Apr 2014
Pakistan: United Nations humanitarian fund releases US$9.5 million for critical aid operations in North-Western Pakistan
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Pakistan (Islamabad, 10 April 2014): The United Nations’ Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated US$9.5 million (920 million Pakistani rupees) to help meet the needs of the more than 1 million people who remain displaced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan due to insecurity. The funding comes at a crucial time, as significant humanitarian needs remain…

16 Apr 2014
Sudan: Darfur: New Humanitarian Needs and Aid Delivery Fact Sheet, 14 April 2014
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Sudan The new wave of insecurity and violence across Darfur that has generated enormous additional humanitarian needs since late February 2014 is continuing. Hostilities and violence involving Government forces supported by the Rapid Support Force, a Government-affiliated militia, armed movements and armed tribal militia in Darfur have spread across much of North and South Darfur, with some spillover effects to Central,…

WHO & Regionals [to 19 April 2014]

WHO & Regionals [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.who.int/en/

WHO: Global Alert and Response (GAR) – Disease Outbreak News [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2013_03_12/en/index.html
:: Ebola virus disease, West Africa – update 17 April 2014
Excerpt
Guinea
As of 18:00 on 16 April, the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Guinea has reported a cumulative total of 197 clinical cases of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), including 122 deaths…
Mali
The Ministry of Health (MOH) of Mali has on the 16th April reported that the clinical samples on the 6 suspected cases have tested negative for ebolavirus…
Liberia
As of 16 April the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) of Liberia has reported a cumulative total of 27 clinical cases of EVD, including 13 deaths attributed to EVD….
Sierra Leone
On 15 April, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) provided a consolidated report of surveillance activities conducted in that country from 19 March onwards…
…WHO does not recommend that any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Guinea, Liberia, Mali or Sierra Leone based on the current information available for this event.

:: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) – update 17 April 2014
Excerpt
On 17 April 2014, the Ministries of Health of Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported an additional 5 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)…
…This is the first case with MERS-CoV infection in the country [Malaysia]. The Ministry of Health reported that so far no human-to-human transmission has been observed amongst close contacts and in health-care facilities in Malaysia…
…Globally, from September 2012 to date, WHO has been informed of a total of 243 laboratory-confirmed cases of infection with MERS-CoV, including 93 deaths.
WHO advice
Based on the current situation and available information, WHO encourages all Member States to continue their surveillance for severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) and to carefully review any unusual patterns….

UNDP United Nations Development Program [to 19 April 2014]

UNDP United Nations Development Program [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.us.undp.org/content/undp/en/home.html

16 Apr 2014
Global leaders pledge new actions to boost development co-operation in Mexico
Thirty-eight new initiatives were launched by governments, business, private foundations and civil society to push forward effective development co-operation at the first High-Level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation.

15 Apr 2014
Helen Clark: Speech at the Opening of the First High Level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation
Mexico City, Mexico

15 Apr 2014
DataWind rolls out an affordable bridge to education Tech pioneer joins the Business Call to Action
DataWind, a leading developer of wireless web access and products, and the manufacturer of the world’s lowest cost android tablet PC, announced that it has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA).

15 Apr 2014
UNDP hails landmark Supreme Court decision on rights of transgender to choose their identity
The United Nations Development Programme has hailed today’s landmark Supreme Court judgment as an important step in ending discrimination against the community.

14 Apr 2014
UNDP and Japan Expand Partnership for a Better Future in the Arab World
The Government of Japan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) this week launched the third phase of a major initiative in support of transition in the Arab States region, expanding the partnership to cover 14 countries with the addition of Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.

UN Women [to 19 April 2014]

UN Women [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.unwomen.org/

Joint statement on the abduction of school girls in Borno State, Nigeria
Posted on April 17, 2014
Joint statement by UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zainab Hawa Bangura, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, and UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui.

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund [to 19 April 2014]

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.unfpa.org/public/

18 April 2014 – Press Release
UNFPA, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Boost Family Planning in Developing Countries
UNITED NATIONS, New York — UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding to help increase access to family planning information, contraceptives and services in developing countries, particularly for young people. more

17 April 2014 – Dispatch
‘Task Shifting’ brings Emergency Maternity Care to Burkina Faso Women
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso – Aminata Kouanda, 20, arrived at the Koupela health post, in eastern Burkina Faso, suffering complications late in her pregnancy. She faced the risk of uterine rupture and required an emergency Caesarean section, a procedure that had long been unavailable outside major urban hospitals. But thanks to ‘task shifting’, the movement of emergency procedures from specialists to basic health facilities, Ms. Kouanda was able to access the surgery, saving her life and that of her baby. more

17 April 2014 – Media Advisory
Decision Makers, Development Experts, Lawmakers, Meet in Stockholm to Reinforce Importance of Population Issues to Future Development Agenda
UNITED NATIONS, New York — Parliamentarians and development experts from across the world will meet in Stockholm on 23 -25 April to review successes and challenges in achieving the Programme of Action of the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). They will also discuss ways to ensure that the rights of women and young people and their sexual and reproductive well-being remain a priority in any future development efforts. more

16 April 2014 – Dispatch
Midwives Heed Call to Save Mothers
JUBA, South Sudan – Armed with a broad smile, Jennifer Ikokole ushers expectant mothers into a makeshift tent at the sprawling Tomping civilian protection camp in South Sudan’s capital, Juba. As the current crisis takes its toll on the population, the tent serves both as a maternity ward and a maternal and child health clinic. more

