Asian Development Bank [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.adb.org/news/releases
[We generally limit coverage to regional or Asia-wide initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

.
16 April 2016
Unprecedented Collaboration Among Development Partners to Improve Infrastructure Implementation
The inaugural Global Infrastructure Forum 2016 convening here today aims to enhance collaborative mechanisms to improve infrastructure delivery globally.
.
14 April 2016
Construction Begins on Lengana Wharf in Western Province
Rehabilitation work has begun on Lengana Wharf in Western Province, making it the thirteenth to be upgraded under the Domestic Maritime Support Project supported by ADB, Australia and New Zealand.
.
13 April 2016
Asian Economies Must Build Resilience to Growing Risks
Emerging risks and destabilizers as diverse as widening income inequality, slower growth, and climate change are reshaping Asia’s economic landscape at such a rapid pace says Independent Evaluation at ADB.
.
11 April 2016
ADB Approves $2 Million for Herders Hit By Mongolian Climate Disaster
ADB Country Director Robert Schoellhammer and Monglolia Finance Minister Bolor Bayarbaatar signed a $2 million grant agreement for herders afflicted by a protracted climate disaster in Mongolia known as a “dzud.”
.
8 April 2016
Takehiko Nakao to Stand for Reelection as ADB President
ADB President Takehiko Nakao today expressed his intention to stand for reelection as President for the next 5-year term, after the current term ends on 23 November 2016.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.aiib.org/html/NEWS/
[We generally limit coverage to regional or Asia-wide initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

.
04/14/2016
Mr. Hamid Sharif appointed as Director General of the Compliance, Effectiveness and Integrity Unit
.
04/14/2016
AIIB and World Bank Sign First Co-Financing Framework Agreement
Close cooperation between the two institutions will support economic development
WASHINGTON, April 13, 2016—Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Jin Liqun and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim today signed the first co-financing framework agreement between the two institutions.

The agreement outlines the co-financing parameters of AIIB-World Bank investment projects, and paves the way for the two institutions to jointly develop projects this year. In 2016, the AIIB expects to approve about $1.2 billion in financing, with World Bank joint projects anticipated to account for a sizable share.

“I am very pleased today to sign this co-financing agreement together with World Bank Group President Kim,” Jin said. “The AIIB is very grateful for the generous and timely support offered by the World Bank Group throughout our establishment process, and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with ongoing cooperation in project co-financing and other areas.”

The AIIB and the World Bank are currently discussing nearly one dozen co-financed projects in sectors that include transport, water and energy in Central Asia, South Asia and East Asia. Under the agreement, the World Bank will prepare and supervise the co-financed projects in accordance with its policies and procedures in areas like procurement, environment and social safeguards…

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development [to 16 April 2016]
https://www.ifad.org/newsroom/press_release/list/tags/y2016

.
12 April 2016
Smallholder farmers to benefit from $65 million tea and rubber revitalization project in Sri Lanka
.
7 April 2016 :
Independent evaluation shows IFAD-supported operations in Nigeria improve the livelihoods of rural poor people
.
6 April 2016:
Despite being “the biggest threat facing humanity” climate change and its impacts fail to make headlines, says IFAD study
.
6 April 2016:
Where a woman lives in Latin America increases her risk of being disadvantaged – new report

:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch
We will monitor media releases and other announcements around key initiatives, new research and major organizational change from a growing number of global NGOs, collaborations, and initiatives across the human rights, humanitarian response and development spheres of action.

This Watch section is intended to be indicative, not exhaustive. We will not include fund raising announcements, programs events or appeals, and generally not include content which is primarily photo-documentation or video in format.

Amref Health Africa [to 16 April 2016]
http://amref.org/news/news/

.
14 April 2016
FGM Ambassador Selected for the 2016 YALI Training.
Amref Health Africa congratulates Ms Nice Nailantei Leng’ete for having been selected to participate in the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.
Nailantei will join thousands of young leaders from the sub-Saharan Africa and the United States in a six week leadership training and later participate in a three day interactive session with U.S. leaders in business, government and non-profit sector Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit hosted by the U.S. President Barrack Obama.

