World Bank [to 11 July 2015]
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]

.
International Financial Institutions Announce $400 Billion to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals
WASHINGTON, July 10, 2015 The multilateral development banks (MDBs) and IMF today signaled plans to extend more than $400 billion in financing over the next three years and vowed to work more closely with private and public sector partners to help mobilize the resources needed to meet the historic challenge of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The institutions the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank Group (referred to as the MDBs), and the International Monetary Fund announced their plans in the lead-up to the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, July 13-16.The SDGs are ambitious and demand equal ambition in using the billions of dollars in current flows of official development assistance (ODA) and all available resources to attract, leverage and mobilize trillions in investments of all kinds…
Date: July 10, 2015
Type: Press Release

World Bank and the IMF Launch Joint Initiative to Support Developing Countries in Strengthening Tax Systems
Will bring developing countries interests into international dialogue
WASHINGTON, July 10, 2015 ? The World Bank and IMF are launching a new initiative to help developing countries strengthen their tax systems. Analysis suggests that many lower-income countries have the potential to increase their tax ratios by at least 24 percent of GDP, without compromising fairness or growth. Raising additional revenues will allow developing countries to fill financing gaps and to promote development. The announcement comes ahead of the Financing for Development conference in Addis, Ethiopia next week, at which heads of state, CSOs, multilateral institutions and private sector representatives will discuss how to scale up finances to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A strong revenue base is imperative if developing countries are to be able to finance the spending they need on public services, social support and infrastructure, said IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde. Date: July 10, 2015
Type: Press Release

Disproportionate deaths among health care workers from Ebola could lead to sharp rise in maternal mortality last seen 20 years ago – World Bank report
WASHINGTON DC, July 8, 2015—The loss of health workers due to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa may result in an additional 4,022 deaths of women each year across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as a result of complications in pregnancy and childbirth. According to the new World Bank report Healthcare Worker Mortality and the Legacy of the Ebola Epidemic published in The Lancet Global Health today, the recent outbreak of Ebola in West Africa could leave a legacy significantly beyond the deaths and disability caused directly by the disease itself.“ The loss of health workers to Ebola could increase maternal deaths up to rates last seen in these countries 15-20 years ago,” says Markus Goldstein, Lead Economist at the World Bank Group and a co-author of the report who heads the World Bank’s Africa Gender Innovation Lab.The paper estimates how the loss of health workers to Ebola will likely affect non-Ebola mortality even after the countries are declared Ebola-free.
Date: July 8, 2015
Type: Press Release

IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.ipu.org/english/news.htm

.
China assures IPU of increased support
7 JULY 2015
The Chinese Parliament has committed to providing increased support to IPU as a sign of its greater engagement with the Organization. During high-level meetings last week between IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong and parliamentary and government leaders in Beijing, including Speaker of the National People’s Congress Zhang Dejiang and deputy Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin, a commitment was made to provide additional financial resources for IPU’s work beyond the Asian country’s statutory membership contributions to the Organization. The four-day visit, the first to China by Secretary General Chungong since he took up his post a year ago, is part of his efforts to forge stronger ties between IPU and its Members. The visit similarly generated Chinese support for IPU’s campaign for stronger recognition of the crucial role that parliaments and IPU will play in the implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to be adopted in September, and for the Organization’s various peace initiatives on Syria, the Middle East and the Koreas. Speaker Zhang also confirmed his intention to participate actively in the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament organized by IPU at UN headquarters in New York from 31st August to 2nd September. There were discussions too on the possibility of China once again hosting an IPU assembly, which it last did in 1996.

Amref Health Africa [to 11 July 2015]
http://amref.org/news/news/

.
Amref Health Africa Team Meets Uganda’s First Lady
Published: 06 July 2015 Marie Kinyanjui
On Friday July 3,2015, Officials from Amref Health Africa in Uganda, met the First Lady Hon. Janet Museveni to further discuss efforts towards reducing maternal and child mortality in Uganda.

BRAC [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.brac.net/content/stay-informed-news#.VPstwC5nBhV

.
We mourn
08 July 2015, Dhaka. BRAC deeply mourns at the sad demise of Syed Humayun Kabir, a founding member and former chairperson of BRAC governing body. He passed away yesterday, July 7, 2015 at 6:36 PM, at Apollo Hospital, Dhaka at the age of 83. He was suffering from pneumonia. He was BRAC’s governing body member since 1972. He was the chairman of Renata Limited and trustee of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). He founded Sajida Foundation, an organisation to serve the poor in peri-urban areas…

CARE International [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.care-international.org/news/press-releases.aspx

.
CARE Calls for Regional Investment Plan to Break Cycle of Humanitarian Crises in the Sahel
NIGER
6 JULY 2015
CARE is gravely concerned by the increasing risk of hunger and vulnerability of millions of people in in the Sahel region of West Africa. The ability of communities in Mali, Niger, Chad and other countries to cope with chronic food insecurity has been severely weakened by erratic weather patterns, epidemics and conflicts.

