USAID [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases

.
January 7, 2016
Prominent Healthcare Companies Partner with USAID to Combat Drug Resistant Tuberculosis
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced two new partnerships today to add resources and cutting-edge technologies to fight drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). Janssen, the pharmaceutical arm of Johnson & Johnson, announced a $15-20 million pledge as part of a new partnership with USAID to combat Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). USAID will also partner with Cepheid, a maker of molecular systems and tests, to speed diagnosis of MDR-TB through increased access to rapid, accurate diagnostic tools.

European Union [to 9 January 2016]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives]

.
Date: 08/01/2016
Joint Statement of the HR/VP Federica Mogherini and EU Commissioner for Humanitarian aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides on the situation in Syria
European Commission – Statement Brussels, 8 January 2016 Statement on the situation in Syria “While the talks held in Vienna and New York in recent months are expected to launch the peace process for Syria, the humanitarian situation in the country remains dramatic: civilian populations are under siege in many…

.

Date: 05/01/2016
State of Play: Measures to Address the Refugee Crisis
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 5 January 2016 State of Play: Measures to Address the Refugee Crisis Updated on 5 January The European Agenda on Migration adopted by the Commission in May 2015 set out the need for a comprehensive approach to migration management.

OECD [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/publicationsdocuments/bydate/
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

.
6-January-2016
The Mexican health care system has made great progress during the last decade – but the remaining challenges are daunting
In the ten years since the introduction of Seguro Popular, some 50 million Mexicans previously at risk of unaffordable health care bills now have access to health insurance. The OECD Review of Health Systems: Mexico 2016 finds that the share of the population exposed to unaffordable or impoverishing health care costs has fallen from 3.3% to 0.8% of the population in the past decade.

Organization of American States (OAS) [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_releases.asp

.
January 7, 2016 E-357
Presidential Run-Off in Haiti: A step in the right direction
The Electoral Observation Mission of the Organization of American States (EOM/OAS) in Haiti welcomes the establishment of a date for the presidential run-off as a “step in the right direction”, and calls upon all actors to work towards improving conditions ahead of the voting announced for January 24th. Concluding the electoral process will allow for a constitutional transfer of power to a newly elected President…

IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.ipu.org/english/news.htm

.
4 JANUARY 2016
Parliamentary support principles get 100th endorsement
The number of parliaments and other bodies to formally endorse new guidelines on the best ways of supporting parliaments has passed the 100 mark.

The 100th endorsement for the Common Principles for Support to Parliaments came from UN Women, which works for gender equality and the empowerment of women. The nine principles include a specific call for parliamentary support to address the needs and potential of both men and women in the way parliaments are structured and run…

World Bank [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

.
Date: January 6, 2016 Type: Press Release
Anemic recovery in emerging markets to weigh heavily on global growth in 2016
Global economy to accelerate modestly to 2.9% WASHINGTON, Jan 6, 2016— Weak growth among major emerging markets will weigh on global growth in 2016, but economic activity should still pick up modestly…

.
Date: January 6, 2016 Type: Feature Story
The Evolution of World Bank Group’s Role in Forced Displacement – Interview with Niels Harild, former manager of WBG’s Global Program on Forced Displacement (GPFD)
SJ: Historically, what has been the WBG approach to addressing problems of conflict, refugees, IDPs and migration? NH: First of all, conflict-induced forced displacement and migration are different. Conflict…

Asian Development Bank [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.adb.org/news

.
News Release | 8 January 2016
ADB Approves Record $27 Billion in 2015 to Meet Asia’s Development Needs
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) operations—comprising approvals of loans and grants, technical assistance, and cofinancing—reached an all-time high of $27.15 billion in 2015, an increase of about 19% over the $22.89 billion in 2014, according to provisional figures released today (see Table 1 in Related links).
ADB’s approvals of loans and grants, sovereign (governments) and nonsovereign (primarily private sector), reached a record $16.58 billion—a 23% increase from 2014. Technical assistance amounted to $144 million and cofinancing increased by 13% to a record $10.43 billion in 2015….

Amref Health Africa [to 9 January 2016]
http://amref.org/news/news/

.
January 5, 2016
Amref Health Africa calls for urgent emergency support for drought-stricken Afar Region of Ethiopia
January 5, 2016
Nairobi, Kenya
As the drought and food shortage in parts of Ethiopia continues to worsen, Amref Health Africa is working with communities, all levels of government and partner organizations to identify and address expected public health emergencies. Focused on the Afar Region, one of the hardest hit areas, Amref Health Africa is ramping up a number of key activities to assist with the emergency response, including:
:: Training health workers, community members, and health facility managers to screen children for malnutrition.
:: Logistical support to provide at-risk children and pregnant women with nutritional supplements.
:: Training health workers on emergency response.
:: Providing health education to communities about the types of diseases that become more prevalent during drought and food shortages, and helping people access the necessary health care services.
:: Working with communities to ensure access to clean water through various means, such as water treatment chemicals and supplies and trucking in clean water.
Promoting the importance of continued good hygiene practices and proper sanitation to prevent the spread of disease.
:: Building the strength of the health system to help ensure ongoing, life-saving prevention and treatment services continue despite the emergency (e.g. immunizations).