Nailantei, who has been working as a project officer under the Amref Health Africa in Kenya Alternative Rite of Passage project for the last three years, continues to play a key role in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)to ensure girls and women in her maasai community transition to womanhood without undergoing the cut. She also acts as a role model to help the girls and escape early pregnancies and marriage and realise their education dream…

BRAC [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.brac.net/#news

.
Monday, 11 April 2016 00:00
BRAC launches the prestigious Manthan Awards
BRAC launched the prestigious Manthan Digital Innovation Award (BMDIA) 2016, on 10 April, for the first time in Bangladesh. The award, an off-shoot of the Manthan Awards in India, promotes the use of technology for the development and focuses on newer digital and mobile innovations.

BRAC in partnership with Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), an India-based non-profit launched the awards on National Press club today. Manthan Award, initiated in 2004 by Digital Empowerment Foundation promotes and recognises the contributions of individuals and organisations in the field of ICT for development…
.
Thursday, 07 April 2016 00:00
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed receives Thomas Francis, Jr. Medal
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, KCMG, founder and chairperson of BRAC, was given the Thomas Francis, Jr. Medal in Global Public Health award by the University of Michigan. Mark Schlissel, president of University of Michigan presented the medal at a ceremony at the Ross School of Business on April 6, 2016.

CARE International [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.care-international.org/news/press-releases

.
14th Apr 2016
Southern Africa drought threatens humanitarian catastrophe, warn aid agencies
Aid agencies in Mozambique warn that available resources are insufficient to address the scale of the needs.
.
Meeting the Real Needs of Syrian Civilians: A Message to the Humanitarian Task Force
14th Apr 2016 Syria
The Syrian conflict is among the worst catastrophe in modern times and reflects the absolute failure of the international community to halt the brutal and unnecessary cycle of violence.
[See Week in Review above for more detail]
.
Yemen: Ceasefire must hold or thousands more will die
10th Apr 2016 Yemen
An agreed cess ation of hostilities in Yemen comes at a crucial moment when an entire country is on the brink.
.
6th Apr 2016
Fiji hit by floods as Cyclone Zena approaches
Fijians are bracing for another major cyclone, less than two months after surviving the biggest storm in their country’s history.

Casa Alianza [to 16 April 2016]
Covenant House [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.casa-alianza.org.uk/news
https://www.covenanthouse.org/

.
04/13/2016
Looking Forward to Helping Homeless Youth in Chicago
With an estimated 11,000 homeless youth between the ages of 14 to 21 in Chicago over the course of a year, help is needed to provide more outreach, more beds and more hope. Soon Covenant House will stand side by side with other service providers in Chicago to help meet this urgent need.
.
04/06/2016
Cheering a Contempt Case Against Backpage.com
The controversy over Backpage.com’s escort service ads and their link to child sex trafficking has taken a new turn as the United States Senate takes the website to court. Covenant House President Kevin Ryan expresses hope that this new development will stop Backpage.com and other sites like it from selling kids.
.
04/0/2016
Let’s Study What Works Best For Homeless Youth
In his Huffington Post blog, Covenant House President Kevin Ryan argues that both rapid re-housing initiatives AND the support provided by transitional living programs must be used to meet the complex needs of homeless youth.

Danish Refugee Council [to 16 April 2016]
https://www.drc.dk/news

.
10.04.2016
Yemen: Ceasefire must hold or thousands more will die
The agreed cessation of hostilities in Yemen, beginning today, comes at a crucial moment when an entire country is on the brink. Humanitarian agencies warned today that should the ceasefire break down again, as previous ones did, the consequences would be catastrophic.
.
04.04.2016
DRC concerned about returns from Greece to Turkey
Returns from Greece to Turkey began today, in accordance with the EU-Turkey agreements of March 18. The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) expressed concerns about the premature nature of the returns and not least whether all procedures are in place for the returns to start, the organization said in a statement today.