15 April 2014 – Dispatch
Harnessing the potential of Africa’s youth
UNITED NATIONS, New York – The growing number of young people in Africa could offer enormous potential gains to the continent, but only if their needs are met and their rights are fulfilled. This was the central message of leaders and public health experts at an 11 April meeting on Africa’s ‘demographic dividend’ at the United Nations Headquarters. more

14 April 2014 – Statement
Conclusions of the 2014 Commission on Population and Development
UNITED NATIONS, New York – UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, welcomes the conclusions of the 47th session of the Commission on Population and Development, which reaffirmed the groundbreaking and forward-looking Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). more

13 April 2014 – Dispatch
Making Youth Participation a Reality
UNITED NATIONS, New York – Youth participants took centre stage at a side event of the UN Commission on Population and Development where they joined international leaders and experts to discuss how young people can be actively engaged to fulfil the Cairo agenda, the visionary and groundbreaking Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) 20 years ago.

UNESCO [to 19 April 2014]

UNESCO [to 19 April 2014]
http://en.unesco.org/

Meeting
Global justice, poverty eradication and the post-2015 development agenda
28 April 2014 to 29 April 2014 – Paris, France
Organized jointly by UNESCO and the International Social Sciences Council (ISSC), this expert meeting will focus on how social justice might be effectively incorporated into a renewed international partnership for post-2015 development.
The way in which poverty eradication, as a core strategic priority, is currently being framed within the United Nations-led discussions on the post-2015 development agenda creates an opportunity for productive engagement between academics, policy-makers and civil society.
UNESCO and the International Social Sciences Council (ISSC), which jointly organize the meeting, share the view that social science research and normative discussions are crucial to inform on policy-making and that the social and human sciences provide an adequate foundation to inform policies aiming at global development and justice.
A group of renowned experts will be invited to reflect on these issues and asked to consider what type of knowledge could and should be translated into a well-designed document which, through a renewed narrative, might provide Member States who are interested with an opportunity to influence the content and language of the post-2015 development agenda.
In addition to that outcome document, the meeting will serve to solicit high-level input to two on-going processes: the preparation of the 3rd World Social Science Forum, to be held in Durban, South Africa, in September 2015; and the next edition of the World Social Science Report, to be published in 2016.

19 April 2014
Director-General calls for investigation into the murder of Philippines journalist Rubylita Garcia

18 April 2014
Reading in the Mobile Era

17 April 2014
UNESCO to take part in NETmundial conference

16 April 2014
Director-General condemns attack on Emmanuel de Merode, Director of the Virunga National Park (DRC)

16 April 2014
Push to promote and preserve Senegal’s Bassari Country heritage

FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization) [to 19 April 2014]

FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization) [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.fao.org/home/en/

Cola giants back Voluntary Guidelines on Land Tenure
PepsiCo has joined fellow beverage corporation the Coca-Cola Company in giving its official support to a set of global guidelines that protect the rights of poor and vulnerable people to land, livelihoods and food security.
15-04-2014

FAO urges countries to step up action against destructive banana disease
Following its spread to Africa and the Middle East, Fusarium wilt TR4 increases the risks to livelihoods and banana markets.
14-04-2014

Meeting: GLOBAL OCEANS ACTION SUMMIT FOR FOOD SECURITY AND BLUE GROWTH
22 to 25 APRIL, 2014
THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS
The Government of The Netherlands, in close collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank and the Governments of Grenada, Indonesia, Mauritius, Norway, the United States of America, is pleased to announce that this Global Oceans Action Summit for Food Security and Blue Growth will now take place in The Hague, The Netherlands from 22 to 25 April, 2014 at the World Forum conference centre.

CBD (Convention of Biological Diversity) [to 19 April 2014]

CBD (Convention of Biological Diversity) [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.cbd.int/

10 April 2014
Countries report on progress towards achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets
In preparation of a major international biodiversity conference in October 2014, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are currently submitting their fifth national reports that will enable a global assessment of progress made towards the 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets agreed by the global community in 2010 as part of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.

USAID [to 19 April 2014]

USAID [to 19 April 2014]
http://www.usaid.gov/

Press Releases
USAID Recognizes Mexican Entrepreneurs for Novel Approaches to Development Challenges
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
To foster innovation in Mexico, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne, and Mexican Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo today awarded four Mexican entrepreneurs with grants through USAID’s Innovation Fund for the Americas.

U.S. and Mexico Partner to Increase Cacao Production in El Salvador
April 15, 2014
The Governments of the United States and Mexico today partnered with the Government of El Salvador to increase cacao production as an alternative source of income for rural farmers affected by the coffee rust outbreak.

Statement from USAID Associate Administrator Mark Feierstein and Assistant Administrator Paige Alexander on the signing of a $1 billion loan guarantee agreement with the Government of Ukraine
April 14, 2014
The United States today reaffirmed its strong commitment to the people of Ukraine and their democratic transition by signing a $1 billion sovereign loan guarantee agreement with the Ukrainian Government. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Ukraine Minister of Finance Oleksandr Shlapak participated in the signing ceremony in the Cash Room at the Department of Treasury in Washington, D.C.

Impact Blog
South Sudan on the Brink of Famine Demands Urgent Action
April 18, 2014 — Nancy Lindborg, Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance
On the first of April, I walked with great sadness through the United Nations compound in Juba, capital of South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, now in free fall after a hopeful beginning three years ago. The compound is sheltering more than 21,000 displaced people who fled to safety after a…