World Bank Board Committee Authorizes Release of Revised Draft Environmental and Social Framework
August 4, 2015 Press Release
Third phase of consultations begins immediately
WASHINGTON, August 4, 2015 — The World Bank is in the process of reviewing, updating and strengthening its environmental and social policies that serve to protect vulnerable people and the environment in World Bank investment projects. On July 1, 2015, the Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE) of the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors authorized a third phase of consultations on a revised (second) draft of the proposed Environmental and Social Framework and requested the preparation of an accompanying document to outline certain issues that require further attention. The text of the entire revised framework, as well as the issue summary, was made publicly available today. Consultations will begin immediately.

“This revised draft is the result of a robust – in fact, an unprecedented – consultation with World Bank shareholders and stakeholders,” said Hartwig Schafer, World Bank Vice President for Operational Policy and Country Services. “The level of engagement and the caliber of feedback has been excellent, which shows in the revised draft. The proposed Environmental and Social Framework would substantially expand the scope of coverage from our current policy, and would help to ensure that project risk is managed more consistently and effectively.”

The proposed framework presents a risk- and impact-based approach to protecting the environment and people, and features a strong emphasis on risk management and achieving sustainable development outcomes over the life of projects; broadened social assessment and management of environmental and social risks; greater clarity of the roles and responsibilities of the World Bank and Borrower; increased harmonization with development partners and recognized good international practices; and renewed and strengthened partnerships with borrowers.

The proposal broadens the range of biodiversity concerns and adds provisions for the sustainable use of living natural resources (e.g., fisheries and forests). Climate change considerations have been added, including requirements to estimate and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Bank-supported projects and to promote climate resilience. Assessments of social and environmental risk will be strengthened, ensuring resources are especially targeted to high risk projects. Finally, the draft framework includes Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for Indigenous Peoples, and requires increased and ongoing stakeholder engagement…

…At the request of Executive Directors, the third review phase will focus on implementing the framework in borrowing countries and on issues that require further discussion. Consultations details will be forthcoming on the World Bank’s consultation web site: http://consultations.worldbank.org/consultation/review-and-update-world-bank-safeguard-policies.
Dangerous rollback by World Bank in environmental and social protections
5 August 2015 OXFAM Press Release
The World Bank has released new draft safeguard policies that will vastly weaken protections for affected communities and the environment at the same time as the bank intends to finance more high-risk projects, say 19 organizations. The proposed new Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework pointedly contradicts World Bank President Jim Yong Kim’s commitment to ensure that the bank’s new rules will not weaken or “dilute” existing mandatory environmental and social protection measures and calls into question the extent to which the bank has responded to public input.

In addition, the proposed new framework will not cover substantial sections of the World Bank‘s portfolio, including rapidly disbursing policy-based lending for environmentally and socially sensitive sectors. Despite repeated requests, the bank has also failed to make public a detailed budget for the implementation of its proposed plan.

The independent environmental and human rights groups are: 11.11.11. (Belgium), Alyansa Tigil Mina (Philippines), Bank Information Center (USA), Both ENDS (Netherlands), Bretton Woods Project (United Kingdom), Center for International Environmental Law (USA), Derecho Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Peru), Forest Peoples’ Program (UK), Earthlife Africa (South Africa), NGO Forum on ADB (Philippines/Regional), Gender Action (USA), Human Rights Watch (International), Inclusive Development International (USA), International Accountability Project (USA). International Trade Union Confederation, Oxfam International, Re:Common (Italy), ‘Ulu Foundation (USA), Urgewald, (Germany).

“Clear and mandatory requirements, incentives, accountability structures and a detailed budget are lacking in the proposed new framework” said Korinna Horta of Urgewald in Germany, “yet this is what we urgently need if we are serious about addressing the interconnected problems of poverty, climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss.”…

Seventieth Anniversary of the London Charter
Press Statement
John Kerry, Secretary of State
Washington, DC
August 7, 2015

Seventy years ago tomorrow, the United States and its Allies reached a historic agreement in London that set in motion the trials of the century – the prosecution at Nuremberg of the top officials of the Third Reich.

Surveying the wreckage of Europe and the human toll of the Holocaust, the Allies recognized that the survival of humanity would depend on making it clear that the kind of crimes committed by the Nazi regime simply could not go unpunished, and that holding an official position or acting under orders did not diminish one’s responsibility for such crimes.

But the Allies also recognized that even after the worst atrocities in human history, we needed to pursue justice rather than vengeance, and that our common ability to live together in the future depended on assigning guilt to the individuals most responsible, rather than collectively to whole communities.

