http://www.irinnews.org/Updated everydayen-gbWed, 22 May 2013 07:30:57 GMTTue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>SUKKUR 21 May 2013 (IRIN) - Since 2010, monsoon rain in Pakistan has brought with it some of the biggest seasonal flooding in living memory. Two months from this year’s rains, weather forecasters are already predicting above normal rainfall and in some areas standing water has yet to drain away from last year’s monsoon.Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98071/Analysis-How-to-avoid-a-fourth-year-of-serious-flooding-in-PakistanSUKKUR 21 May 2013 (IRIN) - Since 2010, monsoon rain in Pakistan has brought with it some of the biggest seasonal flooding in living memory. Two months from this year’s rains, weather forecasters are already predicting above normal rainfall and in some areas standing water has yet to drain away from last year’s monsoon.]]>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).]]>Thu, 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]]>DHAKA 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Some 50,000 volunteers in coastal communities across southern Bangladesh are out and about warning people to move to higher ground ahead of Cyclone Mahasen. Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated so far.Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98046/Evacuation-volunteers-fan-out-in-BangladeshDHAKA 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Some 50,000 volunteers in coastal communities across southern Bangladesh are out and about warning people to move to higher ground ahead of Cyclone Mahasen. Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated so far.]]>Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BANGKOK 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - The government of Myanmar has launched a large-scale effort to relocate to higher ground tens of thousands of Rohingya internally displaced persons (IDPs) ahead of Cyclone Mahasen, says the UN.Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98034/Rohingya-evacuation-under-way-in-MyanmarBANGKOK 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - The government of Myanmar has launched a large-scale effort to relocate to higher ground tens of thousands of Rohingya internally displaced persons (IDPs) ahead of Cyclone Mahasen, says the UN.]]>Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BANGKOK 13 May 2013 (IRIN) - Bangladesh and Myanmar are bracing for Cyclone Mahasen, a storm which could affect millions in the region, the UN has warned.Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98024/Bangladesh-Myanmar-brace-for-Cyclone-MahasenBANGKOK 13 May 2013 (IRIN) - Bangladesh and Myanmar are bracing for Cyclone Mahasen, a storm which could affect millions in the region, the UN has warned.]]>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?]]>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.]]>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]]>DHAKA 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - As Bangladesh armed forces retrieve bodies from the country’s worst ever industrial disaster, a garment factory collapse killing over 700, contingency planning is taking place for something worse - a long-predicted earthquake striking the mega-capital of Dhaka.Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97990/Calamity-planning-Bangladesh-role-plays-quake-responseDHAKA 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - As Bangladesh armed forces retrieve bodies from the country’s worst ever industrial disaster, a garment factory collapse killing over 700, contingency planning is taking place for something worse - a long-predicted earthquake striking the mega-capital of Dhaka.]]>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]]>DHAKA 06 May 2013 (IRIN) - Corpses are still being recovered from Bangladesh’s worst industrial disaster ever - a factory building collapse on 24 April that killed at least 600 workers near the capital. Government experts are scrambling to prevent a repeat.Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97987/Analysis-Wake-up-call-for-Bangladesh-s-building-industryDHAKA 06 May 2013 (IRIN) - Corpses are still being recovered from Bangladesh’s worst industrial disaster ever - a factory building collapse on 24 April that killed at least 600 workers near the capital. Government experts are scrambling to prevent a repeat.]]>Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 03 May 2013 (IRIN) - In Uganda, a new pilot project seeks to understand the threat climate change poses to coffee, which will enable growers to enhance the crop's resilience to extreme weather events.Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97971/Aiming-for-climate-change-resilient-coffee-in-UgandaKAMPALA 03 May 2013 (IRIN) - In Uganda, a new pilot project seeks to understand the threat climate change poses to coffee, which will enable growers to enhance the crop's resilience to extreme weather events.]]>Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>COMPOSTELA VALLEY 30 April 2013 (IRIN) - Health authorities in the Philippines were vigilant in keeping out infant formula donations when Typhoon Bopha hit last December, but activists are concerned the infant formula industry will succeed in pushing through legislative changes that will allow formula donations in future emergencies, making it harder to convince women in those crises to continue exclusive breastfeeding.Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97943/Pressure-in-Philippines-to-end-ban-on-formula-milk-aidCOMPOSTELA VALLEY 30 April 2013 (IRIN) - Health authorities in the Philippines were vigilant in keeping out infant formula donations when Typhoon Bopha hit last December, but activists are concerned the infant formula industry will succeed in pushing through legislative changes that will allow formula donations in future emergencies, making it harder to convince women in those crises to continue exclusive breastfeeding.]]>Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BEIJING 29 April 2013 (IRIN) - China, which annually faces almost every disaster possible - including earthquakes, floods, cyclones and landslides - is doing something right in the field of disaster risk reduction (DRR), experts say.Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97938/Can-disaster-risk-reduction-lessons-be-learned-from-ChinaBEIJING 29 April 2013 (IRIN) - China, which annually faces almost every disaster possible - including earthquakes, floods, cyclones and landslides - is doing something right in the field of disaster risk reduction (DRR), experts say.]]>Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KATHMANDU 26 April 2013 (IRIN) - It is the nightmare scenario aid workers and government officials have long feared: a massive earthquake striking Nepal’s densely populated Kathmandu Valley, with tens of thousands feared dead.Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97925/Imagining-a-major-quake-in-KathmanduKATHMANDU 26 April 2013 (IRIN) - It is the nightmare scenario aid workers and government officials have long feared: a massive earthquake striking Nepal’s densely populated Kathmandu Valley, with tens of thousands feared dead.]]>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.]]>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>ISIOLO 24 April 2013 (IRIN) - Assistance to thousands of flood-affected families in Kenya has been curtailed by lack of a national disaster management body, poor coordination, poor rural infrastructure and other challenges.Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97916/Floods-highlight-disaster-management-challenges-in-KenyaISIOLO 24 April 2013 (IRIN) - Assistance to thousands of flood-affected families in Kenya has been curtailed by lack of a national disaster management body, poor coordination, poor rural infrastructure and other challenges.]]>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.]]>Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DHAKA 22 April 2013 (IRIN) - Ongoing political instability in Bangladesh is undermining disaster preparedness efforts, experts warn. From January to April 2013, opposition parties have enforced 18 nationwide strikes throughout Bangladesh, with even more enforced at the regional and district level, according to security analysts.Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97889/Political-instability-undermines-disaster-preparedness-in-BangladeshDHAKA 22 April 2013 (IRIN) - Ongoing political instability in Bangladesh is undermining disaster preparedness efforts, experts warn. From January to April 2013, opposition parties have enforced 18 nationwide strikes throughout Bangladesh, with even more enforced at the regional and district level, according to security analysts.]]>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JAKARTA 17 April 2013 (IRIN) - When the Ciliwung River breached its banks in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, in January, Abdul Majid rushed to move his family and belongings upstairs.Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97861/Indonesia-s-natural-disaster-risks-costs-riseJAKARTA 17 April 2013 (IRIN) - When the Ciliwung River breached its banks in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, in January, Abdul Majid rushed to move his family and belongings upstairs.]]>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.]]>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KATHMANDU 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Experts have long predicted widespread devastation and death should a large earthquake hit Nepal, a country with vulnerable infrastructure and ill-equipped urban search-and-rescue teams. In an effort to prepare for such an event, officials have created a strategy to boost emergency responders’ skills.Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97831/Nepal-to-boost-search-and-rescue-capabilitiesKATHMANDU 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Experts have long predicted widespread devastation and death should a large earthquake hit Nepal, a country with vulnerable infrastructure and ill-equipped urban search-and-rescue teams. In an effort to prepare for such an event, officials have created a strategy to boost emergency responders’ skills.]]