.
CARE Disaster Response Preparedness Enables Quick Response to Bangladesh Floods
BANGLADESH
6 JULY 2015
On 23rd June heavy rains in south east Bangladesh caused severe flash floods across three districts. With over half a million people affected, CARE is already on the ground ready to assist over 5,000 of the people worst affected by the floods.

Handicap International [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.handicap-international.us/press_releases

.
Explosive remnants of war still threaten Gaza civilians
Posted on July 08, 2015 8:00 AM
One year after the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Palestinians on July 8, 2014, explosive remnants of war such as artillery shells and mortars, grenades, bombs, and rockets still endanger the lives of civilians in Gaza.

According to the United Nations Mine Action Service, at least 4,500 explosive devices[1] remain buried under the rubble of homes and infrastructure destroyed during the 50-day conflict. Handicap International immediately supplied aid to the most vulnerable individuals and, since March, has organized risk education sessions about explosive remnants of war to prevent more people falling victims to these weapons…

IRC International Rescue Committee [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index

.
10 Jul 2015
Yemen: In wake of ceasefire, humanitarian access key
Food and medical supplies have not reached desperate population due to ongoing insecurity and blockade.
All parties to the conflict should respect the ceasefire and allow humanitarian organizations full access to all civilians in need of assistance.
NEW YORK, July 10, 2015 – The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is seeking immediate access to Abyan, Lahj, and Aldale’a governorates, as well as Aden governorate, including Khor Maksar district where medical and nutrition supplies trapped in an office urgently need to be distributed. A shipment of pharmaceuticals has also been stuck since March 16 at Aden airport, which to this day the IRC does not have access to. Parties to the conflict in Yemen have agreed to a vital, week-long humanitarian ceasefire starting Friday, July 10, 2015, at 11:59 pm local time (8:59 pm GMT). It is to last until the end of the holy month of Ramadan, July 17…

.
Born into chaos, South Sudan marks its fourth independence day engulfed by war
Posted by The IRC on July 9, 2015
Since a political rivalry in South Sudan erupted into a civil war, thousands have been killed, and more than two million uprooted from their homes.

.
Nepal earthquake: Rebuilding schools for thousands of children
Posted by The IRC on July 7, 2015
As Nepal slowly recovers from two powerful earthquakes, the IRC is working with our partner AAR to rebuild schools destroyed in the worst disaster to hit the country in 80 years.

ICRC [to 11 July 2015]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new

.
South Sudan: Facts and figures June 2015 – Scaling up operations to meet growing needs
A summary of the ICRC’s activities in South Sudan since the beginning of the emergency in mid-December 2013 to the end of May 2015. This month’s theme: Scaling up operations to meet growing needs
10-07-2015 | Article

Warfare at South Sudan hospital forces doctors to flee
When a hospital in Kodok, South Sudan was caught in the crossfire between the conflict’s two warring parties, doctors were forced to evacuate.
10-07-2015 | Video

Remembering nine ICRC employees killed 20 years ago in Srebrenica
Article
10 July 2015

Toolkit helps companies facing security and human rights challenges
Companies operating in areas affected by armed conflict and violence face multiple security and human rights challenges.
10-07-2015 | Article

South Sudan: Patients dying after fighting compels medical staff to leave hospital
The ICRC expresses deep concern over the deaths in South Sudan of more than a dozen people following clashes that forced doctors and nurses to vacate a hospital where advanced surgeries had been taking place.
10-07-2015 | News release

Nepal: Commemorating missing loved ones
Most parents tend to remember dates associated with their children – the date of birth, the first time the child spoke, took the first step, smiled or laughed, the first day of school, the date of graduation, the wedding day.
08-07-2015 | Article

IRCT [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.irct.org/

.
News
TPO Nepal marks 10 years of work with victims of conflict and disaster
09 July 2015
The IRCT wishes to congratulate its member in Nepal, Trans-cultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal (TPO) for celebrating its 10th anniversary…

News
Call for Proposals – IRCT Centre Support & La Luz Grants 2015
08 July 2015
Objective of the Grants
The main objective of the IRCT Centre Support Grants is to support rehabilitation centres’ efforts to ensure that torture victims have access to professional and effective treatment. Limited support will also be given to complementary activities in the field of torture prevention and access to justice.
Funds from La Luz are dedicated to empowering and healing women and girls who have been subjected to torture and sexual violence.

