http://www.irinnews.org/Updated everydayen-gbSat, 25 May 2013 07:32:57 GMTFri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DUBAI 24 May 2013 (IRIN) - Getting humanitarian supplies into conflict zones like Syria is no mean feat, often requiring negotiations with warring parties, braving insecurity and facing repeated delays and logistical challenges.Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98087/How-To-Get-medical-aid-kits-to-Aleppo-SyriaDUBAI 24 May 2013 (IRIN) - Getting humanitarian supplies into conflict zones like Syria is no mean feat, often requiring negotiations with warring parties, braving insecurity and facing repeated delays and logistical challenges.]]>Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>LONDON 21 May 2013 (IRIN) - Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are forced from their homes by violence or natural disasters. But the face of displacement is changing: While the popular view of displacement is one of sprawling rural camps, displaced people are now just as likely to be living in urban areas, often hidden from view.Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98074/Seeking-safety-in-the-cityLONDON 21 May 2013 (IRIN) - Every year, hundreds of thousands of people are forced from their homes by violence or natural disasters. But the face of displacement is changing: While the popular view of displacement is one of sprawling rural camps, displaced people are now just as likely to be living in urban areas, often hidden from view.]]>Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 21 May 2013 (IRIN) - The hunger afflicting millions of people in the world’s poorest regions will not end unless there is radical shift in governance and development work toward narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, says a new report by the aid agency Oxfam.Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98075/Report-calls-for-radical-reforms-to-reduce-inequalityNAIROBI 21 May 2013 (IRIN) - The hunger afflicting millions of people in the world’s poorest regions will not end unless there is radical shift in governance and development work toward narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, says a new report by the aid agency Oxfam.]]>Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 17 May 2013 (IRIN) - A month after the Indian Ocean tsunami struck in December 2004, affecting millions, 168 countries signed on to a 10-year plan to make the world safer from natural hazards. Yet the plan, the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015, focused primarily on “what to do to prevent disasters, but not enough on how to implement it,” says Neil McFarlane, chief coordinator and head of all regional programmes at the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98058/The-making-of-the-Hyogo2-disaster-prevention-frameworkJOHANNESBURG 17 May 2013 (IRIN) - A month after the Indian Ocean tsunami struck in December 2004, affecting millions, 168 countries signed on to a 10-year plan to make the world safer from natural hazards. Yet the plan, the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015, focused primarily on “what to do to prevent disasters, but not enough on how to implement it,” says Neil McFarlane, chief coordinator and head of all regional programmes at the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).]]>Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>RIO DE JANEIRO 15 May 2013 (IRIN) - In a move that experts say could open the door to a more robust aid response to chronic violence in urban areas, the European Commission’s humanitarian aid arm, ECHO, has approved 2 million euro in funding for interventions in cases of violence outside of conventional war in Central America and Mexico until the end of 2014. If large-scale aid work in so-called 'other situations of violence' is the way of the future, there are certain things humanitarian workers will have to keep in mind.Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98038/Humanitarian-intervention-in-violence-hit-slums-from-whether-to-howRIO DE JANEIRO 15 May 2013 (IRIN) - In a move that experts say could open the door to a more robust aid response to chronic violence in urban areas, the European Commission’s humanitarian aid arm, ECHO, has approved 2 million euro in funding for interventions in cases of violence outside of conventional war in Central America and Mexico until the end of 2014. If large-scale aid work in so-called 'other situations of violence' is the way of the future, there are certain things humanitarian workers will have to keep in mind.]]>Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>RIO DE JANEIRO 15 May 2013 (IRIN) - In slums where killings, rape, kidnappings and other criminal violence are commonplace, say researchers, lives and livelihoods are hampered by a force that is tough to measure: Fear.Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98039/The-price-of-fearRIO DE JANEIRO 15 May 2013 (IRIN) - In slums where killings, rape, kidnappings and other criminal violence are commonplace, say researchers, lives and livelihoods are hampered by a force that is tough to measure: Fear.]]>Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>LONDON 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - Vaccine scares have emerged as a major challenge to global efforts to eliminate preventable diseases, with rumours and conspiracy theories proliferating faster than health authorities can respond to them. Now researchers, led by Heidi Larson of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, are developing a tool to identify the first signs of these negative reports.Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98030/Tracking-vaccine-scaresLONDON 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - Vaccine scares have emerged as a major challenge to global efforts to eliminate preventable diseases, with rumours and conspiracy theories proliferating faster than health authorities can respond to them. Now researchers, led by Heidi Larson of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, are developing a tool to identify the first signs of these negative reports.]]>Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 13 May 2013 (IRIN) - There has been much talk of decentralizing the northern-centric humanitarian aid sector to give more power to southern staff, but how much has changed over recent years?Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98025/Analysis-Helping-local-aid-workers-build-meaningful-careersDAKAR 13 May 2013 (IRIN) - There has been much talk of decentralizing the northern-centric humanitarian aid sector to give more power to southern staff, but how much has changed over recent years?]]>Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>LAHORE 10 May 2013 (IRIN) - On the frontline in the fight against dengue fever in Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city, the authorities have a sharp eye for spare car tyres.Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98010/Marshalling-smartphones-gravediggers-to-fight-dengue-in-PakistanLAHORE 10 May 2013 (IRIN) - On the frontline in the fight against dengue fever in Lahore, Pakistan’s second largest city, the authorities have a sharp eye for spare car tyres.]]>Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 10 May 2013 (IRIN) - Following the unanimous adoption of a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution setting up an integrated mission in Somalia, the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) will be set up for an initial one-year period beginning on 3 June; it will be based in the capital Mogadishu.Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98015/Briefing-The-UN-s-integrated-mission-in-SomaliaNAIROBI 10 May 2013 (IRIN) - Following the unanimous adoption of a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution setting up an integrated mission in Somalia, the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) will be set up for an initial one-year period beginning on 3 June; it will be based in the capital Mogadishu.]]>Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 09 May 2013 (IRIN) - The UN World Health Organization has accepted the first semi-synthetic version of artemisinin, the key ingredient for malaria treatment globally, for use in the manufacture of drugs, boosting hopes that more people will have access to life-saving medication.Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98006/Semi-synthetic-artemisinin-promises-to-boost-global-malaria-gainsNAIROBI 09 May 2013 (IRIN) - The UN World Health Organization has accepted the first semi-synthetic version of artemisinin, the key ingredient for malaria treatment globally, for use in the manufacture of drugs, boosting hopes that more people will have access to life-saving medication.]]>Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>AQABA 09 May 2013 (IRIN) - Investing in preparation for potential disasters is a “no brainer”, Elizabeth Longworth, director of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), told a recent disaster risk reduction (DRR) conference in Aqaba, Jordan.Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98003/Analysis-Getting-governments-to-cough-up-for-DRRAQABA 09 May 2013 (IRIN) - Investing in preparation for potential disasters is a “no brainer”, Elizabeth Longworth, director of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), told a recent disaster risk reduction (DRR) conference in Aqaba, Jordan.]]>Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 08 May 2013 (IRIN) - We’ve read the stories: From bedridden patients sending text messages to their health workers, to young people receiving HIV prevention messages via SMS, the mobile phone seems to have morphed from communications device to essential life-saver. But is the evidence there yet that mHealth is an effective health delivery intervention for the developing world?Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98001/Analysis-Sending-the-right-message-on-mHealthNAIROBI 08 May 2013 (IRIN) - We’ve read the stories: From bedridden patients sending text messages to their health workers, to young people receiving HIV prevention messages via SMS, the mobile phone seems to have morphed from communications device to essential life-saver. But is the evidence there yet that mHealth is an effective health delivery intervention for the developing world?]]>Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KABUL 02 May 2013 (IRIN) - As Asia’s poorest country and the deadliest for aid workers, rugged Afghanistan offers a considerable challenge to humanitarian work.Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97936/Innovative-ICT-helps-aid-workers-in-AfghanistanKABUL 02 May 2013 (IRIN) - As Asia’s poorest country and the deadliest for aid workers, rugged Afghanistan offers a considerable challenge to humanitarian work.]]>Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>LONDON 01 May 2013 (IRIN) - When Iyabo Dolarin’s trachoma mapping team conducts surveys in Nigeria’s Kaduna State, they begin with a ritual: They go to the centre of the community and spin a bottle on the ground to determine which household will first be checked for signs of this painful and disabling disease.Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97948/Mapping-the-world-s-trachoma-hotspotsLONDON 01 May 2013 (IRIN) - When Iyabo Dolarin’s trachoma mapping team conducts surveys in Nigeria’s Kaduna State, they begin with a ritual: They go to the centre of the community and spin a bottle on the ground to determine which household will first be checked for signs of this painful and disabling disease.]]>Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DUBAI 01 May 2013 (IRIN) - Aid work in Iraq has always had a bumpy ride, from the restrictions imposed under former president Saddam Hussein to the corruption associated with the Oil-for-Food Programme. But it has arguably never been as challenging as in the last decade, when violence and insecurity made access to much of the country nearly impossible.Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97952/From-aid-restrictions-to-access-challengesDUBAI 01 May 2013 (IRIN) - Aid work in Iraq has always had a bumpy ride, from the restrictions imposed under former president Saddam Hussein to the corruption associated with the Oil-for-Food Programme. But it has arguably never been as challenging as in the last decade, when violence and insecurity made access to much of the country nearly impossible.]]>Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>ISLAMABAD 25 April 2013 (IRIN) - Delivering humanitarian aid in northwestern Pakistan has recently been hampered by attacks on schools, aid workers and polio vaccination teams, and bureaucratic procedures for aid projects are making matters worse.Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97908/Red-tape-hits-humanitarian-work-in-NW-PakistanISLAMABAD 25 April 2013 (IRIN) - Delivering humanitarian aid in northwestern Pakistan has recently been hampered by attacks on schools, aid workers and polio vaccination teams, and bureaucratic procedures for aid projects are making matters worse.]]>Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAGHDAD/DUBAI 23 April 2013 (IRIN) - Ten years after the toppling of Iraq’s former leader Saddam Hussein, human development statistics – flawed as they are – paint a complex portrait of a country that has seen improvement over the last decade, but is still largely struggling.Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97897/Iraq-10-years-on-the-humanitarian-impactBAGHDAD/DUBAI 23 April 2013 (IRIN) - Ten years after the toppling of Iraq’s former leader Saddam Hussein, human development statistics – flawed as they are – paint a complex portrait of a country that has seen improvement over the last decade, but is still largely struggling.]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KABUL 18 April 2013 (IRIN) - Attacks on aid workers in Afghanistan - the world’s most dangerous country for aid workers - are likely to be as high in 2013 as the worst year on record, 2011, according to a new report from the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO) published today.Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97874/Afghanistan-the-world-s-most-dangerous-place-for-aid-workersKABUL 18 April 2013 (IRIN) - Attacks on aid workers in Afghanistan - the world’s most dangerous country for aid workers - are likely to be as high in 2013 as the worst year on record, 2011, according to a new report from the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO) published today.]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DUBAI 18 April 2013 (IRIN) - Nearly three months ago, donors pledged $1.5 billion in humanitarian aid for the Syrian crisis. Today, Kuwait announced the transfer of its pledge of $300 million to international aid agencies and with that, half of the pledges have been fulfilled. IRIN takes a look at the status of the remaining pledges made in Kuwait, as aid agencies threaten to suspend their work for lack of funding.Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97877/Promised-aid-funding-for-Syria-reaches-half-way-pointDUBAI 18 April 2013 (IRIN) - Nearly three months ago, donors pledged $1.5 billion in humanitarian aid for the Syrian crisis. Today, Kuwait announced the transfer of its pledge of $300 million to international aid agencies and with that, half of the pledges have been fulfilled. IRIN takes a look at the status of the remaining pledges made in Kuwait, as aid agencies threaten to suspend their work for lack of funding.]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAMAKO/MOPTI/DAKAR 18 April 2013 (IRIN) - Aid agencies managed to work in northern Mali throughout its occupation by Islamist militants in 2012 and the new complications triggered by the French-led military campaign earlier this year. No single template guided their engagement.Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97870/Briefing-Negotiating-aid-delivery-in-Mali-s-conflict-zonesBAMAKO/MOPTI/DAKAR 18 April 2013 (IRIN) - Aid agencies managed to work in northern Mali throughout its occupation by Islamist militants in 2012 and the new complications triggered by the French-led military campaign earlier this year. No single template guided their engagement.]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 18 April 2013 (IRIN) - The cost of vaccinating children with the pentavalent vaccine - a five-in-one formulation - is set to drop significantly following a deal between the GAVI Alliance and an Indian drug manufacturer that is reducing its price by 30 percent.Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97873/In-Brief-Major-price-cut-for-five-in-one-vaccineNAIROBI 18 April 2013 (IRIN) - The cost of vaccinating children with the pentavalent vaccine - a five-in-one formulation - is set to drop significantly following a deal between the GAVI Alliance and an Indian drug manufacturer that is reducing its price by 30 percent.]]>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 17 April 2013 (IRIN) - The international community has steadfastly dodged the issue of recognition and protection for “climate refugees” - people forced to relocate to another country as a result of the risks and hazards of a changing climate. Now, the first global initiative to address humanitarian options is underway, with discussions focusing on the Pacific Ocean states to take place soon.Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97862/Lifeline-to-climate-refugeesJOHANNESBURG 17 April 2013 (IRIN) - The international community has steadfastly dodged the issue of recognition and protection for “climate refugees” - people forced to relocate to another country as a result of the risks and hazards of a changing climate. Now, the first global initiative to address humanitarian options is underway, with discussions focusing on the Pacific Ocean states to take place soon.]]>Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>LONDON 15 April 2013 (IRIN) - The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched their Global Action Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhoea, which aims to end preventable child deaths from these conditions by 2025. The launch was supported by the publication of a series of articles in the medical journal The Lancet showing that the tools to accomplish this goal already exist, and that the targets should be achievable at a reasonable cost.Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97849/UN-makes-aggressive-push-to-reduce-child-mortalityLONDON 15 April 2013 (IRIN) - The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched their Global Action Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhoea, which aims to end preventable child deaths from these conditions by 2025. The launch was supported by the publication of a series of articles in the medical journal The Lancet showing that the tools to accomplish this goal already exist, and that the targets should be achievable at a reasonable cost.]]>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - In a major development, President Barack Obama has proposed an end to the sale of US food aid in developing countries, with options for buying food locally and cash transfers, among other radical reforms to the system. USAID has accounted for more than half of the world's food aid every year for decades.Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97833/Obama-proposes-end-of-monetized-food-aidJOHANNESBURG 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - In a major development, President Barack Obama has proposed an end to the sale of US food aid in developing countries, with options for buying food locally and cash transfers, among other radical reforms to the system. USAID has accounted for more than half of the world's food aid every year for decades.]]>