African Development Bank Group [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/
[We generally limit coverage to regional or Africa-wide initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]
.
AfDB and GEF boost renewable energy projects across Africa and urban planning in Cameroon
20/04/2016 –
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) announced on April 15, 2016, the approval of USD 18 million in funding for two projects co-financed with the African Development Bank (AfDB). The first project aims at supporting African countries to shift toward renewable energy (RE) infrastructure through the preparation of RE projects, while the second seeks to help Cameroon to improve its urban planning and waste management.
.

Ending malnutrition to boost the brainpower and spur economic growth in Africa
18/04/2016 –
“The greatest contributor to economic growth is not physical infrastructure, but brainpower, or ‘gray matter infrastructure’”, says Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank. Malnourished children do not feed their brains or bodies, and “stunted children today leads to stunted economies tomorrow”, he said Saturday in Washington during an event on global nutrition organised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Asian Development Bank [to 23 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]

.
22 April 2016
ADB, Japan to Help Chin State Communities Restore Livelihoods
ADB has approved a $10 million grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction to rebuild cyclone-damaged community infrastructure and restore livelihoods in villages in Chin state, Myanmar.

.
22 April 2016
ADB Lending Surges to Record High to Meet Rising Regional Demand
As ADB marks its 50th year of operations in 2016, the latest annual report, released today, shows that total operations surged to $27.17 billion in 2015—the highest in ADB’s history.

.
20 April 2016
ADB Sells Dual-Tranche $2.5 Billion 2-Year and $1 Billion 10-Year Global Benchmark Bonds
ADB returned to the US dollar bond market with the pricing of a dual-tranche $2.5 billion 2-year and $1 billion 10-year global benchmark bond issues, proceeds of which will be part of ADB’s ordinary capital resources.

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development [to 23 April 2016]
https://www.ifad.org/newsroom/press_release/list/tags/y2016

.
21 April 2016
New country office opening signals strengthened partnership with Morocco

.
20 April 2016
Italian Chef Carlo Cracco draws attention to climate change threats for small scale farmers in Cambodia

.
18 April 2016
Global Science Leaders call for better policies on pulses
2016 International Conference on Pulses for Health, Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture in Drylands opened today
April 18, 2016, Rabat, Morocco – The 2016 International Conference on Pulses for Health, Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture in Drylands opened today in Marrakesh, Morocco, including 350 participants coming from 35 countries, alongside policy-makers, agriculture research organizations, scientists, farmers, the private sector and donors. Pulses are highly nutritious food legumes. The goal of the conference is to improve the nutritional situation of almost two billion people in sustainable environments throughout the world, and particularly in developing countries, where 800,000 people do not have access to sufficient food to meet their basic nutritional needs. This population will become even more vulnerable with climate change, droughts and heats, in particular in drylands.

The Conference schedule featured a first-of-its-kind high level discussion about enhancing policy frameworks that would enable targeted pulses research to result in producing more food with less inputs, leading to better soil health…

…Pulses, which are high in protein and form the bases of diets of millions would need an enabling policy environment to meet the current and future food and nutritional security challenges as their consumption is estimated to increase by 23% in the next 15 years.

Based on the estimated population in 2020 and 2030, and based on the last 10-year growth trend in global consumption, the demand for pulses for these two years would increase to 75.9 million tons in 2020, and 81.9 million tons in 2030, from the current level of a little over 70 million tons. The conference participants concluded that “through improved policies and investments in pulses research and technology transfer, the rising global gap between the demand and supply of pulses could be bridged.”…

:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch [posts below]
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.

BRAC [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.brac.net/#news

.
19 April 2016
BRAC and the LEGO Foundation Collaborate on Play-to-Learn Project
BRAC and the LEGO Foundation have announced a $4.7 million, three-year partnership to promote the importance of learning through play for early childhood education in Bangladesh, Tanzania and Uganda.

Designed to emphasize the quality of learning as a hallmark of strong early childhood education, BRAC’s low-cost, high-impact Play Lab project will reach more than 7,000 children, aged three to five, across the three countries…

CARE International [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.care-international.org/news/press-releases
21th Apr 2016
Ecuador earthquake survivors at risk of Zika virus
Ecuador
CARE International is warning of an increased risk of mosquito-borne disease in earthquake-hit Ecuador, with Zika virus and dengue fever posing immediate threats.