Islamic Relief [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.islamic-relief.org/category/news/

.
Identity-based giving: A case study of Islamic Relief
July 8, 2015
The case study on Islamic Relief explores the role that Islamic Relief’s faith identity, faith-based projects and faith-related fundraising mechanisms have enabled the organisation’s continuous growth despite the current financial pressures and squeezed resources experienced by many other civil society organisations.
The full report can be found here.

MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/press/press-releases

.
Press Release
Gaza: One Year After 2014 War, Abject Misery Across Gaza and West Bank
July 08, 2015
PARIS/NEW YORK—One year after the 51-day war in Gaza, neighborhoods destroyed during the fighting have not been rebuilt and hundreds of Palestinians with devastating injuries stemming from the Israeli assault still fill the waiting rooms of the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), many of them needing complex reconstructive surgeries and physical rehabilitation. With the continued blockade and siege of Gaza, it is as if the war had just ended, MSF said.

Press release
Colombia: Humanitarian Needs Increase Amid Escalating Violence
July 08, 2015
BOGOTÁ—Escalated conflict in southwestern Colombia has led to a humanitarian crisis of displacement, restriction on mobility, and lack of access to basic goods and services, including health care, said the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on Wednesday.

Press release
Yemen: Hundreds Wounded in Attacks on Markets and Residential Areas
July 06, 2015
SANA’A, YEMEN/NEW YORK—Medical facilities supported by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have received hundreds of people wounded in airstrikes and ground shelling across Yemen in recent days, and MSF teams have treated scores of people in several locations, including victims of a July 4 attack on a crowded marketplace in Harad District.

Field News
Jordan: Increasing Numbers of Wounded Syrians Fleeing Barrel Bombs
July 09, 2015
Over the past two weeks, more than 65 war-wounded Syrian patients—most injured by barrel bombs—arrived at the emergency room of Al-Ramtha hospital in northern Jordan, marking a significant spike in the number of patients treated there by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

Field news
Russia: New TB Drugs Having Impact Against Resistance
July 08, 2015
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says a new combination of drugs created to treat extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is having a significant impact on a group of patients in the midst of a two-year treatment to cure their disease.
In 2013, an MSF team in Grozny noticed that a growing number of patients with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) were not responding to second-line drugs, and there was no alternative medication available in the country to help them.

Field news
Greece: Migrants and Refugees Blocked in Precarious Conditions
July 07, 2015
During the last week, the number of migrants and refugees stranded in the shrubby forests around the village of Idomeni on the border between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) increased tenfold. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is providing medical consultations, psychological support, and relief items, and is now also planning to reinforce its activities in the area by launching an additional mobile team.

OXFAM [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases

.
Corporate stranglehold on development finance must end in Addis
10 July 2015
The corporate grip on development finance must be loosened if the Finance for Development Conference is going to help mobilize the resources needed to overcome poverty. Oxfam issued this warning ahead of third Finance for Development Conference which is to be held in Addis, Ethiopia from 13 – 16 July.

The Addis Conference is due to agree the financial architecture through which the global community will finance poverty eradication and sustainable development; including how they will raise the estimated additional US$1.5 trillion a year needed to finance the Sustainable Development Goals – a set of universal global goals for eradicating poverty and protecting the planet – which are due to be agreed in New York in September.

Over months of negotiations rich countries have systematically blocked any attempt to rebalance skewed international finance rules that benefit rich countries and companies, but cost the developing world billions of dollars every year. Since 2008, it has been estimated that for every US$1 dollar developing countries gain (through, for example, foreign direct investment or aid) they lose around US$2 dollars (through, for example, tax avoidance and evasion).

Winnie Byanyima, Oxfam International Executive Director said: “Addis risks doing more for the global business communities’ bottom line then it does for the world’s poorest people. Governments must find the vision and leadership to rebalance the rules governing tax, aid and private finance so they work for the many; not just the few. Only then can we hope to mobilize the money needed to overcome poverty and deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.”

Negotiations for Addis are currently at a standstill over the contentious issue of international tax reform. Rich countries are vigorously opposing the establishment of an international tax body that would clamp down on corporate tax dodgers. According to UNCTAD, developing countries lose an estimated US$100 billion a year through just one kind of tax avoidance scheme involving tax havens.

