http://www.irinnews.org/Updated everydayen-gbMon, 20 May 2013 15:30:52 GMTThu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>TOLIARA 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Justine Sija, 60, begins her day at 4am, when she buys catch from local fishermen to hawk on the streets of St Augustin Village, in Madagascar’s southern Atsimo-Andrefana Region. The work is hard, but in the last year, access to microcredit has boosted both her business and her hope for the future.Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98050/Microcredit-helps-small-businesses-buck-the-system-in-MadagascarTOLIARA 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Justine Sija, 60, begins her day at 4am, when she buys catch from local fishermen to hawk on the streets of St Augustin Village, in Madagascar’s southern Atsimo-Andrefana Region. The work is hard, but in the last year, access to microcredit has boosted both her business and her hope for the future.]]>Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Pastoralism is often regarded as an antiquated practice ill-suited to the modern economy, yet trade between pastoral communities in Africa - much of it informal and illegal - generates an estimated US$1 billion each year, according to a new book published by the Futures Agriculture Consortium.Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98052/Pastoralism-s-economic-contributions-are-significant-but-overlookedNAIROBI 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Pastoralism is often regarded as an antiquated practice ill-suited to the modern economy, yet trade between pastoral communities in Africa - much of it informal and illegal - generates an estimated US$1 billion each year, according to a new book published by the Futures Agriculture Consortium.]]>Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>CAIRO 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - The Egyptian government has taken tentative steps towards reducing the roughly US$20 billion subsidy system that supporters say provides vital aid to the one-in-four Egyptians in poverty, and critics say is unsustainable and enriches the corrupt.Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98031/Briefing-Egypt-rethinks-its-subsidy-system-for-the-poorCAIRO 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - The Egyptian government has taken tentative steps towards reducing the roughly US$20 billion subsidy system that supporters say provides vital aid to the one-in-four Egyptians in poverty, and critics say is unsustainable and enriches the corrupt.]]>Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BISSAU/DAKAR 09 May 2013 (IRIN) - The World Food Programme (WFP) has not received the money it needs to run basic nutrition and food security schemes in Guinea-Bissau, leaving projects in jeopardy or at a standstill.Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98004/Hunger-projects-stalled-in-Guinea-BissauBISSAU/DAKAR 09 May 2013 (IRIN) - The World Food Programme (WFP) has not received the money it needs to run basic nutrition and food security schemes in Guinea-Bissau, leaving projects in jeopardy or at a standstill.]]>Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>COLOMBO 09 May 2013 (IRIN) - Planners in Sri Lanka should do more to mitigate the effects of extreme weather in order to help those most likely to be affected, experts say.Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98008/Beating-wild-weather-in-Sri-LankaCOLOMBO 09 May 2013 (IRIN) - Planners in Sri Lanka should do more to mitigate the effects of extreme weather in order to help those most likely to be affected, experts say.]]>Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - A tiny, rapidly breeding cyanide-munching insect, dubbed a “super-fly” by scientists, is threatening the food security of millions of Africans.Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97986/Super-fly-threatens-Rambo-cassava-food-securityJOHANNESBURG 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - A tiny, rapidly breeding cyanide-munching insect, dubbed a “super-fly” by scientists, is threatening the food security of millions of Africans.]]>Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAGHDAD/DUBAI 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - The number of Iraqis without secure access to food dropped by more than a quarter of a million people between 2007 and 2011, part of a generally positive trend of increasing food security in Iraq over the last decade.Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97991/Less-dependent-on-food-rationsBAGHDAD/DUBAI 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - The number of Iraqis without secure access to food dropped by more than a quarter of a million people between 2007 and 2011, part of a generally positive trend of increasing food security in Iraq over the last decade.]]>Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>HARARE 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - Inadequate funding and limited resources are frustrating Zimbabwe’s efforts to develop plans to deal with the impact of climate change, says a government progress report.Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97994/Zimbabwe-short-on-climate-change-fundsHARARE 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - Inadequate funding and limited resources are frustrating Zimbabwe’s efforts to develop plans to deal with the impact of climate change, says a government progress report.]]>Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>RENK-UPPER NILE STATE 06 May 2013 (IRIN) - Years ago, Mary Venerato Laki fled conflict in South Sudan, moving north to Sudan, where she worked as a teacher for 42 years. But after a January 2011 referendum paved the way for South Sudan's independence, Mary, now a 60-year-old widow and sole guardian of four nieces, decided to move back home.Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97980/Mary-Venerato-Laki-South-Sudan-returnee-quot-We-want-to-go-to-our-own-homeland-quotRENK-UPPER NILE STATE 06 May 2013 (IRIN) - Years ago, Mary Venerato Laki fled conflict in South Sudan, moving north to Sudan, where she worked as a teacher for 42 years. But after a January 2011 referendum paved the way for South Sudan's independence, Mary, now a 60-year-old widow and sole guardian of four nieces, decided to move back home.]]>Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>RENK, UPPER NILE STATE 06 May 2013 (IRIN) - George Malual Deng, 24, has spent two years stuck in a transit site waiting to return to his home in South Sudan’s Jonglei state. He is among 20,000 people who have made a home of sorts in the river port of Renk, waiting for a barge to take them further south.Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97981/The-long-road-home-to-South-SudanRENK, UPPER NILE STATE 06 May 2013 (IRIN) - George Malual Deng, 24, has spent two years stuck in a transit site waiting to return to his home in South Sudan’s Jonglei state. He is among 20,000 people who have made a home of sorts in the river port of Renk, waiting for a barge to take them further south.]]>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.]]>Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 02 May 2013 (IRIN) - Food security in South Sudan is deteriorating in the face of ongoing conflict, high food prices, and the large-scale return of refugee and internally displaced families.Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97957/Conflict-and-returnees-strain-South-Sudan-food-securityNAIROBI 02 May 2013 (IRIN) - Food security in South Sudan is deteriorating in the face of ongoing conflict, high food prices, and the large-scale return of refugee and internally displaced families.]]>Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KATANGA 02 May 2013 (IRIN) - Tens of thousands of displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Katanga Province have received little or no humanitarian aid in the months since having fled ongoing conflict.Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97963/Conflict-cuts-off-civilians-in-DRC-apos-s-KatangaKATANGA 02 May 2013 (IRIN) - Tens of thousands of displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) Katanga Province have received little or no humanitarian aid in the months since having fled ongoing conflict.]]>Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>TOLIARA 01 May 2013 (IRIN) - Health experts fear the interruption of food assistance in Madagascar is increasing incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in Toliara, the capital city of Madagascar’s southern Atsimo-Andrefana region.Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97950/Food-insecurity-opens-door-to-TB-in-MadagascarTOLIARA 01 May 2013 (IRIN) - Health experts fear the interruption of food assistance in Madagascar is increasing incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in Toliara, the capital city of Madagascar’s southern Atsimo-Andrefana region.]]>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 24 April 2013 (IRIN) - Studies out of Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Niger show that children born during natural hazards, like droughts or floods, are more likely to be malnourished. Yet as the climate changes, it is poor countries - already struggling with hunger and food insecurity - that are increasingly likely to face these natural hazards.Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97913/A-unified-approach-to-climate-change-and-hungerJOHANNESBURG 24 April 2013 (IRIN) - Studies out of Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Niger show that children born during natural hazards, like droughts or floods, are more likely to be malnourished. Yet as the climate changes, it is poor countries - already struggling with hunger and food insecurity - that are increasingly likely to face these natural hazards.]]>Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>SUKKUR 23 April 2013 (IRIN) - It is seven months since the monsoon rains fell on Mohammed Qayyum’s village in the Taib area of Shikarpur District in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh.Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97904/Slow-retreat-of-monsoon-floods-in-Pakistan-hinders-recoverySUKKUR 23 April 2013 (IRIN) - It is seven months since the monsoon rains fell on Mohammed Qayyum’s village in the Taib area of Shikarpur District in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh.]]