>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Unusually heavy rains have caused havoc across much of east Africa, displacing thousands of people and damaging important infrastructure.75mm) were again observed over central and southern Somalia,” states an Africa Hazards Outlook report for 11-17 April [ http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/afr_Apr11_2013.pdf ]. “Many local areas have already experienced more than three times their normal rainfall accumulation since the beginning of April, sustaining the risk for localized flash flooding and downstream river inundation over the Jubba and Shabelle River basins in eastern Ethiopia and southern Somalia.” The Shabelle has already burst its banks in some places, according to a 10 April Shabelle River flood update by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization [ http://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/flood-update-shabelle-river-10042013 ]. “SWALIM [Somalia Water and Land Information Management] field reports in the last two days indicate river breakages at Hurway (about 8m wide), Eji (about 6m wide) and Maadheere (about 14m wide) villages all in Middle Shabelle Region. This has led to inundation of large areas, causing destruction of cropped area[s] of unconfirmed acreage, and displacement of several families.” Ethiopia The southern and eastern regions of Ethiopia have also received “heavy and well-distributed precipitation totals”, according to the Africa Hazards Outlook, “with lesser amounts observed in the west and higher elevations of the country.” “This has already negatively affected cropping activities, with a reduction of planting over many local Belg [February-May rains]-producing areas of Ethiopia,” it says. With the rains expected to continue, efforts are underway to mitigate their adverse effects. Uganda According to Uganda’s chief weather forecaster, Deus Bamanya, there is an increased likelihood of near-normal to above-normal rainfall over most parts of Uganda, with the rains peaking between mid-April and early-May. Flash flooding could also occur in areas expected to receive below-normal rainfall due to sporadic heavy downpours. “The expected impacts include increased lightning, hailstorms, floods and landslides,” Bamanya told IRIN. The government plans to relocate vulnerable populations living in the eastern Mount Elgon region, which is prone to flooding and landslides [ http://www.irinnews.org/Report/88283/UGANDA-300-feared-dead-as-landslides-bury-villages-in-the-east ]. “We are worried [about] landslides, mudslides and flooding. There are already signs in the low-lying and hilly and mountainous areas,” Musa Ecweru, Uganda’s state minister for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees, told IRIN. “The effects of the heavy rains last year were very devastating. We don’t want [a]repeat. We are going to relocate people in these vulnerable areas. We are only waiting for resources from our development partners to start the relocation exercise,” said Ecweru. The Ugandan government requires some 35 billion shillings (about US$13.5 million) for the exercise. “We are going to de-gazette some government land to relocate these vulnerable populations. We are negotiating with [the] Uganda Wildlife Authority to have this done immediately. We must [re]settle these people as quick[ly] as possible,” he added. The districts of Mbale, Tororo, Kalangala, Bundibugyo and Masaka are among those most affected by hailstorms, according to Catherine Ntabadde-Makumbi, the Uganda Red Cross Society assistant communications director, who added that at least 8,362 people remain without assistance, with 5,681 of them displaced. The displaced are in urgent need of shelter kits, household items and water purifying tablets. Burundi In Burundi, flood-affected areas include the northwestern region of Bubanza, Bujumbura City and the plains of Imbo along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. "We have a problem with rain in the town of Gihanga [in Bubanza]. Houses and plantations were destroyed, causing the displacement of people and stopping work in the fields," Anselme Wakana, governor of Bubanza Province, told IRIN. At least 1,000 hectares of rice has been damaged there, raising food security fears. "We are harvesting rice that was not yet mature due to fear of flooding," said farmer Olive Ngayimpenda. Several homes have been destroyed in the areas of Gihanga. According to Mbonerane Albert, the president of the local NGO Green Belt Action, the situation could worsen due to environmental degradation: deforestation in Bubanza has increased surface runoff, increasing the risk of flooding. Rwanda In neighbouring Rwanda, authorities have issued disaster warnings to those living in risk-prone areas. "High-risk-zone dwellers have [been] given [a] new eviction ultimatum to relocate since we noticed that expected heavy rainfall could affect the vulnerable populations," Antoine Ruvebana, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Refugees Affairs and Disaster Management, told IRIN. Rwanda, due its hilly terrain, is susceptible to erosion, flooding and landslides. According to the Rwandan meteorological services department, several western parts of the country could get ''above-normal rainfall'' during the mid-April to May 2013 period. rk-mh-dn-at-so/aw/rz ]]>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97830/In-East-Africa-heavy-rains-test-emergency-preparednessNAIROBI 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Unusually heavy rains have caused havoc across much of east Africa, displacing thousands of people and damaging important infrastructure.]]>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.]]>