Addis is also set to give the green light to an expanded role for private finance without the checks and balances needed to ensure it delivers for poor people. Private finance has a poor track record; for example, a public private hospital in Lesotho used up 51 percent of the health budget for the entire country and left many rural areas with dangerously low levels of health care coverage.

Byanyima said: “Addis must establish an international tax body where all countries work together to crack down on the corporate tax cheats who are denying developing countries billions of dollars in much needed revenue. Addis must also wake up to the hazards of private finance and put in place the safeguards needed to ensure public money is not squandered on public-private initiatives that have dubious outcomes for poor people.

International finance organizations, such as the World Bank, and national governments will also be announcing funding for a number of development initiatives in Addis.

Byanyima said: “Governments and international institutions should be under no illusions. Pitching up to Addis with funding for a few pet development projects can never be a substitute for the fundamental changes in international finance that are needed pay for a more prosperous, equal and safer world.”

Oxfam is calling for the following steps to be taken in Addis:
:: Creation of an intergovernmental body for cooperation in tax matters that includes all countries, developed and developing, on an equal footing in decision making; and broaden the scope of future tax negotiations to address tax dodging in developing countries.
:: Rich countries re-commit to delivering 0.7 percent of their national income in aid with 50 percent of this aid targeted at the world’s poorest countries within the next five years. They must also ensure climate finance contributions are additional to overseas development aid.
:: Ensure the proper checks and balances are in place to ensure private finance projects reduce poverty and promote sustainable development and ensure that private finance is not promoted as a substitute for overseas aid spending.

.

The end of conflict is key to address the serious humanitarian crisis in South Sudan
9 July 2015
On the 4th anniversary of the youngest state in the world, South Sudan is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Almost 8 million people, two-thirds of the total population, are food insecure while more than 2 million people have been forced to flee their homes because of the fighting.

Past recovery conferences show gloomy track record for disaster-hit countries
9 July 2015
Rich countries have paid out less than half the amount they originally pledged to help countries recover from a snapshot of three major humanitarian crises, according to Oxfam.

One year on, a generation in Gaza faces a bleak future under blockade
8 July 2015
One year on from the 2014 Gaza conflict, most people’s lives have not improved and an entire generation of young people face an increasingly bleak future with little hope of jobs, reconstruction or safety, Oxfam said today.

Plan International [to 11 July 2015]
http://plan-international.org/about-plan/resources/media-centre

.
07/07/2015:
Plan International welcomes global education commission
7 July 2015: Plan International has welcomed the announcement of a high-level Commission on the Financing of Global Education Opportunities, agreed at the Oslo Summit on Education today.

The Commission, to be chaired by UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown, will champion investment in education worldwide. It will seek money to cover the huge shortfall in the financing of global education, and identify ways to deploy currently available resources more effectively.

It is estimated that a total of US$39 billion is needed annually if the world is to achieve the proposed Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030…

Women for Women International [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.womenforwomen.org/press-releases

.
10,000 Retrace Steps of Srebrenica Genocide Survivors in Annual March on 20th Anniversary
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Women for Women International Joins Annual March of Peace from Nezuk to Srebrenica
On the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, 10,000 people from around the world are coming together for the Bosnia March of Peace, a 3-day, 75-mile walk to Srebrenica that retraces the steps of survivors who fled the attack. To honor the more than 8,000 people killed, a team of Women for Women International supporters from the United States and Europe will join local staff to march together and meet with women survivors who have rebuilt families and communities destroyed by the tragedy…

ChildFund Alliance [to 11 July 2015]
http://childfundalliance.org/news/

.
New Secretary General for ChildFund Alliance
The ChildFund Alliance Board is pleased to announce that Meg Gardinier has been appointed as Secretary General. She takes up this role on Monday July 6, 2015.
[undated]
Meg Gardinier is an international, not-for-profit advocate specializing in women and children’s issues. She has over 25 years’ experience in Non-Governmental Organizational development, advocacy, fundraising, strategic leadership and volunteer management.

She joins ChildFund Alliance from the Elevate Children Funders Group, a donor collaborative of 12 foundations committed to preventing violence against children.

