IMF [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.imf.org/external/news/default.aspx
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]
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Speech
Accelerating Reforms to Establish a Risk Prevention System – A View from the IMF
Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director
China Development Forum, Beijing, March 20, 2016
African Development Bank Group [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/
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25/03/2016
Lack of water is a stumbling block to gender equality in Zimbabwe
– Zimbabwe’s Minister of Water, Environment and Climate, Oppah Muchinguri has decried lack of sufficient clean water as a stumbling block to achieving gender equality. She said girls were often forced to miss school because of searching for the precious liquid.
AfDB supports Healthcare Sector in Africa with a USD25 Million Equity Investment in the Abraaj Growth Markets Health Fund
24/03/2016 – The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a USD 25 million equity investment in the Abraaj Growth Markets Health (Africa) Fund (the “Fund”), the Africa focused parallel partnership of the Abraaj Growth Markets Health Fund. This contribution will allow the Fund to provide access to finance and capacity building for scalable and sustainable healthcare models for lower-middle and low-income segments of the populations in Africa. The proposal is well aligned with the Bank’s High Five Item on Improving the Lives of Africans and with various Bank and target country strategies.
Half of Africa’s nations advancing climate solutions to front burner in national development plans: report
22/03/2016 – The African Development Bank (AfDB) has released Financing Change: the AfDB and CIF for a Climate-Smart Africa, its 2015 Annual Report for its Climate Investment Funds (CIF) portfolio. The report demonstrates that by the end of 2015 through its AfDB-supported CIF portfolio, 27 African nations – half of Africa – had become engaged in various aspects of climate solutions, and through 39 pilot programs are embedding them in their national development economic and social goals. The work is also significant institutionally for AfDB because it serves as a critical support in shifting the Bank’s core work to fulfill its ambitious goal to triple climate financing for Africa by 2020.
AfDB celebrates World Water Day – Water and Employment: What future?
21/03/2016 – The African Development (AfDB) attaches considerable importance to the water and employment sectors – which are also parts of its five operational priorities, the High Fives – and is supporting the Ivorian Government in celebrating the 2016 edition of the World Water Day, on March 22, 2016. The theme this year is “Water and Jobs”. Industry experts, scientists, development partners and representatives of the civil society will discuss how water can contribute to create jobs and wealth.
Africa is open for business: The African Development Bank calls on African private sector
21/03/2016 – Africa’s private sector will continue to lead the continent towards economic transformation, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina said Monday at the launch of the fourth Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan
Amref Health Africa [to 26 March 2016]
http://amref.org/news/news/
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Published: 24 March 2016 Carolyne Khamala
Amref Health Africa Makes Great Steps to end TB
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a public health challenge in developing countries. Worldwide in 2014, World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 9 million people developed TB with Kenya contributing about 89,000 TB cases. Kenya is ranked…
Published: 22 March 2016 Carolyne Khamala
Ground breaking ceremony for the Kerwa Water Project
Friday 18 March 2016 will be a day to remember for the people of Kerwa village. As we arrive at the village in Kiambu County, a huge gathering greets us with big smiles and…
Published: 21 March 2016 Carolyne Khamala
Amref Health Africa Calls for Increased Focus and Investment on Providing Safe Water
On Tuesday, March 22, Amref Health Africa will join the global community in celebrating the World Water Day, notably the first following adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in November 2015. The launch…
ICRC [to 26 March 2016]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new
Selected News Releases and Articles
Iraq: Aid reaches thousands of displaced people in war-ravaged west Ramadi
Baghdad/Geneva (ICRC) – International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) staff distributed aid today to more than 12,000 displaced people surviving in desperate conditions in west Ramadi, central Iraq, having fled fighting in the nearby city of Hit.
24-03-2016 | News release
ICRC evidence to UK parliament: Respecting law of war reduces suffering
The ICRC has emphasised the need for compliance with international humanitarian law in evidence before the UK parliament’s International Development Committee. ICRC senior policy advisor Markus Geisser appeared before the committee to feed into an i
24-03-2016 | Article
Syria: First aid in months reaches over 70,000 people in the central Syrian region of Al Houleh
A joint convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the United Nations yesterday reached several villages in the region of Al Houleh, north of Homs, to deliver food, medicine and water supply
23-03-2016 | News release
The ICRC in Jordan
The International ICRC has been present in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan since 1967, as part of its international humanitarian mandate.
22-03-2016 | Article
ICRC launches new guidance bolstering relevance of Geneva Conventions
The ICRC has unveiled major new guidance on the implementation of the Geneva Conventions, bolstering arguments that despite violations, the laws governing armed conflict remain relevant, crucial to saving lives and must not be abandoned.
21-03-2016 | News release
IFRC [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/press-releases/
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26 March 2016
Syria: How much longer?