These principles are reflected in the London Charter and the International Military Tribunal it created, and they have been a foundation for the international community’s work toward justice in the decades that followed.

Working with allies old and new, the United States continues to play a leading role in seeking accountability for atrocities in our own time, just as Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson and other Americans so capably helped lead the successful and historic prosecutions at Nuremberg.

From sexual violence in eastern Congo to the brutal torture in the Assad regime’s prisons in Syria, we will continue to seek accountability for the world’s worst crimes. Such accountability is a stabilizing force in international affairs, and it is what our values – and the memory of the victims – demand.

EBOLA/EVD [to 22 August 2015]
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC); “Threat to international peace and security” (UN Security Council)

Editor’s Note:
On 13 August 2015, the UN Security Council received a briefing on Ebola/EVD provided by Margaret Chan, briefing the Council via video link from Hong Kong, was joined by David Nabarro, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Ebola; Tété António, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations; Per Thöresson (Sweden), on behalf of Olof Skoog, Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission; and Mosoka Fallah, Director of the Community-Based Initiative.

Chance Ebola Can Be Defeated by End of 2015, World Health Organization Chief Tells Security Council, Urging Sustained Focus to Prevent Future Outbreaks
13 August 2015
Secyruty Council SC/12006
Ebola could be “soundly defeated” by the end of the year if the intensity of case detection and contact tracing was sustained, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) told the Security Council today, outlining reforms to improve the organization’s performance and crediting unwavering leadership, especially in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, for a “night-and-day” difference in the situation from less than a year ago.
Ebola Situation Report – 19 August 2015
[Excerpts]
SUMMARY
:: There were 3 confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported in the week to 16 August, all of which were reported from Guinea. For the first time since the beginning of the outbreak in Sierra Leone, a full epidemiological week has passed with no confirmed cases reported from the country. Overall case incidence has held at 3 confirmed cases per week for 3 consecutive weeks. In addition, the number of contacts under observation has halved from over 1600 on 9 August to approximately 800 throughout 3 Guinean prefectures and 3 districts in Sierra Leone on 16 August. Almost 600 contacts in Tonkolili, Sierra Leone, completed the 21-day follow-up period on 14 August, accounting for most of the decline in the number of contacts under follow-up. However, there is still a significant risk of further transmission. In addition to the large number of contacts who remain under observation in Guinea and Sierra Leone, 45 contacts have been lost to follow-up in the Guinean capital Conakry over the past 6 weeks. Several high-risk contacts have also been lost to follow-up in the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown. Rapid-response teams remain alert and ready to respond to further cases.

COUNTRIES WITH WIDESPREAD AND INTENSE TRANSMISSION
:: There have been a total of 27,952 reported confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of EVD in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone (figure 1, table 1) up to 16 August, with 11,284 reported deaths (this total includes reported deaths among probable and suspected cases, although outcomes for many cases are unknown). Three new confirmed cases were reported in Guinea in the week to 16 August…

United Nations – Secretary General, Security Council, General Assembly  [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/

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Selected Press Releases/Meetings Coverage
19 August 2015
SC/12016
Relief Coordinator Warns Security Council of ‘Needless’ Suffering in Yemen, Urges Collective Action to Fund Humanitarian Appeal
If the international community did not take immediate measures to end the fighting in Yemen, the top United Nations humanitarian official in the region cautioned the Security Council today, there would be nothing left to fight for.

19 August 2015
SC/12014
Goal of Resolving Israeli-Palestinian Question Clear, but 20 Years of Failed Talks Led to ‘Slow and Painful Withering of Hope’, Security Council Told in Briefing
The recurrent violent incidents and radicalization in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, threatened to further destabilize an already tense environment for Israel and Palestine, a United Nations senior political affairs official told the Security Council today, urging both sides to work together to reduce tensions and prevent extremist attacks.

19 August 2015
SG/SM/17019-IHA/1374-OBV/1507
In Video Message for World Humanitarian Day, Secretary-General Urges Greater Sense of Global Citizenship to End Suffering

18 August 2015
SG/SM/17018-IHA/1373-OBV/1506
‘Each of Us Has the Power, Responsibility to Create a More Humane World’, Secretary-General Says at Event Marking World Humanitarian Day

13 August 2015
SG/A/1585-BIO/4747
Secretary-General Appoints Elia Armstrong of Canada Director of Ethics Office
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Elia Armstrong of Canada as Director of the Ethics Office. She succeeds Joan Elise Dubinsky of the United States, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedicated service to the Organization.