Handicap International [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.handicap-international.us/press_releases

.
Posted on April 15, 2016 10:04 AM
Statement on the Deaths of three Haitian Women with Disabilities
In late March, three deaf Haitian women lost their lives in an alleged assassination. The event sent shockwaves across the Caribbean nation.

Handicap International stresses the need to protect the most vulnerable individuals, particularly people with disabilities, who may be more exposed to violence as a result of their disability. In Port-au-Prince, Handicap International’s team joined a demonstration in support of the victims, in coordination with its local partners….
.
Posted on April 04, 2016 10:30 AM
Use of banned weapons reaches record levels
The worldwide use of banned explosive weapons such as landmines and cluster bombs increased significantly in 2014 and 2015, largely due to unchecked use in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Colombia, Myanmar, and Tunisia. To mark the international day of landmine and cluster munition awareness, April 4, Handicap International is calling on the international community to strongly condemn this practice, and for an immediate end to the use of these weapons.

Banned under international law, these weapons have been used at an alarming rate in recent years. Cluster munitions use is at its highest level since 2010, when the Convention on Cluster Munitions entered into force. Handicap International is calling on States and non-State armed groups to immediately end the use of anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions, as well as their sale, and transfer. Any use of these weapons must be unanimously and systematically condemned…

HelpAge International [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.helpage.org/newsroom/press-room/press-releases/

.
Posted: 14 April 2016
HelpAge International welcomes universal pension in Zanzibar
The first government funded universal pension in East Africa is to be launched in Zanzibar this Friday (15 April).
.
Posted: 06 April 2016
Tanzanian older people join their compatriots for increased attention to the rising prevalence of diabetes
Older activists in Tanzania will today join a global campaign calling for action to tackle the growing health threat caused by diabetes through screening, testing, treatment and education. The actions, taking place on this World Health Day, which is being commemorated under the theme: “Beat Diabetes: Scale up Prevention, Strengthen Care and Enhance Surveillance”, are part of HelpAge International’s annual Age Demands Action campaigns led by older activists from across the world to draw attention to the challenges they face.

ICRC [to 16 April 2016]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
Selected News Releases and Articles
Jordan: Officials discuss better health care for detainees

.
Jordan: Officials discuss better health care for detainees
News release
07 April 2016
Amman (ICRC) – The third regional conference on health care in detention organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in cooperation with Jordan’s Public Security Directorate and Ministry of Health, drew to a close today.
.
Ukraine: ICRC concerned by repeated attacks against civilian infrastructure in east
News release
06 April 2016
Kiev (ICRC) – Intensified shelling in eastern Ukraine is compounding the hardship of displaced and local people living in the vicinity of the line of contact. In particular, repairs to a gas pipeline which was damaged in the summer of 2014 are now being held up by security incidents in the Marinka area. On 31 March, for the second time in two weeks, technicians laying some 3,000 metres of underground pipe came under fire.
.
Nagorno-Karabakh: ICRC ready to act as a neutral intermediary
News release
03 April 2016
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is concerned about the humanitarian impact of fighting along the line of contact in Nagorno-Karabakh, which seriously deteriorated on 2 April 2016. Casualties reported on both sides included civilians.

IFRC [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/press-releases/

.
16 April 2016
Red Cross: Without immediate support, the worst is yet to come for food insecure families across southern Africa
Nairobi, 16 April 2016 – With another season of inadequate rainfall, missed plantings, and failed harvests, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is warning that the number of families dependent on food aid across southern Africa will most certainly increase in the coming months.

An estimated 28 million people are currently food insecure across the region. That figure is expected to increase to 49 million before the end of the year.