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21 March 2016
DIHAD: innovation at the heart of humanitarian action
Dubai / Geneva, 21 March 2016 – For the fourth consecutive year, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is among the exhibitors at the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development Conference and Exhibition (DIHAD) opening today in Dubai.
Recognized as the largest humanitarian event in the Middle East, DIHAD brings together international agencies, governmental and non-governmental organizations, donors, the corporate sector and academia, to exchange knowledge and best practices in the field of humanitarian assistance. This year DIHAD unfolds the theme: the importance of innovation in humanitarian aid and development…
IRC International Rescue Committee [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index
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23 Mar 2016
The International Rescue Committee Will Not Transport Refugees to Closed Facility at Moria, Lesvos
Lesbos, Greece 23 Mar 2016 –
On Monday evening the IRC informed the Greek coastguard that we would not transport refugees to the closed facility at Moria. We cannot knowingly participate in the transportation of some of the world’s most vulnerable to a place where their freedom of movement is in question.
We will continue to provide for refugees’ basic and protection needs at Kara Tepe camp and, should refugees land on Lesvos’ north shore we are ready to assist them with the essential services they need.
The IRC has been working on the Greek island of Lesbos since July 2015 delivering clean water and sanitation in several refugee transit sites and providing newly arrived refugees with much needed information about the registration process and essential services. We continue to provide specialized services to the most vulnerable refugees, including people with limited mobility and children separated from their families. In early March the IRC’s emergency response team was deployed to Northern Greece to assist with the response there. In the short term the IRC’s protection and environmental health team are responding at Idomeni, the informal refugee site on Greece’s northern border.
More information about the IRC’s response to the Europe Refugee Crisis at this link.
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23 Mar 2016
Global Reports on Ebola’s Lessons Overlook Politics and Misplace Scrutiny
IRCT [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.irct.org/
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News
IRCT membership elects new Council
22 March 2016
The IRCT is pleased to announce that its members have elected a new IRCT Council for the period 2016-2019. The Council’s mandate became effective as of 16 March 2016.
The Council consists of 29 members elected based on regions and the respective quotas, as well as three independent experts. All seven regions are represented with seven members from Europe and four each from Asia, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Centres in MENA elected three members while North America and the Pacific elected two members each. The three independent experts are from Germany, Nigeria and Sri Lanka.
This is the fifth time that the General Assembly of the IRCT, in which each member has one vote, carries out elections to designate the representatives before the Council.
“This is an exercise of extraordinary importance, which is testament to the maturity of the organisation, and it underscores the IRCT’s commitment to its core values of democracy, cultural diversity and mutual respect, and rule of law,” says IRCT Secretary General, Victor Madrigal-Borloz…
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News
Inge Genefke receives acknowledgement from Chilean Government for her work with torture victims
22 March 2016
MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/press/press-releases
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Press Releases
MSF Pilots 3-D Printing and Virtual Reality Technology to Design its Hospitals and Improve Patient Care
March 23, 2016
NEW YORK/BRUSSELS, MARCH 23, 2016 — Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has successfully tested 3-D printing and virtual reality technology to design hospitals that better meet the needs of patients.
Press release
Greece: MSF Ends Activities at Primary Lesvos Transit Camp
March 22, 2016
New York/Athens, March 22, 2016 — The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has decided to suspend its activities linked to the Moria “hotspot” until further notice. Moria is the main camp on the island of Lesvos where all arrivals are identified, registered, and fingerprinted before being relocated or returned to their home countries. The decision follows the EU-Turkey deal announced Friday, which will lead to the forced return of migrants and asylum-seekers from the Greek Island.
Press release
Just Two Percent of People with DR-TB have Access to New, more Effective Treatments
March 21, 2016
New York/Geneva, March 21, 2016—Two years after two new drugs to treat tuberculosis (TB)—the first in over 50 years—were conditionally approved for use, only two percent of the 150,000 people who need them most have been able to access them, according to Doctors Without Borders’ new edition of DR-TB Drugs Under the Microscope.
Field news
Tuberculosis: The Extremely Rare Case of Narendra
March 23, 2016
Since 2006, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been providing ambulatory medical and psychosocial care for people in Mumbai living with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DRTB), HIV, hepatitis C, or a combination of these diseases. The majority of the patients are HIV positive who require second or third line treatment. Narendra* is one of only two percent of drug-resistant TB patients in need that have access to these new drugs.
Field news
Bangladesh: Treating Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Dhaka
March 22, 2016
Hundreds more women and girls accessed medical treatment in 2015 after experiencing sexual and gender-based violence in Kamrangirchar, in the Dhaka district, Bangladesh. New patient data collected by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) shows clinics run by MSF in the areas of Alinogor, Thoda and Jawlahati treated almost double the amount of victims of sexual and gender-based violence in 2015 compared to the previous year – 1,154 patients compared to 684 in 2014.