Ms Gardinier has held leadership positions including Director of Arigatou International – New York; Managing Director of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF; and Executive Director of the International Catholic Child Bureau – North America. She has also undertaken consultancies for Save the Children and the Global Network of Religions for Children. Ms. Gardinier is a founding member of the Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child where she is serving as its Volunteer Chair. She is also a board member of End Child Prostitution and Trafficking…

CONCORD [to 11 July 2015]
European NGO confederation for relief and development
http://www.concordeurope.org/news-room

.
CONCORD calls on EU and its Member States to show their leadership in commitment to eradicate global inequality and extreme poverty by 2020
(Brussels, Addis Ababa, 08/07/2015) – As negotiations ahead of the third Financing for Development Conference continue to stall, many including in particular civil society in the EU and globally are looking to the EU to live up to its commitments and show willing to agree an ambitious outcome. True, transformational change in tackling poverty, reforming the global financial system and architecture will only be possible if real ambition is backed up by real action.

GAVI [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.gavialliance.org/library/news/press-releases/

.
07 July 2015
Gavi to support rebuilding of immunisation programmes in Ebola-affected countries
Worryingly low immunisation rates risk further deaths as Ebola recedes.
Geneva, 7 July 2015 – Plans to rebuild immunisation services wrecked by the Ebola crisis in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will form the first stage of Gavi’s Ebola investment support and will ensure that hundreds of thousands of children who either missed out or are at risk of missing out will now receive their vaccinations. Additionally, as part of a coordinated approach to ensure the three countries are stronger and more resilient to infectious disease, Gavi is doubling its long-term support for their health systems through to 2020.

One of the big issues affecting immunisation has been trust in health services. Rumours circulating in the region have falsely claimed that childhood vaccines, such as those protecting against measles, pneumonia and diarrhoea, could be linked to Ebola. This has dealt a severe blow to immunisation coverage, with parents refusing to allow their children to be immunised against common but potentially-fatal conditions, leaving hundreds of thousands of children at risk.

Additionally, hundreds of health workers in the three countries were among the 10,000 people who lost their lives to Ebola during the crisis and many more were forced to abandon their posts as the epidemic took hold. As the three countries begin their return to normality there is now a severe shortage of trained health workers to administer vaccines.

Gavi support will include provision for civil society organisations to work with communities to hold meetings, briefing village chiefs and religious leaders on the importance of immunising children. It will also ensure that there are enough trained health workers to provide the vaccines to the children…

InterAction  [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.interaction.org/media-center/press-releases

.
Ruth Messinger Accepts the 2015 Julia Taft Award
Jul 09, 2015
At InterAction’s 2015 Forum, American Jewish World Service CEO Ruth Messinger received the 2015 Julia Taft Award for her tireless leadership as an activist and social change visionary. Messinger was recognized for her efforts to mobilize faith-based communities throughout the U.S. to speak on behalf of oppressed and marginalized people around the globe…

ODI [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.odi.org/media

.
Why and how a country lens matters for the SDGs
Research reports and studies | July 2015 | Emma Samman
A new research note outlines the importance of using a country-lens to measure SDG progress. Different countries are at different stages of development, and unless this is taken into account in setting targets and assessing progress, we risk creating a set of perverse…

10 things to know about climate change and financing for development
Research reports and studies | July 2015 | Smita Nakhooda, Charlene Watson
10 things to know about climate change and financing for development for the Third International Conference on Financing for Development.

Localising humanitarianism: improving effectiveness through inclusive action
Briefing papers | July 2015 | Steven A. Zyck with Hanna B. Krebs
This paper discusses the role of national and local actors in responding to humanitarian crises and proposes ways to move towards greater national and local humanitarian action.

The hidden costs of the 2014 Gaza– Israeli conflict: adolescent girls’ psycho-social wellbeing
Briefing papers | July 2015 | Nicola Jones and Bassam Abu-Hamad
This briefing shows the psycho-social vulnerabilities and risks faced by Gazan adolescent girls.

Education in emergencies and protracted crises: toward a strengthened response
Research reports and studies | July 2015 | Susan Nicolai, Sébastien Hine and Joseph Wales
This report reviews the challenges of education in emergencies and protracted crises.

Resilience scan 2015 Q1
Bibliography and literature reviews | July 2015 | Thomas Tanner, Aditya Bahadur, Catherine Simonet and Hani Morsi
This ‘resilience scan’ summarises writing and debates in the field during the first quarter of 2015, and an analysis of grey literature since 2014, focusing on developing countries. It comprises insights from experts, social media analysis, and reviews of the academic and grey literature…

Ford Foundation [to 11 July 2015]
http://www.fordfoundation.org/newsroom
.

6 July 2015: Darren Walker on the state of civil society
In his contribution to Civicus’s 2015 State of Civil Society Report, Darren Walker explains the importance of institution-building, and why social justice organizations need funding for core support (to which the foundation recently announced a renewed commitment):