13 August 2015
SC/12006
Chance Ebola Can Be Defeated by End of 2015, World Health Organization Chief Tells Security Council, Urging Sustained Focus to Prevent Future Outbreaks
Ebola could be “soundly defeated” by the end of the year if the intensity of case detection and contact tracing was sustained, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) told the Security Council today, outlining reforms to improve the organization’s performance and crediting unwavering leadership, especially in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, for a “night-and-day” difference in the situation from less than a year ago.

10 August 2015
SG/SM/17005-HR/5266-OBV/1502
Indigenous Peoples Must Not Be Left Behind upon Launch of Sustainable Development Agenda in September, Says Secretary-General at International Day Commemoration

7 August 2015
SG/SM/16995-SC/12002
Welcoming Security Council Adoption of Resolution 2235 (2015), Secretary-General Issues Call to Hold Parties Accountable for Chemical Weapons Attacks in Syria

7 August 2015
SC/12001
Security Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution 2235 (2015), Establishing Mechanism to Identify Perpetrators Using Chemical Weapons in Syria
The Security Council today decided to establish for one year a Joint Investigative Mechanism of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which would identify “to the greatest extent feasible” individuals, entities, groups or Governments perpetrating, organizing, sponsoring or otherwise involved in the use of chemicals as weapons in Syria.

UN OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true

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UN report reveals “endemic impunity” in Darfur
GENEVA (21 August 2015) – Serious human rights violations and abuses that occurred in Darfur in 2014, including killings and sexual violence, have largely gone uninvestigated and unpunished, according to a new report by the UN Human Rights Office.

The report, based on information provided by the African Union-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), details cases of human rights violations and reveals widespread impunity. Of the 411 cases documented by UNAMID of alleged violations and abuses of the right to physical integrity, by all parties to the conflict, very few were investigated or resulted in arrests. Of these, 127 involved the use of sexual violence. These 411 cases are illustrative of a much broader pattern of violence, the report states.

“The report paints a very grim picture of the systemic failure, or outright refusal, by the authorities to take human rights violations seriously. Most victims have not received justice or any remedies for the wrongs that they suffered,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said…

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Video statement by Francois Crepeau, Special Rapporteur on human rights and migrants, at the 15th session of the Advisory Committee, on unaccompanied migrant children 11 August 2015

UNICEF [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_78364.html

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Selected press release and news notes
Yemen Conflict: Over a thousand child casualties so far – UNICEF
SANAA, Yemen, 19 August 2015 – An average of eight children are being killed or maimed every day in Yemen as a direct result of the conflict gripping the country, according to a report released by UNICEF.

Hygiene practices have helped keep Ebola out of the classroom
CONAKRY/FREETOWN/MONROVIA, 12 August 2015 – As students in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone begin their summer vacations, measures put in place to protect them from the Ebola virus are being credited with having helped keep classrooms free from any infections.

IOM / International Organization for Migration [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.iom.int/press-room/press-releases

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Selected Press Releases
IOM, Partners Work with the Americas to Protect Migrant Children
08/21/15
El Salvador – IOM, UNHCR and ICRC yesterday concluded the 3rd meeting of the Ad Hoc Group on Migrant Children and Adolescents of the Regional Conference on Migration (RCM) in El Salvador.

IOM Supports Launch of Afghan Migration Management Database
08/18/15
Afghanistan – Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, with the support of IOM, has launched a comprehensive Afghan migration management database.

IOM Supports Nigerian Displacement Tracking Technology
08/18/15
Nigeria – IOM this week donated information technology equipment to Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) as part of its project: “Strengthening Humanitarian Response Capacity in North East Nigeria through Displacement Tracking, Monitoring and Information Dissemination” – also known as the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).

IOM Launches Report on Investing in Somali Youth
08/18/15
Somalia – IOM, with funding from the Government of Japan, has launched its first report looking at the relationship between youth, employment and migration in Puntland and Somaliland, entitled “Investing in Somali Youth”.

Mediterranean Migrant Arrivals Approach 250,000
08/14/15
Italy – The number of migrants and asylum seekers who have arrived in Europe by sea so far in 2015 is now approaching a quarter of a million, according to IOM analysis.

IOM: Over 3.1 Million Iraqis Now Displaced
08/14/15
Iraq – The IOM Iraq Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) identified 3,171,606 internally displaced Iraqis (528,601 families) from January 2014 through 30 July 2015.

IOM Monitors Migrant Flows on Haiti – Dominican Republic Border
08/11/15
Haiti – IOM is continuing to monitor migrant flows on the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

UN Women [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.unwomen.org/news/stories

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Selected Press Releases
UN Women welcomes CEDAW General Recommendation on women’s access to justice
Date : August 19, 2015
UN Women welcomes the recently published General recommendation no. 33 on women’s access to justice by the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted in late July.