BRAC [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.brac.net/#news

.
5 January 2016
BRAC awards 10 journalists for reporting on Migration
BRAC awarded 10 journalists from local and national media at an event in the capital today. BRAC Migration programme organised this event at BRAC Centre in recognition of media’s contribution in raising mass awareness on migration, migrant’s rights and welfare. This initiative was taken for the first time to acknowledge and encourage journalism in migration sector.

4 January, 2016
We mourn for Mahabub Hossain
BRAC deeply mourns at the sad demise of Dr Mahabub Hossain, advisor of the executive director, BRAC and Distinguished Professor and Chairperson, Economics and Social Science department of BRAC University. He passed away on January 4, 2016, at 2.45 am (Bangladesh time) in Cleveland Hospital, USA at the age of 71. He left behind his wife, two daughters and a son.

In a life filled with brilliance, this eminent economist served as head of social science division of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Executive director of BRAC, and Director General of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). An inspiring figure, he will be forever remembered for his brilliance in articulation of macro- economic analysis, his path breaking research works, his leadership in agricultural innovation and above all his deep empathy for the marginalised people…

ICRC [to 9 January 2016]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
[Selected news releases]

.
05 January 2016
Article
32nd International Conference: Resolutions, bulletins and reports
The 32nd International Conference, held in Geneva from 8-10 December, brought together representatives from 169 Governments, 185 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and more than 100 observers in an effort to find a common vision for future humanitarian action.

Resolutions
Resolution 1: Strengthening international humanitarian law protecting persons deprived of their liberty (32IC/15/R1)

Resolution 2: Strengthening compliance with international humanitarian law (32IC/15/R2)

Resolution 3: Sexual and gender-based violence: joint action on prevention and response (32IC/15/R3)

Resolution 4: Health Care in Danger: Continuing to protect the delivery of health care together (32IC/15/R4)

Resolution 5: Safety and security of humanitarian volunteers (32IC/15/R5)

Resolution 6: Strengthening legal frameworks for disaster response, risk reduction and first aid (32IC/15/R6)

Resolution 7: Strengthening the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement response to growing humanitarian needs (32IC/15/R7)

…Resolution 10: Power of Humanity. The Fundamental Principles in Action (32IC/15/R10)

IRCT [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.irct.org/

.
News
Nine new rehabilitation centres join the IRCT network
04-01-2016
The IRCT is pleased to announce that nine new rehabilitation centres have joined the network.
The new centres are from Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, DR Congo, India, Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and USA. They are all not-for-profit rehabilitation centres that provide, as a minimum, rehabilitation services to 50 torture survivors per year… The nine new members take the membership to 150 centres from over 70 countries.

Islamic Relief [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.islamic-relief.org/category/news/

.
January 3, 2016
Supporting orphaned children globally
Islamic Relief’s child welfare expert has spoken at a global conference to discuss the rising numbers of orphaned children.

Islamic Relief currently sponsors more than 48,000 orphans in 24 countries and was invited to attend the two-day conference, hosted by Turkish NGO IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation in Istanbul, to discuss the challenges facing orphaned children.

Anwar Ahmed, orphans and child welfare manager at Islamic Relief global headquarters, spoke at the event. He discussed the issue, and the number of factors behind the increased numbers of orphaned children in the world…

Mercy Corps [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases

.
Iraq, January 5, 2016
Support for Extremist Groups Linked to Governance Failures After Iraq War
New research reveals strong civil society can soothe the tensions driving extremism

Washington, DC — Perceptions of a lack of inclusivity in governance in Iraq has fueled support for extremist groups, according to new research from the global organization Mercy Corps. The report, “Investing In Iraq’s Peace” is based on a public opinion survey of 5,000 people across Iraq, repeated over three years from 2013 to 2015, coupled with interviews of Iraqi citizens including civic leaders, youth, government officials and activists. The survey found that, contrary to popular assumptions, tensions between Iraq’s different sects have been overplayed as the main cause of conflict. Instead, it is the perception that the government is unjust, unresponsive and unaccountable that pushes people to support militias or terrorist organizations….

These findings suggest the failure to support fair and accountable government in Iraq following the US-led invasion has directly contributed to the rise of extremist groups. The research also indicates that one way to address instability in Iraq is to support civil society so that people who are frustrated, in particular young people, have a forum to engage with government institutions instead of siding with armed groups.