“These figures are quite conservative,” said Michael Charles, acting regional representative for IFRC, southern Africa. “Farmers have missed three seasons now, due to insufficient rains. Missed harvests mean there is no new food on the table, nor income in their pockets. To avoid a crisis of even larger proportions, we need to ramp up our interventions to ensure those most vulnerable get the support they need, now…
.
15 April 2016
Red Cross partners agree on one-year recovery plan to support 65,000 people affected by Tropical Cyclone Winston
.
7 April 2016
Families fleeing fighting in Nineveh receive Red Crescent assistance in Erbil
Recent fierce clashes in Iraq’s northern governorate of Nineveh have left at least 50 people dead, and led to a growing number of people fleeing the region to safer parts of the country.
.
7 April 2016
Kuwait Red Crescent Society supports Jordan Red Crescent in Syrian refugee response
For more than five years now, Jordan has been home for thousands of Syrian refugees who fled the neighbouring country’s fighting.
.
6 April 2016
Displaced Mongolian herders destined for a life of deprivation in urban slums
Lack of occupational skills in an urban setting are forcing herders to live in extreme deprivation and unhealthy living conditions

IRC International Rescue Committee [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index

.
16 Apr 2016
Pope Francis visits Lesbos to meet with some of the 4,000 refugees living in limbo on the island
.
10 Apr 2016
International Rescue Committee responds to reports of violence on the northern borders of Greece
In the informal camp of Idomeni, an estimated 11,000 people wait by the closed border between Greece and the Former Republic of Yugoslavia Macedonia. Refugees today reported widespread use of tear gas and rubber bullets as some people protested at the border fence.

Jane Waite, Deputy Director of International Rescue Committee in Greece, responds from northern Greece:
“Refugees are telling our teams that tear gas filled areas where vulnerable people are camped near the border – women, children and the disabled. Men were left choking and collapsed to the floor. These are people that have fled homes destroyed by war and travelled in desperation to seek safety. Yet now they face new dangers. Lack of information means that many do not know their options, with access to asylum officials available only via Skype in camps with intermittent electricity and internet connection. Safe routes for refugees must be created and soon – the current EU-Turkey agreement is illogical and the cracks are already beginning to show.”
.
31 Mar 2016
In the global response to the refugee crisis, European leaders are lagging behind
.
29 Mar 2016
Open Letter to Global Leaders in advance of the UNHCR High Level Meeting on Global Responsibility Sharing through Pathways for Admission of Syrian Refugees on March 30 in Geneva

IRCT [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.irct.org/

.
Statements & declarations
IRCT joins call to ensure protection and rehabilitation of torture victims in Hong Kong
12 April 2016
The IRCT has joined more than 90 organisations and 70 prominent individuals in calling for the cessation of hostility and stereotyping of refugees in Hong Kong.

In a statement released yesterday, the organisations reject the Hong Kong Government’s proposals to withdraw from the United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) and to create closed detention camps for refugees as ill-advised, harmful, and a potential breach of international laws.

“We are shocked to learn that the Hong Kong Government is contemplating a withdrawal from the UNCAT. No country has ever withdrawn from the UNCAT, and to do so because they are not willing to protect torture victims from further abuse is shameful,” said Asger Kjaerum, Director of Advocacy.

Rather than incarcerating refugees, including high numbers of torture survivors, the IRCT recommends that current refugee processing procedures are reviewed and revised to ensure prompt identification, documentation and rehabilitation for victims of torture and ill-treatment.

“Instituting a proper system of forensic evaluation of torture allegations will help the Government effectively identify torture survivors and ensure that they receive adequate support during and after the asylum process. This must include prompt access to rehabilitation services and asylum procedures sensitive to the vulnerable situation,” concludes Mr. Kjaerum.
Joint statement
.
News
New issue of Torture Journal calls for more research
11 April 2016
.
Statements & declarations
IRCT and international NGO coalition pressures Mexico on anti-torture law
07 April 2016
.
News
IRCT receives German grant to promote documentation and rehabilitation for torture victims in the Philippines
05 April 2016

Islamic Relief [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.islamic-relief.org/category/news/

.
April 10, 2016
Yemen: Ceasefire must hold or thousands more will die
Latest News |
Today’s agreed cessation of hostilities in Yemen comes at a crucial moment when an entire country is on the brink. Humanitarian agencies warned today that should the ceasefire break down again, as previous ones did, the consequences would be catastrophic.