Statement by UN Women on World Humanitarian Day, 19 August 2015
Date : August 18, 2015
In a statement on World Humanitarian Day, 19 August 2015, UN Women pays tribute to those who have dedicated their lives to end the suffering of others, and who bring hope where it is most needed. Their humanitarian spirit and actions inspire us every day.

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

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Colombia’s Credifamilia to extend US$240m in mortgage loans to low-income homebuyers: New Business Call to Action member’s loans will build 20,000 homes by 2020
Aug 21, 2015
Colombia’s Credifamilia has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a commitment to expand its successful low-income loan portfolio by extending US$240 million in home mortgages to at least 20,000 households in six urban areas which will house 78,000 people by 2020.

UNDP, Red Cross to help reintegrate Ebola volunteers
Aug 14, 2015
UNDP and IFRC kick-start a project to reintegrate and train volunteer workers who have been on the front line fighting the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone.

US$ 41 million to strengthen HIV and TB response in Sudan
Aug 11, 2015
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Federal Ministry of Health in Sudan and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) have announced two new partnership agreements totaling US$ 41 million for Sudan, to give a major boost to the country’s response to HIV and Tuberculosis.

US$ 17 million to fight HIV,TB and malaria in the Pacific Region
Aug 4, 2015
Two new agreements reached in the Pacific by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) are set to provide a major boost in the fight against the three diseases in the Pacific region.

UN Statistical Commission :: UN Statistics Division [to 22 August 2015]
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/default.htm
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/commission.htm
http://unstats.un.org/sdgs/

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Open Consultation with Civil Society, Academia and Private Sector
SDG Indicator Framework – IAEG-SDG
11 AUG – 07 SEP 2015
Background
The Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) is launching an online consultation open to civil society, academia and the private sector to seek their inputs on the development of an indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals. This online open consultation follows a consultation initiated in March 2015 that requested inputs from stakeholders on a preliminary proposed list of indicators.
:: To view a summary of the previous consultation click here.
:: To view a complete compilation of comments from the previous consultation click here.

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.unep.org/newscentre/?doctypeID=1

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Selected Press Releases
Homegrown Experts to Tap into Africa’s 20,000 MW Geothermal Energy Thanks to New Excellence Centre
With an estimated potential of 20,000 MW, geothermal energy could provide an answer to the continent’s energy shortage.
13/08/2015

Egyptian Experimental Farm Reveals Possible Market for ‘Sewage Farming’ Agricultural Products
13/08/2015

UNISDR UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.unisdr.org/archive

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Selected Press Releases
Preparedness Key to Avoiding Worst Consequences of Disasters
On World Humanitarian Day UNEP provides guidance to help communities cope with technological hazards and environmental emergencies
19/08/2015

UN DESA United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news.html

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Selected Press Releases
On Youth Day, UN officials urge Member States to make young people ‘drivers of change’
12 August 2015, New York
Marking International Day of Youth, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that no one knows better than young people the issues at stake in today’s rapidly changing world or the best way to respond, and declared: “That is why I am calling on young people to speak out – and I am urging leaders to listen.

Sustainable development through geospatial information
10 August 2015, New York
The Fifth Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), which took place from 3-7 August at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, showcased the role of collecting geospatial information in the realization of sustainable development.

UN chief urges greater efforts to improve health and well-being of indigenous peoples
9 August 2015, New York
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the international community to commit to do more to improve the health and well-being of indigenous peoples, who face a wide range of challenges from inadequate sanitation and housing to high rates of diabetes, drug and alcohol abuse.

UNESCO [to 22 August 2015]
http://en.unesco.org/news

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International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, 23 August 2015
22 August 2015

Empowering African girls to be the next generation of STEM leaders
17 August 2015

UN-HABITAT United Nations Human Settlements Programme [to 22 August 2015]
http://unhabitat.org/media-centre/press-releases/

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Slum residents contribute to participatory design of community hall
Nairobi, 21 August 2015 – In a landmark project initiated by UN-Habitat and coordinated by the Global Network for Sustainable Housing, the University of Cambridge has engaged a team of researchers to design a community centre in…
Posted August 21, 2015

UN-Habitat goes live with global French website
Nairobi, 20 August 2015: As part of its advocacy, outreach and communications strategy started in 2012, UN-Habitat launched its global website in French today, alongside two new social media channels Twitter and Facebook reporting globally on UN-Habitat’s…
Posted August 20, 2015