Casa Alianza – Compass Children’s Charity [to 23 April 2016]
Covenant House [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.casa-alianza.org.uk/news
https://www.covenanthouse.org/

.
April 21, 2016
Moms To Sleep On Streets In Five Cities Across the U.S.
On April 29th the Covenant House Sleep Out movement continues as over 180 women in five cities will sleep on the streets to raise funds and awareness for our kids.

Danish Refugee Council [to 23 April 2016]
https://www.drc.dk/news

.
21.04.2016
It takes more – think long term!
The Danish government will soon adopt a new development strategy. As Denmark’s largest humanitarian organization, the Danish Refugee Council believes it is crucial to maintain focus on those displacement problems with which the world is faced. It is important that a strong link between humanitarian and developmental work be cultivated and expanded. Such a link is vital for building capacities for self-reliance among conflict-affected populations and among states. It is also key to ensuring the conditions for sustainable development, protection and people’s rights.

.

19.04.2016
Danish Refugee Council expands to mainland Greece
The European Commission has today released more than 80 million euros for humanitarian assistance in Greece. The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) will receive 8 million of these, and the organization can now expand operations in Greece to include the mainland, where DRC in five different locations will assist the Greek authorities in improve conditions for the refugees who are stranded in Greece.

Fountain House [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.fountainhouse.org/about/news-press

.
[undated]
Fountain House Announces 6th Executive Leadership Fellowship for Clubhouse Directors.

Handicap International [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.handicap-international.us/press_releases

.
Posted on April 22, 2016
Nepal: Disaster threats linger one year after major quake

ICRC [to 23 April 2016]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
Selected News Releases and Articles
.
World Humanitarian Summit: ICRC’s comment on the UN Secretary General’s Report
In February 2016, the United Nations Secretary General released his Report on the World Humanitarian Summit.
22-04-2016 | Article

.
Cambodia: Physical rehabilitation programme in Battambang gets a new home
After 25 years of sharing offices with the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation’s physical rehabilitation centre in Battambang, the ICRC’s physical rehabilitation programme has a new base.
22-04-2016 | Article

.
Kenya / Tanzania / Djibouti: 241,000 calls to families were made by refugees in 2015
In 2015 the ICRC continued to help hundreds of thousands of people reconnect with their families following refugee influx in Tanzania and Djibouti.
22-04-2016 | Article

.
Policy and the ICRC
The ICRC’s policy objectives and positions are based on its operational experience and aim to enhance the protection and assistance of people affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence.
22-04-2016 | Article

.
Mali: Staff members freed
Geneva/Bamako (ICRC) – The three staff members with whom the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had lost contact on 16 April were unconditionally released today, safe and sound.
22-04-2016 | News release

.
South Sudan: Focusing on the most vulnerable victims of the conflict
The ICRC and South Sudan Red Cross (SSRC) are working to help the most vulnerable communities primarily with food, health care, safe drinking water and antenatal and maternal care.
20-04-2016 | Article

.
Hong Kong: Competition brings humanitarian law to life for students
Students from across the Asia Pacific region recently competed in the 14th international humanitarian law moot court competition, held in Hong Kong.
19-04-2016 | Article

.
Palestinian refugees from Syria now refugees in Lebanon
The Beddawi camp for Palestinian refugees in northern Lebanon is one of the country’s largest, with a population of 30,000, and the war in Syria has brought a surge in numbers.
18-04-2016 | Video

IFRC [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/press-releases/

.
22 April 2016
States signing Paris agreement on climate change a win for vulnerable communities

22 April 2016
Ecuador: IFRC seeks CHF 18.4 million to assist 100,000 earthquake survivors

21 April 2016
Syria: IFRC Secretary General praises commitment of volunteers

21 April 2016
One year after the Nepal earthquake – millions of survivors remain homeless

20 April 2016
Ecuador: An estimated 10,000 children under five years in need of assistance following earthquake

18 April 2016
Ecuador: IFRC releases emergency funds to deliver life-saving assistance and health services to earthquake hit communities

17 April 2016
Ecuador: Red Cross responds to deadly earthquake; anticipates urgent health needs

17 April 2016
Japanese Red Cross scales up emergency response to Kumamoto earthquakes

IRC International Rescue Committee [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index

.
21 Apr 2016
IRC Condemns Gov. Christie’s Termination of New Jersey’s Refugee Resettlement Program

.
21 Apr 2016
International Rescue Committee Partners with 100 LIVES to Develop Cash Transfer Programming for Syrian Refugees