.
[Undated]
Swedish communities unite to support Syrian refugees
Christian and Muslim communities are coming together to support Syrian refugees.
…With aid stations established in major rail and ferry terminals in Malmö, Gothenburg and Stockholm, Islamic Relief Sweden has been at the forefront offering food, shelter and advice to all those in search of safety…

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/press/press-releases

.
Press release
Syria: New Offensives Bring More Suffering, Displacement to Aleppo Governorate
April 15, 2016
Fighting in Aleppo Governorate has grown increasingly intense over the past week, as new offensives have brought even more misery and uncertainty to the region. This past Thursday, the frontlines reached the outskirts of displacement camps in the area, and some camps in Azaz District were attacked.

The new offensives have again forced tens of thousands of people to flee towards the Turkish border in search of safety, but whether or not they will be able to find sanctuary remains an open question.
.
Press release
MSF Opens Rome Rehabilitation Center for Survivors of Torture and Inhumane Treatment
April 14, 2016
New York/Rome—Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in Rome have opened a rehabilitation center for survivors of torture and other forms of inhumane treatment. The center will offer medical, psychological, and socio-legal assistance to any migrant, refugee, or asylum seeker who was tortured or subjected to other forms of targeted violence, regardless of their place of origin or current legal status.
.
Press release
More than 50 Groups Call on US Congress to Stop TPP, the Worst Trade Deal Ever for Access to Affordable Medicines
April 12, 2016
More than fifty groups have come together to demand that the US Congress reject the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal (TPP) due to provisions it contains that would undermine public health. In a letter sent to Congress today, the groups outlined the damaging effects the trade deal would have on public health, and said lawmakers should not vote for the TPP unless damaging provisions are removed.
.
Field news
Refugees in Greece: “Will They Kill Us Here in Europe?”
April 13, 2016
Since the European Union (EU) agreement with Turkey came into force on March 20, so-called “hotspots” set up on the main islands in Greece in October 2015 to screen and register asylum seekers were transformed overnight into detention centers run by the Greek army and police, where many are now trapped.
.
Field news
MSF Treats Hundreds After Greek-FYROM Border Violence
April 10, 2016
Medical teams for the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) treated hundreds of people today, April 10, following violence at the border between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). At least 10 people have reported to MSF teams that they were beaten by FYROM police; around 40 people were injured by rubber bullets.
.
Press Releases
South Sudan: MSF Issues Open Letter on Nationwide Lack of Essential Medicines
GENEVA/JUBA/NEW YORK, APRIL 7, 2016 — International donors and the broader humanitarian community must take immediate action to address widespread shortages of essential medicines in South Sudan, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned today in an open letter from MSF international president Dr. Joanne Liu.
.
Field News
Syria: Despite Ceasefire, “Catalog of Horror” Continues in Besieged Areas
April 07, 2016
Operational Update
BRUSSELS/NEW YORK—Despite a ceasefire in fighting and the arrival of humanitarian convoys, the situation remains critical in many besieged areas of Syria, said the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Thursday.