“The resignation of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in August 2014 coincided with a sharp decline in those expressing sympathy for armed opposition groups in Iraq, according to our surveys,” says Tesfaye. “The data showed that public support for extremist groups can be eroded. Improving governance, particularly by strengthening civil society, is one good way to invest in Iraq’s peace.”
Download or read the full report.

OXFAM [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases

.
8 January 2016
More funding is needed to save lives in countries hit by El Nino
An inadequate response to El Nino will put an already overstretched humanitarian system under intense strain and expose tens of millions more people to the extreme risk of hunger, homelessness and disease. Funding is urgently required to prevent millions more women, children and men around the world from going hungry, suffering water shortages, falling ill and seeing their livelihoods collapse.

Partners In Health [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.pih.org/blog

.
Jan 05, 2016
Immigration Crisis, Health as a Human Right in Haiti
Dr. Alexandre Widner comments in this essay on the current political and medical crisis unfolding along the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and on how PIH is responding to the situation. R

Save The Children [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.9357111/k.C14B/Press_Releases_2016/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp

.
January 7, 2016
Save the Children Calls for an Immediate End to the Siege of Madaya
Fairfield, Conn. — More children will die in the coming days and weeks unless food, medicine, fuel and other vital aid is immediately allowed into the besieged Syrian town of Madaya, Save the Children warns.

Humanitarian workers on the ground report that at least 31 people in the town have died from malnutrition-related causes in the month of December, including three infant children under one year old. Three unborn children have allegedly died as their mothers were severely malnourished and health workers report an increase in cases of Hepatitis A and skin diseases.

Severe food shortages have pushed the price of essentials such as rice, sugar and bulgur wheat to astronomical levels. Yesterday the cost of bulgur reached $280 per kilogram, according to Save the Children partners in Madaya…

Tostan [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.tostan.org/latest-news

.
January 5, 2016
Solidarity Still Needed in Guinea for those Affected by Ebola
In December of 2013, a strange disease began to spread in a small village in Guinea, West Africa. It wasn’t until the 21st of March 2014 that this disease was identified as the Ebola virus.

Just last month, two long years after it began, Guinea was finally declared free of Ebola. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the country now enters a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to make sure that any new cases are identified and dealt with quickly.

While this Ebola-free declaration made by the WHO comes as an immense relief, the work on the ground remains on-going. Late last year a psychosocial and child protection response plan was developed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Promotion of Women and Children in conjunction with UNICEF. The plan, which will continue through April 2016, provides a minimum package of services to address the differing circumstances of children both directly and indirectly impacted by Ebola.

With the support of UNICEF, Tostan has been providing psychosocial support workshops and home monitoring of orphans, setting up hygiene kits and games, introducing cash transfers, and organizing solidarity campaigns on behalf of people affected by Ebola. These collective efforts will impact 153 Ebola orphans, including 72 girls…

The Elders [to 9 January 2016]
http://theelders.org/news-media

.
Opinion Kofi Annan 6 January 2016
2016: a year for passionate intensity and positive change
Reflecting on the events of the past year, Kofi Annan calls on our current generation of leaders to show conviction to achieve positive change for in 2016.

Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/

.
Food insecurity, Ethiopia
Report Synopsis
Date: 2016/01/06
On 5 January 2016 we responded to a funding alert for food insecurity in Ethiopia. Overall there are 10.2 million people in an emergency food security situation caused by drought; there are 7 million people in Belg (short rainy season)-dependent areas and 5.1 million people in need of Belg season seeds.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)’s Financial Tracking Service (FTS), donors have committed/contributed US$560.8 million of humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia since the start of 2015. Agriculture was one of the least funded sectors in Ethiopia in 2015, receiving just 0.7% of total humanitarian funding (US$4.1 million). Approximately US$0.4 million was allocated to the distribution of seeds to vulnerable households (according to project descriptions on UN OCHA’s FTS).

Read our full analysis of the current funding situation.

ODI [to 9 January 2016]
http://www.odi.org/media

.
Probing for proof, plausibility, principle and possibility: a new approach to assessing evidence in a systematic evidence review
Journal articles or issues | January 2016 | Anouk S. Rigterink and Mareike Schomerus

This article proposes a new approach to assessing evidence during a systematic evidence review aiming to inform international development policy. Drawing lessons from a number of social science systematic evidence reviews, the article identifies how the method’s limiting perspective on evidence (including the exclusive focus on ‘gold standard’ empirical information) has serious disadvantages for the usability of evidence reviews for policy. This article aims to provide an alternative framework that allows for a less exclusionary, yet policy-practical, way of assessing evidence. We propose four perspectives on evidence, appropriate for different stages in the policy process: principle when setting or prioritising broad policy goals, plausibility when
assessing specific future policies, proof when evaluating past policies and possibility when striving for innovation and allowing exchange of ideas.