IRCT [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.irct.org/

.
News
IRCT congratulates Jens Modvig on the election as Chairperson of the Committee against Torture
19 April 2016
… The IRCT also wishes to pay tribute to the outgoing Chairperson, Claudio Grossman, who during his remarkable tenure as the leader of CAT oversaw the development of innovative working methods for NGO access and engagement with the Committee and new normative understandings of victims’ right to rehabilitation and documentation of their allegations. The IRCT encourages the new Chairperson to ensure that the coming years see an enhanced focus on improvement of domestic data collection and on making the Committee’s work more accessible to victims and the general public…

.
News
IRCT members promote torture victims’ right to rehabilitation at the Committee against Torture
18 April 2016

Islamic Relief [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.islamic-relief.org/category/news/
.
April 22, 2016
Muslim leaders deliver Islamic climate change declaration
The Islamic Climate Change Declaration will be presented today at the UN.

.
April 22, 2016
Searching for life in the Horn of Africa
Fadi Itani, Islamic Relief’s Director for Global Communications and External Relations, returns from Somaliland with this eye-witness report.

.
April 22, 2016
Transforming lives with the turn of a tap
A daily 12-hour quest for water now takes five minutes in Malawi, where new community water supplies are transforming life for nearly 9,000 people.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/press/press-releases

.
Press release
MSF Concerned About New Threat to Affordable Medicines in Trade Negotiations with India and ASEAN
April 21, 2016
In advance of the next round of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations starting in Perth, Australia, this Sunday, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is warning that current proposals in this trade agreement could severely restrict access to affordable medicines for millions of people around the world. Text from a leaked chapter on intellectual property shows that Japan and South Korea have made proposals that go beyond what international trade rules require, undermining access to affordable generic medicines and making it harder for patients and treatment providers like MSF to access affordable, lifesaving medicines.

.
Press release
Fight Against HIV Far From Over in West and Central Africa
April 20, 2016
Despite decades of progress in other corners of the world, new report shows failure to adequately diagnose and treat HIV/AIDS in this region.

.
Press release
More Than 100,000 People Trapped in Northern Syria by Renewed Fighting
April 18, 2016
Gazientep, Turkey—More than 100,000 people are trapped at the Turkish border in the Azaz District of Aleppo Governorate in northern Syria, as the front line in fighting between an active Islamic State group and Kurdish forces gets closer, said the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) today.

.
Field news
North Darfur: 61,000 People Living in Precarious Conditions in Sortoni Camp
April 22, 2016
Since mid-January approximately 61,000 Darfuris have poured out of Jebel Mara, North Darfur, and settled in the nearby Sortoni camp. Their displacement is part of a larger exodus caused by the Sudanese government’s attempt to re-establish control over conflict-ridden Jebel Mara.

.
Field news
MSF Starts Limited Post-Earthquake Medical Activities in Japan
April 21, 2016
The earthquakes that ratted southwestern Japan last week injured around 1,100 people in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures and led to the deaths of another 58. Roughly 103,000 people remained displaced in Kumamoto and around 600 in Oita, and the authorities are still searching for people who are unaccounted for as well. What’s more, due to heavy rains and the subsequent risk of landslides, some 240,000 people have been advised to evacuate 19 cities, towns and villages in Kumamoto and Oita.

Mercy Corps [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases

.
Nepal, April 20, 2016
Mercy Corps: Despite Challenges, Nepal is on the Road to Recovery
One year after earthquake, teams work to prevent landslides, rebuild quake-resistant structures
Kathmandu, Nepal – In the months after last year’s earthquake, Mercy Corps provided lifesaving assistance – emergency kits, temporary shelter and cash – to more than 135,000 people in Nepal. Today, Mercy Corps’ long-term recovery efforts seek to impact tens of thousands of families.

“We still feel aftershocks and we still see landslides. The landscape is still fragile, but the people are not,” says Sanjay Karki, Country Director for Mercy Corps in Nepal. “We know these challenges will continue, and we’re working side-by-side with communities to prevent further destruction and rebuild stronger.”…

OXFAM [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases

.
22 April 2016
Signing of Paris climate agreement marks key moment to turn aspiration into action
As more than 160 countries come together to sign the Paris Climate Change Agreement, taking a critical step towards its implementation, Oxfam calls on governments to continue to confront climate change collectively and turn their commitments into action.