>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.]]>Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 16 April 2013 (IRIN) - Improvements in nutrition and stronger government policies have led to a decline in childhood stunting, according to a new report on child nutrition. However, the condition continues to affect some 165 million children under the age of five globally.Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97853/Uneven-progress-on-child-stunting-in-East-and-Central-AfricaNAIROBI 16 April 2013 (IRIN) - Improvements in nutrition and stronger government policies have led to a decline in childhood stunting, according to a new report on child nutrition. However, the condition continues to affect some 165 million children under the age of five globally.]]>Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>FAYOUM 16 April 2013 (IRIN) - Abdel Tawab Haron, in his late 40s, is late harvesting the wheat at his farm in Fayoum Governorate, 90km southwest of Cairo.Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97859/Egypt-apos-s-food-security-in-peril-as-fuel-crisis-intensifiesFAYOUM 16 April 2013 (IRIN) - Abdel Tawab Haron, in his late 40s, is late harvesting the wheat at his farm in Fayoum Governorate, 90km southwest of Cairo.]]>Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAMAKO/SÉVARÉ 12 April 2013 (IRIN) - Hunger in Mali has reached crisis levels in the northern Kidal Region and has reached critical levels in Gao and Timbuktu regions, according to food security agencies and the government’s early warning body.Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97834/Hunger-at-crisis-levels-in-northern-MaliBAMAKO/SÉVARÉ 12 April 2013 (IRIN) - Hunger in Mali has reached crisis levels in the northern Kidal Region and has reached critical levels in Gao and Timbuktu regions, according to food security agencies and the government’s early warning body.]]>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DHAKA 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Food can just as easily kill as it keeps people alive, experts have learned in Bangladesh, where excessive use of pesticide, unregulated street food and lack of awareness about food safety sicken millions annually.Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97824/Analysis-Why-food-can-kill-in-BangladeshDHAKA 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Food can just as easily kill as it keeps people alive, experts have learned in Bangladesh, where excessive use of pesticide, unregulated street food and lack of awareness about food safety sicken millions annually.]]>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>HARARE 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Five years after Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis peaked in 2008, the economy continues to perform poorly, with the manufacturing sector still shedding jobs and unemployment estimated at 75 percent. But the real level of unemployment is almost impossible to gauge as countless Zimbabweans are making a living in the informal sector.Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97825/Informal-employment-sustains-ZimbabweansHARARE 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Five years after Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis peaked in 2008, the economy continues to perform poorly, with the manufacturing sector still shedding jobs and unemployment estimated at 75 percent. But the real level of unemployment is almost impossible to gauge as countless Zimbabweans are making a living in the informal sector.]]>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.]]>Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 10 April 2013 (IRIN) - Malnutrition could be greatly reduced and food security improved by ensuring improved access to nutrient-rich forest-derived foods like berries, bushmeat, roots, insects and nuts for the world’s poorest populations, experts say.Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97820/Wild-foods-could-improve-nutrition-and-food-securityNAIROBI 10 April 2013 (IRIN) - Malnutrition could be greatly reduced and food security improved by ensuring improved access to nutrient-rich forest-derived foods like berries, bushmeat, roots, insects and nuts for the world’s poorest populations, experts say.]]>Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 09 April 2013 (IRIN) - Food has become expensive and seems set to stay that way, so growing more of it has become both a necessity and an attractive investment. But the trend has also put contentious issues like agricultural subsidies and genetically modified (GM) crops on the menu once again.Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97809/Subsidies-and-GM-crops-back-on-food-policy-menuJOHANNESBURG 09 April 2013 (IRIN) - Food has become expensive and seems set to stay that way, so growing more of it has become both a necessity and an attractive investment. But the trend has also put contentious issues like agricultural subsidies and genetically modified (GM) crops on the menu once again.]]>