Mercy Corps [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases
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Yemen, March 21, 2016
Mercy Corps: Yemen’s Children Starved by War
Malnutrition worsens as conflict hits one-year mark
Sana’a, Yemen – Almost a year into the country’s civil war, one in four Yemeni children is malnourished and food insecurity is on the rise, according to information gathered by the global organization Mercy Corps. As the conflict drives price increases for essential food items, even more children are likely to become hungry in the months ahead.
“Families were struggling to put food on the table before the crisis began. Now the war in Yemen has forced people throughout the country to flee their homes, close their businesses and deplete their savings,” says Jonathan Bartolozzi, Director of Programs for Mercy Corps. “In particular, we are concerned for the children of the country, who in many cases face life-threatening illnesses due to malnutrition.”
Recent Mercy Corps surveys of children under the age of five have shown Global Acute Malnutrition rates of about 28 percent, compared to pre-war levels in the same age group of 13 to 17 percent. In Taiz governorate, Mercy Corps recorded overall child malnutrition rates higher than 30 percent. A malnutrition rate above 15 percent constitutes an emergency condition, according to the World Health Organization…
OXFAM [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases
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24 March 2016
Oxfam suspends aid operations in Moria camp in protest to the suspension of migrants’ rights by the EU and Turkey
Oxfam has today suspended all of its operations in the Moria camp, on the Greek island of Lesvos, in response to the deteriorating treatment of migrants due to the recent deal struck between the EU and Turkey. The Greek authorities are transforming reception facilities into detention centers, where people will be held pending their mass return to Turkey.
22 March 2016
One year on: looming banking crisis in Yemen risks pushing millions into famine
A year of devastating conflict in Yemen which has seen more than 6,100 people killed, 2.4 million people forced from their homes, and left 21.2 million in dire need of humanitarian aid and is being compounded by a looming banking crisis risks pushing millions into famine
Norwegian Refugee Council [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.nrc.no/
Somalia
New trend for Somali youth
By: Oda Lykke Mortensen (24.03.2016)
Children out of school in Somalia face challenges and risks that may threat their future. With the Go to School project, funded by UNICEF, 450,000 children have been given education.
Refugee Crisis
Says no to police-run detention facilities
(23.03.2016)
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has decided to suspend a number of activities at the refugee and asylum seeker so-called ‘Hotspot’ facillity, Vial, on the island of Chios. “We cannot work independently and safely in a police-run detention facility. Now that it is a detention centre we no longer have adequate access to provide assistance to vulnerable refugees,” said Alain Homsy, Head of NRC operations in Greece.
Yemen
War in Yemen spikes displacement six-fold in one year
(22.03.2016)
The escalation of war and de-facto blockade in Yemen have resulted in the country’s largest ever displacement of civilians and unprecedented levels of poverty. Within one year alone, there has been a six-fold increase of people forced to flee their homes, raising the number to 2.4 million.
Save The Children [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.9357111/k.C14B/Press_Releases_2016/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp
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March 23, 2016
Ending Yemen’s Conflict Now a Matter of Life and Death for Millions of Children
Fairfield, Conn. (March 23, 2016) — One year since the conflict in Yemen escalated, nearly 90 percent of children now need emergency humanitarian aid, yet the desperate plight of 10 million children is still being largely ignored, Save the Children said today.
The humanitarian agency warned that international governments are exacerbating the crisis and endangering children’s lives by choosing to support military action while ignoring the devastating consequences for civilians.
“An entire generation of children – the future of Yemen – is being abandoned to their fate,” says Edward Santiago, Save the Children’s Country Director in Yemen…
CONCORD [to 26 March 2016]
http://concordeurope.org/news-and-events/
[European NGO confederation for relief and development]
Analysis of six EU Country Roadmaps for Engagement with Civil Society and recommendations for the future
Mar 24, 2016 |
In the framework of the EU Country Roadmaps for Engagement with Civil Society, CONCORD analysed six countries’ roadmaps in order to enhance strategic cooperation and structured dialogue of the EU and its Member States with CSO’s in partner countries. Discover these roadmaps’ analysis as well as background information and recommendations for the future.
Beyond 2015 legacy: Converging views from Seamus Jeffreson and Leo Williams
Mar 23, 2016 |
After five years of activity, the Beyond 2015 project closes doors on 31 March 2015. What can we learn from this global campaign? What is the legacy that Beyond2015 will leave behind? Discover the intersecting perspectives from Seamus Jeffreson, CONCORD director and Leo Williams, Beyond2015 project Coordinator. Both will agree: we have a lot to take from this experience!