OXFAM [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases

.
15 April 2016
Deportations of refugees and migrants from Greece must be halted as fears of human rights violations grow
Deportations of refugees and migrants from Greece to Turkey must be halted immediately and people wanting to seek asylum should not be kept in detention, said Oxfam, Norwegian Refugee Council and Solidarity Now today in Greece.
.
Fifty biggest global US companies stash $1.3 trillion offshore
14 April 2016
The 50 biggest US companies have more than a trillion dollars hidden offshore according to a new report published by Oxfam today. This is more than the entire GDP of countries such as Spain, Mexico or Australia.
.
World Bank and IMF must help bring an end to tax havens
12 April 2016
Following the abuses revealed in the Panama Papers, world leaders attending the Spring Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund this week must seize the moment to take decisive action and help end the era of tax havens, said Oxfam today.
.
Majority of World Bank’s private investments go to companies that have a presence in tax havens
11 April 2016
Fifty one of the 68 companies that were lent money by the World Bank’s private lending arm in 2015 to finance investments in sub-Saharan Africa use tax havens, Oxfam revealed today.

Norwegian Refugee Council [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.nrc.no/

.
Greece
Deportations of refugees and migrants from Greece must be halted
15. april 2016
Deportations of refugees and migrants from Greece to Turkey must be halted immediately and people wanting to seek asylum should not be kept in detention, said Oxfam, Norwegian Refugee Council and Solidarity Now.
.
Conference on Solutions to Displacement
A conference to inspire
13. april 2016
With the NRC hosting the Conference on Solutions to Displacement, the keynote speakers will be UN High Commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi and Norwegian State Secretary Tore Hattrem.

The Conference on Solutions to Displacement takes place on April 21st at Samfunnssalen, Arbeidersamfunnets plass 1, Oslo…
.
07. april 2016
Greece
Five reasons why the EU-Turkey deal is a disgrace
How the EU-Turkey deal is being implemented is a disgrace to Europe. Here are five reasons why it must be stopped now.
.
04. april 2016
Greece
Europe is imprisoning refugee children
“It is outrageous that young and innocent children fleeing war are kept imprisoned behind barbed wire in overcrowded detention facilities on European soil”, said Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland.
.
07.04.2016
Press Release
Access urgently needed to 30,000 people displaced in eastern DRC
…Some 30,000 people were forced to flee the area following fighting between government forces and armed groups between 25 and 26 March. Most of these people were already vulnerable and had been staying in camps before the fighting broke out.

“All parties to the conflict, leaders of armed groups and individual fighters must spare civilians and respect international humanitarian law,” said NRC’s Head of Mission in DR Congo, Mickael Amar. “Families – including many women and children – have been forced to flee multiple times. Their situation is incredibly dire.”

NRC has been working to support local and displaced communities in Mpati, but had to suspend operations on 21 March due to the volatile security situation. It was about to set up education and food-security projects to help 34,000 vulnerable people in the area…

Partners In Health [to 16 April 2016]
http://www.pih.org/blog

.
Apr 15, 2016
Going the Distance to Keep Mothers Healthy
Eneles Manyamba, a PIH village health worker, played a vital role ensuring Violet Paulo gave birth to a healthy daughter.
.
Apr 15, 2016
Working in Global Health: Islande Cadichon
Islande Cadichon, a senior human resources coordinator, was born at a PIH-supported clinic in Haiti and says working for the organization is a “dream come true.”
.
Apr 15, 2016
A Baby’s Battle with XDR-TB in Peru
Six-month-old Hans Veliz was diagnosed with extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in the same year his father died of the disease.
.
Apr 14, 2016
Building a Future of Care in Malawi
We’re about to embark on a new, major improvement to Neno District Hospital that will significantly expand our level of care.
.
Apr 13, 2016
PIH Patient Turned Staffer Pays it Forward in Malawi
Steve Mtewa was close to death when he visited a PIH-supported hospital in Malawi. Now he helps build health clinics there.
.
Apr 07, 2016
Saving Melva Fernandez
Melva Fernandez has suffered her entire life with tuberculosis. In January, doctors diagnosed her with an immunological disease that limits her ability to respond to TB. No matter how many times her doctors threw the best medicine available at her illness, her body would not be able to launch a proper defense. PIH is helping her access a possible cure.
.
Apr 04, 2016
Fighting the Zika Virus in Haiti
We’re working with Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population to address the risks associated with the Zika virus.