.
Nepal one year on: Millions still displaced or in temporary shelters, most vulnerable people risk exclusion from earthquake recovery
22 April 2016
Some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in Nepal are being excluded from the reconstruction process a year after the earthquakes there that killed 8,700 people, said Oxfam in a new report published today.

.
Ballet star calls for more protection of refugee children and announces artistic project with Oxfam
21 April 2016
Global ballet star Irina Kolesnikova aims to show how art can respond to one of Europe’s most urgent crises with a new dance production set in a refugee camp following trip to Western Balkans with Oxfam.

.
Oxfam to dispatch first shipment of aid to people following Ecuador quake
19 April 2016
World-wide development organization Oxfam will send its first shipment of aid tomorrow to those people most affected from the 7.8 earthquake that struck Ecuador last Saturday.

.
Ten of the world’s biggest food and beverage companies battle to improve their social sustainability through the Behind the Brands campaign
19 April 2016
Food and beverage industry giants improve policy commitments but they must turn them into action.

.
Lampedusa 1 year on: EU still failing to deal with migration crisis as death toll rises
18 April 2016
Despite 800 people drowning off Lampedusa in the Mediterranean on this day last year, Europe is still failing to deal effectively with the migration crisis, said Oxfam in a new report today, “EU hotspots spread fear and doubt”.

.
El Nino drought forces Malawi to declare a food emergency: urgent action needed
18 April 2016
The international community must act swiftly and decisively on the Malawi Government’s “declaration of emergency” where people are facing worsening hunger because of El Nino-related drought and country-wide crop failures.

Norwegian Refugee Council [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.nrc.no/

.
(22.04.2016)
Norway
Seeking solutions to displacement
“If you invest in the lives of refugees, you invest in the future of the countries they go back to, even if the war is still going on,” says Filippo Grandi, the newly appointed UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Yesterday, the new UN refugee chief discussed the different solutions to the global refugee crisis with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Secretary General, Jan Egeland, and several NRC Country Directors, at the Conference on Solutions to Displacement in Oslo.

Increasing restrictions to humanitarian access in many warzones make it more and more difficult for international NGOs to reach communities in need, and has led to the death of many humanitarian workers along the way. Carsten Hansen, NRC’s Regional Director for the Middle East, recounted the biggest challenges of humanitarian workers in Syria:

“Because of the ongoing and shrinking space for humanitarian access, operating in Syria has never been more difficult, complicated and dangerous. We are working in a warzone where conflict lines are shifting. We see borders rising and Syrian colleagues who don’t have access any longer,” says Hansen…

.
(20.04.2016)
Youth
Urgent action needed to address challenges faced by refugee youth in Lebanon
An entire generation of young people in the Middle East faces unprecedented challenges in an environment of insecurity and poverty, risking losing their untapped potential to hopelessness.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has published a regional research carried out among refugee and local youth across the Middle East showing how complex legal and economic barriers across the region stunt their development. The research is accompanied by a short Lebanon-focused report, highlighting the key challenges faced by refugee youth in the country: access to legal stay, limited access to work and education, as well as pervasive undercurrent of violence affecting their lives in both public and personal spheres.

The research, A Future in the Balance: How Conflict in Syria is Impacting on the Needs, Concerns and Aspirations of Young People Across the Middle East and the accompanying A Future in the Balance: Lebanon, were conducted throughout the final quarter of 2015…

PATH [to 23 April 2016]
http://www.path.org/news/index.php

.
Announcement | April 19, 2016
PATH announces leader for HIV/TB and health systems programs
Dr. Johannes van Dam to lead PATH’s groundbreaking work in HIV/TB and health systems innovation and delivery

PATH has named Dr. Johannes van Dam the leader of its integrated HIV and tuberculosis (TB) and health systems innovation and delivery programs. Dr. van Dam will be based in PATH’s Washington, DC office beginning April 25, 2016.

“I am honored to welcome Dr. van Dam to PATH, whose extensive background in public health will be vital to leading our integrated approach to HIV/TB and advancing critical work in health systems,” said Dr. David Fleming, vice president of PATH’s public health division. “Dr. van Dam has collaborated with governments, national counterparts, donors, and researchers on a wide range of health issues, including HIV/AIDS, infectious and chronic diseases, and reproductive health and family planning. This expertise will be invaluable as PATH leads groundbreaking efforts in health system strengthening and tackling the often dual epidemics of HIV and TB.”…