The Elders [to 26 March 2016]
http://theelders.org/news-media
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Opinion Hina Jilani 20 March 2016
Remembering the people who make human rights meaningful
Hina Jilani celebrates Nelson Mandela and the individuals like him who challenge injustice and safeguard the fundamental rights we all share.
Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/
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2016/03/23
Somalia (including Somaliland) drought
Report Synopsis
On 22 March 2016 we responded to a funding alert in response to drought in Somalia (including Somaliland).
About 731,000 Somalis face acute food insecurity while an additional 2.3 million people are at risk of sliding into the same situation, bringing the number of Somalis in need to about 3 million (WHO, 2015 Humanitarian Needs Overview), specifically agro-pastoralist and pastoralist communities.
According to the United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA)’s Financial Tracking Service (FTS), donors have committed/contributed US$156.4 million of humanitarian assistance to Somalia since the start of 2016. The three largest donors in 2016 so far are the United Kingdom (US$39.0 million), the EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO; US$32.4 million) and Germany (US$16.4 million). In 2015, a total of US$608.6 million was committed/contributed to Somalia.
The UN-coordinated Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan for 2016 has requested US$885 million from donors. The appeal is currently 11% covered at US$97 million. A further US$59.3 million was committed or contributed outside of the appeal.
Center for Global Development [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Selected Press Releases, Blog Posts, Publications
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Population Policy: Abortion and Modern Contraception Are Substitutes – Working Paper 426
3/24/16
Grant Miller and Christine Valente
There is longstanding debate in population policy about the relationship between modern contraception and abortion. Although theory predicts that they should be substitutes, the existing body of empirical evidence is difficult to interpret. In this paper, we study Nepal’s 2004 legalization of abortion provision and subsequent expansion of abortion services.
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Financial Regulations for Improving Financial Inclusion
3/22/16
Task Force on Regulatory Standards for Financial Inclusion
As recently as 2011, only 42 percent of adult Kenyans had a financial account of any kind; by 2014, according to the Global Findex database, that number had risen to 75 percent, including 63 percent of the poorest two-fifths. In Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole, the share of adults with financial accounts, either a traditional bank account or a mobile account, rose by nearly half over the same period. Many countries in other developing regions have also recorded, if less dramatic, gains in access to the basic financial services that most people in richer countries take for granted. Much of this progress is being facilitated by the digital revolution of recent decades, which has led to the emergence of new financial services and new delivery channels.
ODI [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.odi.org/media
Publications
Are we underestimating urban poverty?
Research reports and studies | March 2016 | Paula Lucci, Tanvi Bhatkal, Amina Khan
This report demonstrates that the urban poor are often undercounted, and provides a package of suggestions for improved data collection and use.
Politically smart support to economic development
Research reports and studies | March 2016
New research on the potential of politically smart approaches to aid in achieving more inclusive and transformative economic growth.
Projecting national poverty to 2030
Research reports and studies | March 2016 | Chris Hoy
This report explores the feasibility of reaching the Sustainable Development Goal target to halve poverty according to national definitions by 2030.
Gender, agriculture and water insecurity
Research reports and studies | March 2016 | Helen Parker; Nathaniel Mason; Naomi Oates; Roger Calow; William Chadza and Eva Ludi
World Economic Forum [to 26 March 2016]
https://agenda.weforum.org/news/
News 22 Mar 2016
Building Foundations for Transparency – Designing Tools for Transformation at the State Level
:: A new report from the World Economic Forum, Building Foundations for Transparency, focuses on the second phase of the Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI) project to address the needs of the infrastructure and urban development industries
::The report provides a solutions-based framework, a deep-dive at the state level in India and a diagnostic tool that can be replicated and enhanced
::The report includes proposals and policy recommendations on processes and strategies to enhance transparency in the project pilot state of Maharashtra, India
Download the full report here
Clinton Foundation [to 26 March 2016]
https://www.clintonfoundation.org/press-releases-and-statements
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Press Release
More than 1,200 College and University Student Leaders Convene to Tackle Global Challenges at Ninth Annual CGI University Meeting
March 25, 2016
President Bill Clinton and Chelsea Clinton to Host Students and Thought Leaders to Discuss and Develop Commitments to Action that Address Some of This Generation’s Most Pressing Concerns April 1-3 at the University of California, Berkeley.
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation [to 26 March 2016]
http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/news
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Our News
Rising Up to the Global Challenge: SDG 6
March 22, 2016 By Andrea Jones
On March 22, we celebrate World Water Day, an international observance and an opportunity to learn more about water related issues, be inspired to tell others and take action to make a difference.
Press Release
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Awards $5.44 Million To UCLA To Create Program To Train Future
March 21, 2016
Grant Invests in the Next Generation of Leaders to Advance the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
GE2P2 Global :: Knowledge Sharing; Ideas; Operations 