Swiss support in Cuba to benefit one million people
Havana, 11 August 2015 – Citizens of thirteen municipalities of Cuba will benefit from an agreement signed between representatives of the Swiss Development Cooperation and UN-Habitat to improve housing infrastructure and living conditions. In addition, the cooperation…
Posted August 12, 2015

UNI portal to provide new outlook for partnerships with academia
Nairobi, 10 August 2015 – A new portal launched by UN-Habitat promotes universities becoming closer partners of cities, actively engaged in problem solving, thus closing the gap between academia and practice and encouraging collaborative learning. The portal,…
Posted August 10, 2015

UN-Habitat releases International Guidelines on Urban Territorial Planning
Nairobi, 10 August 2015– UN-Habitat has released guidelines to provide national governments, local authorities, civil society organizations and planning professionals with a global reference framework that promotes more compact, socially inclusive, better integrated and connected cities and territories…
Posted August 10, 2015

FAO Food & Agriculture Organization [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.fao.org/news/archive/news-by-date/2015/en/

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Soils are the foundation for vegetation
Healthy soils are crucial for ensuring the continued growth of natural and managed vegetation, providing feed, fibre, fuel, medicinal products and other ecosystem services such as climate regulation and oxygen production. Soils and vegetation have a reciprocal relationship.
20-08-2015

Plastic pellets everywhere, and diving robot sensors
The R/V Dr Fridtjof Nansen, a research vessel oeprated by Norway’s Institute of Marine Research with advice from FAO, is in the middle of the southern Indian Ocean, assessing the incidence of microplastics and the Gyre…An estimated 5 trillion pieces of plastic currently float in the world’s oceans, up from none in 1950 and posing a question about their potential impact on a food supply chain that stretches from plankton – which have been filmed eating plastic pellets – up through shellfish, salmon, tuna and eventually humans, not to mention whales….
11-08-2015

FAO Food Price Index hits lowest level in almost six years
The FAO Food Price Index averaged 164.6 points in July, down 1.0 per cent from June, and 19.4 percent from a year earlier. The trade-weighted index tracks prices on international markets of five major food commodity groups: cereals, meat, dairy products, vegetable oils and sugar.
6-08-2015

ILO International Labour Organization [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.ilo.org/global/lang–en/index.htm

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Migration crisis
ILO Director-General calls for durable solution to migrant and refugee crisis
07 August 2015
“Stopgap measures to halt the flows of migrants only scratch the surface of the problem. We need to go deeper into the root causes that force people to put their lives in danger in order to find work and security in foreign lands,” said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.

Sustainable Development Goals
2030 development agenda: Major breakthrough for world of work
04 August 2015
“The unanimous endorsement from UN member States gives the international community the impetus we need to work together to tackle the formidable challenges confronting humanity and our planet, particularly those we face in the world of work,” says ILO Director-General following the agreement of a new development agenda.

UNWTO World Tourism Organization [to 22 August 2015]
http://media.unwto.org/news

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Brand Africa – partnerships key to build brand equity for Africa
The UNWTO Regional Conference on Enhancing Brand Africa – Fostering Tourism Development concluded with a call for stronger regional cooperation and increased partnerships as means to build a stronger brand value for Africa (Accra, Ghana 17-19 August 2015).
20 August 2015

UNWTO welcomes China’s decision to make tourism a tool to fight poverty
UNWTO welcomes the recent decision of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development of China to promote rural tourism as an effective means to fight poverty.
4 August 2015

ITU International Telecommunications Union [to 22 August 2015]
http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/index.aspx?lang=en#.VF8FYcl4WF8

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18.08.2015
International relief effort underway in aftermath of widespread floods
Geneva, 18 August 2015 – ITU has deployed emergency telecommunication equipment in Myanmar following severe floods which have claimed many lives and submerged more than 200,000 acres of farmland, damaging essential infrastructure and thousands of homes.

The emergency equipment deployed by ITU includes Iridium satellite phones, Inmarsat satellite terminals (Broadband Global Area Networks), accessories and laptops to support rescue and relief coordination efforts.

“ITU has deployed emergency telecommunication equipment this year in Malawi, Vanuatu, The Federated States of Micronesia, Mozambique, Nepal, and now Myanmar,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao. “I would like to express my deepest condolences to the people and Government of Myanmar following loss of life and widespread devastation caused by recent floods across the country.”…

ECHO [to 22 August 2015]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/news

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World Humanitarian Day 2015: Let’s Honour Humanitarian Heroes
19/08/2015
Every day, brave men and women risk their lives in humanitarian service to assist victims of wars and natural disasters worldwide. On the occasion of today’s World Humanitarian Day, the European Union pays tribute to their work and dedication..