http://www.irinnews.org/Updated everydayen-gbMon, 29 Apr 2013 18:31:10 GMTMon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>YAOUNDE 29 April 2013 (IRIN) - Tighter security in Cameroon’s Far North Region due to the widening threat posed by Nigeria-based radical Islamist militia Boko Haram is stifling cross-border trade, hurting livelihoods and raising fear among civilians.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97942/Boko-Haram-threat-chokes-trade-with-CameroonYAOUNDE 29 April 2013 (IRIN) - Tighter security in Cameroon’s Far North Region due to the widening threat posed by Nigeria-based radical Islamist militia Boko Haram is stifling cross-border trade, hurting livelihoods and raising fear among civilians.]]>Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 04 March 2013 (IRIN) - The annual gearing-up of humanitarian programmes to treat the chronic problems of vulnerable Sahelians is a clear sign that development there is not working. As a result, the Sahel is at the centre of the debate on the need to boost vulnerable people's resilience to shocks.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97590/Analysis-The-R-word-Rhetoric-versus-reality-in-the-SahelDAKAR 04 March 2013 (IRIN) - The annual gearing-up of humanitarian programmes to treat the chronic problems of vulnerable Sahelians is a clear sign that development there is not working. As a result, the Sahel is at the centre of the debate on the need to boost vulnerable people's resilience to shocks.]]>Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 27 February 2013 (IRIN) - New data from the World Bank has revealed that African migrants pay more to send money home to their families than any other migrant group in the world.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97557/African-migrants-pay-high-prices-to-send-money-homeJOHANNESBURG 27 February 2013 (IRIN) - New data from the World Bank has revealed that African migrants pay more to send money home to their families than any other migrant group in the world.]]>Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 19 February 2013 (IRIN) - The 2013 Sahel Regional Strategy calls for US$1.66 billion to help meet humanitarian needs and build up resilience among vulnerable groups - an identical figure to the 2012 crisis appeal - even though aid agencies estimate the number of Sahelians at risk of going hungry this year has dropped 44 percent to 10.3 million. IRIN spoke to aid agency representatives to find out why the ask has remained constant.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97505/Why-the-Sahel-needs-1-6-billion-again-this-yearDAKAR 19 February 2013 (IRIN) - The 2013 Sahel Regional Strategy calls for US$1.66 billion to help meet humanitarian needs and build up resilience among vulnerable groups - an identical figure to the 2012 crisis appeal - even though aid agencies estimate the number of Sahelians at risk of going hungry this year has dropped 44 percent to 10.3 million. IRIN spoke to aid agency representatives to find out why the ask has remained constant.]]>Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 18 January 2013 (IRIN) - Africa could reduce its poverty levels faster by focusing more on the production of staples rather than export crops, according to a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97278/In-Brief-Staples-not-export-crops-key-to-tackling-Africa-s-poverty-reportNAIROBI 18 January 2013 (IRIN) - Africa could reduce its poverty levels faster by focusing more on the production of staples rather than export crops, according to a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).]]>Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NOUAKCHOTT/DAKAR 09 January 2013 (IRIN) - Sequestering refugees in rural camps is no longer the norm: The most recent estimates indicate that almost half of refugees flock to urban areas and just one third to rural camps, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). But while agencies are adjusting their approaches, they are still struggling to match their response with their policies. http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97203/The-urban-challenge-for-refugeesNOUAKCHOTT/DAKAR 09 January 2013 (IRIN) - Sequestering refugees in rural camps is no longer the norm: The most recent estimates indicate that almost half of refugees flock to urban areas and just one third to rural camps, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). But while agencies are adjusting their approaches, they are still struggling to match their response with their policies. ]]>Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 20 December 2012 (IRIN) - Despite good rains across much of the Sahel this year, 1.4 million children are expected to be malnourished - up from one million in 2012, according to the 2013 Sahel regional strategy.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97093/SAHEL-Malnourished-to-remain-above-one-million-in-2013DAKAR 20 December 2012 (IRIN) - Despite good rains across much of the Sahel this year, 1.4 million children are expected to be malnourished - up from one million in 2012, according to the 2013 Sahel regional strategy.]]>Fri, 14 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>YAOUNDE 14 December 2012 (IRIN) - Campaigners opposed to a large palm oil plantation in a rainforest covering part of the Korup National Park in southwestern Cameroon say up to 45,000 people risk losing their livelihoods if the project proceeds.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97051/CAMEROON-Campaigners-oppose-industrial-palm-oil-plantationYAOUNDE 14 December 2012 (IRIN) - Campaigners opposed to a large palm oil plantation in a rainforest covering part of the Korup National Park in southwestern Cameroon say up to 45,000 people risk losing their livelihoods if the project proceeds.]]>Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>LONDON 10 December 2012 (IRIN) - In July last year President Boni Yayi of Benin sent a worried letter to the UN secretary-general. His country was being threatened by the activities of pirates, who were scaring shipping away from the ports on which his country's revenues depend. He wanted international help of the kind which had been deployed against piracy off the coast of Somalia.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/97004/WEST-AFRICA-Defining-piracy-in-the-Gulf-of-GuineaLONDON 10 December 2012 (IRIN) - In July last year President Boni Yayi of Benin sent a worried letter to the UN secretary-general. His country was being threatened by the activities of pirates, who were scaring shipping away from the ports on which his country's revenues depend. He wanted international help of the kind which had been deployed against piracy off the coast of Somalia.]]>Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 06 December 2012 (IRIN) - The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) 2009, also known as the Kampala Convention, came into force on 6 December; it is the world’s first legally binding instrument to cater specifically to people displaced within their own countries.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96984/IDPs-African-IDP-Convention-comes-into-forceNAIROBI 06 December 2012 (IRIN) - The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) 2009, also known as the Kampala Convention, came into force on 6 December; it is the world’s first legally binding instrument to cater specifically to people displaced within their own countries.]]>Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>YAOUNDE 13 November 2012 (IRIN) - Scientists and farmers’ associations have high hopes that a variety of cassava could help build their resilience to droughts and food insecurity.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96767/CAMEROON-New-cassava-species-could-boost-food-securityYAOUNDE 13 November 2012 (IRIN) - Scientists and farmers’ associations have high hopes that a variety of cassava could help build their resilience to droughts and food insecurity.]]>Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 24 October 2012 (IRIN) - Researchers in Africa are identifying ways to improve domestic wheat production in the face of sub-optimal conditions and stiff international competition.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96622/FOOD-The-state-of-African-wheat-researchJOHANNESBURG 24 October 2012 (IRIN) - Researchers in Africa are identifying ways to improve domestic wheat production in the face of sub-optimal conditions and stiff international competition.]]>Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>NIAMEY 26 September 2012 (IRIN) - The government of Niger and aid agencies are scrambling to clean and repair thousands of schools that were damaged in the flooding from rains in July and August, which displaced over 500,000 people and killed over 80, in an effort to return children to school as soon as possible.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96395/NIGER-Agencies-scramble-to-repair-schools-after-floodsNIAMEY 26 September 2012 (IRIN) - The government of Niger and aid agencies are scrambling to clean and repair thousands of schools that were damaged in the flooding from rains in July and August, which displaced over 500,000 people and killed over 80, in an effort to return children to school as soon as possible.]]>Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 25 September 2012 (IRIN) - Faced with environmental degradation that threatens the livelihoods of many people in Africa, a group of 50 religious leaders met in Nairobi earlier this month and pledged to take concrete steps to mitigate the effects of climate change.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96387/AFRICA-Religious-leaders-rally-for-environmental-conservationNAIROBI 25 September 2012 (IRIN) - Faced with environmental degradation that threatens the livelihoods of many people in Africa, a group of 50 religious leaders met in Nairobi earlier this month and pledged to take concrete steps to mitigate the effects of climate change.]]>Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 14 September 2012 (IRIN) - An active monsoon and above normal temperatures triggered heavy downpours and flash floods during this year’s rainy season across West Africa and the Sahel, killing hundreds of people, displacing hundreds of thousands more and devastating farms in some of the countries already hit by a severe drought and acute food shortages.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96313/WEST-AFRICA-After-the-drought-floods-and-harvest-worriesDAKAR 14 September 2012 (IRIN) - An active monsoon and above normal temperatures triggered heavy downpours and flash floods during this year’s rainy season across West Africa and the Sahel, killing hundreds of people, displacing hundreds of thousands more and devastating farms in some of the countries already hit by a severe drought and acute food shortages.]]>Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 13 September 2012 (IRIN) - In 1990, an estimated 12 million children around the world died under age five; by 2011, that figure had dropped to 6.9 million. The message, from a new report by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), is that with greater commitment to child survival from governments and their partners, these figures can go lower still.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/96300/HEALTH-The-quot-unfinished-business-quot-of-lowering-child-mortalityNAIROBI 13 September 2012 (IRIN) - In 1990, an estimated 12 million children around the world died under age five; by 2011, that figure had dropped to 6.9 million. The message, from a new report by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), is that with greater commitment to child survival from governments and their partners, these figures can go lower still.]]>Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 19 June 2012 (IRIN) - The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has halved food rations to refugees living in camps in at least four African countries citing a funding shortfall.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/95597/AFRICA-Donor-fatigue-forces-WFP-to-cut-refugee-rationsJOHANNESBURG 19 June 2012 (IRIN) - The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has halved food rations to refugees living in camps in at least four African countries citing a funding shortfall.]]>Thu, 31 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 31 May 2012 (IRIN) - When night falls in the Dadaab refugee complex in eastern Kenya, nearly half a million refugees are plunged into darkness. The lack of light robs schoolchildren of the possibility of studying and provides perfect cover for thieves and rapists.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/95558/REFUGEES-Moving-out-of-the-shadowsJOHANNESBURG 31 May 2012 (IRIN) - When night falls in the Dadaab refugee complex in eastern Kenya, nearly half a million refugees are plunged into darkness. The lack of light robs schoolchildren of the possibility of studying and provides perfect cover for thieves and rapists.]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 15 May 2012 (IRIN) - The UN Development Programme (UNDP) launched its first Africa Human Development Report today, stressing food security as a means to a better quality of life for all.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/95459/FOOD-Power-to-the-peopleJOHANNESBURG 15 May 2012 (IRIN) - The UN Development Programme (UNDP) launched its first Africa Human Development Report today, stressing food security as a means to a better quality of life for all.]]>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>WASHINGTON 12 January 2012 (IRIN) - The African Union (AU) has unveiled an ambitious wish-list of priorities for Africa that would give the continent a stronger global voice, boost democracy and encourage peace and security.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/94630/AFRICA-AU-wants-peace-security-and-bigger-global-role-in-2012WASHINGTON 12 January 2012 (IRIN) - The African Union (AU) has unveiled an ambitious wish-list of priorities for Africa that would give the continent a stronger global voice, boost democracy and encourage peace and security.]]>Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>BANGKOK 11 January 2012 (IRIN) - Findings that a one-time oral treatment to cure yaws, a neglected tropical disease, is as effective as the currently recommended penicillin injection have prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to convene a meeting on how the disease may be wiped out.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/94621/HEALTH-Yaws-treatment-study-prompts-WHO-reviewBANGKOK 11 January 2012 (IRIN) - Findings that a one-time oral treatment to cure yaws, a neglected tropical disease, is as effective as the currently recommended penicillin injection have prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to convene a meeting on how the disease may be wiped out.]]>Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 18 October 2011 (IRIN) - Genetically modified (GM) food aid bound for Africa has long been a bone of contention among governments, scientists, activists, consumers and aid workers.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/93991/FOOD-Rumpus-over-GM-food-aidJOHANNESBURG 18 October 2011 (IRIN) - Genetically modified (GM) food aid bound for Africa has long been a bone of contention among governments, scientists, activists, consumers and aid workers.]]>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 12 October 2011 (IRIN) - Three simultaneous cholera epidemics have affected 24 countries in West and Central Africa, with 85,000 infections and 2,466 deaths since the beginning of 2011, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).http://www.irinnews.org/Report/93949/WEST-AND-CENTRAL-AFRICA-Cholera-thriving-two-years-onDAKAR 12 October 2011 (IRIN) - Three simultaneous cholera epidemics have affected 24 countries in West and Central Africa, with 85,000 infections and 2,466 deaths since the beginning of 2011, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).]]>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>LONDON 20 September 2011 (IRIN) - Last year, an estimated two million women around the world developed breast cancer or cancer of the cervix (the neck of the womb); more than 600,000 died – the equivalent of six large passenger planes crashing every single day.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/93767/HEALTH-Cervical-cancer-on-the-rise-in-developing-worldLONDON 20 September 2011 (IRIN) - Last year, an estimated two million women around the world developed breast cancer or cancer of the cervix (the neck of the womb); more than 600,000 died – the equivalent of six large passenger planes crashing every single day.]]>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 30 August 2011 (IRIN) - Cholera has killed at least 1,200 people this year in the countries surrounding Lake Chad - Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria; the illness, linked primarily to poor sanitation and lack of potable water, has struck some 38,800 people in the region this year and continues to spread.http://www.irinnews.org/Report/93617/HEALTH-Cholera-soars-in-Lake-Chad-Basin-countriesDAKAR 30 August 2011 (IRIN) - Cholera has killed at least 1,200 people this year in the countries surrounding Lake Chad - Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria; the illness, linked primarily to poor sanitation and lack of potable water, has struck some 38,800 people in the region this year and continues to spread.]]>