http://www.irinnews.org/Updated everydayen-gbMon, 04 Mar 2013 17:30:50 GMTMon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 04 March 2013 (IRIN) - No one working in the aid community in recent years could have avoided the buzzword “resilience” - but what does the term mean practically, and how has it helped shape action on the ground?Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97584/Understanding-resilienceJOHANNESBURG 04 March 2013 (IRIN) - No one working in the aid community in recent years could have avoided the buzzword “resilience” - but what does the term mean practically, and how has it helped shape action on the ground?]]>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 01 March 2013 (IRIN) - Despite early warning information about the Horn of Africa’s impending drought crisis in 2011, humanitarian responses were slow to mobilize, leading to tens of thousands of deaths in the region and famine in parts of Somalia.Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97576/Getting-food-aid-rightJOHANNESBURG 01 March 2013 (IRIN) - Despite early warning information about the Horn of Africa’s impending drought crisis in 2011, humanitarian responses were slow to mobilize, leading to tens of thousands of deaths in the region and famine in parts of Somalia.]]>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.Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://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.]]>Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAEDI/NOUAKCHOTT/DAKAR 06 February 2013 (IRIN) - Despite a decent harvest and pasture coverage for livestock, aid agencies say they and donors must not underestimate vulnerability in Mauritania, having admitted they seriously underestimated the extent of the crisis in 2012 due to inadequate assessment systems and insufficient alarm calls to donors to respond.Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97421/Don-t-underestimate-Mauritania-needs-say-aid-agenciesKAEDI/NOUAKCHOTT/DAKAR 06 February 2013 (IRIN) - Despite a decent harvest and pasture coverage for livestock, aid agencies say they and donors must not underestimate vulnerability in Mauritania, having admitted they seriously underestimated the extent of the crisis in 2012 due to inadequate assessment systems and insufficient alarm calls to donors to respond.]]>Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAMAKO/DAKAR 23 January 2013 (IRIN) - Many more northern Malians are likely to face severe food shortages in the coming days and weeks if markets remain blocked by border and road closures, and humanitarian access remains limited, warn food security agencies.Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97320/Food-insecurity-the-next-crisis-for-northern-MaliBAMAKO/DAKAR 23 January 2013 (IRIN) - Many more northern Malians are likely to face severe food shortages in the coming days and weeks if markets remain blocked by border and road closures, and humanitarian access remains limited, warn food security agencies.]]>Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 21 January 2013 (IRIN) - Rains were decent across much of Mauritania in 2012 leading to hopes of a reasonable harvest. However, even in a good year farmers can produce a maximum five-month cereal supply - most small farmers produce much less - and most face 2013 with accumulated debts from previous years following decades of cyclical crises.Mon, 21 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97299/Mauritania-s-farmers-struggle-to-pull-out-of-debt-trapDAKAR 21 January 2013 (IRIN) - Rains were decent across much of Mauritania in 2012 leading to hopes of a reasonable harvest. However, even in a good year farmers can produce a maximum five-month cereal supply - most small farmers produce much less - and most face 2013 with accumulated debts from previous years following decades of cyclical crises.]]>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>SEVARE 03 January 2013 (IRIN) - Malians forced to live under strict religious rules since Islamist groups captured the country’s northern region nine months ago, and those who fled south, are frustrated by perceived central government inaction.Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97170/Frustration-over-Mali-government-inactionSEVARE 03 January 2013 (IRIN) - Malians forced to live under strict religious rules since Islamist groups captured the country’s northern region nine months ago, and those who fled south, are frustrated by perceived central government inaction.]]>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.Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://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.]]>Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAMAKO 12 December 2012 (IRIN) - Mali’s coup-triggered political crisis that has seen half the country seized by Islamist militias deepened with the arrest and resignation this week of interim Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra - something which could complicate international peace efforts, say analysts and observers.Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97030/Analysis-Premier-s-ouster-complicates-Mali-crisisBAMAKO 12 December 2012 (IRIN) - Mali’s coup-triggered political crisis that has seen half the country seized by Islamist militias deepened with the arrest and resignation this week of interim Prime Minister Cheick Modibo Diarra - something which could complicate international peace efforts, say analysts and observers.]]>Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 07 November 2012 (IRIN) - As temperatures soar and droughts increase in frequency, scientists around the world are working to create food crops tolerant of extreme temperatures - often an expensive and laborious process. But a cheaper and quicker alternative could be in sight, new research suggests.Wed, 07 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96727/CLIMATE-CHANGE-Fungi-offer-non-GM-way-to-enhance-food-cropsJOHANNESBURG 07 November 2012 (IRIN) - As temperatures soar and droughts increase in frequency, scientists around the world are working to create food crops tolerant of extreme temperatures - often an expensive and laborious process. But a cheaper and quicker alternative could be in sight, new research suggests.]]>Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 25 October 2012 (IRIN) - The Sahel food crisis this year put an estimated 18.7 million people at risk of hunger and 1.1 million children at risk of severe malnutrition, prompting the largest humanitarian response the region has ever seen and averting a large-scale disaster. But emergency responses are rarely smooth and there is always room for improvement. IRIN spoke to Sahel aid practitioners, analysts and donors to discuss what hampered the response, and what needs to be done to improve response in the future.Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96638/Analysis-Sahel-crisis-lessons-to-be-learntDAKAR 25 October 2012 (IRIN) - The Sahel food crisis this year put an estimated 18.7 million people at risk of hunger and 1.1 million children at risk of severe malnutrition, prompting the largest humanitarian response the region has ever seen and averting a large-scale disaster. But emergency responses are rarely smooth and there is always room for improvement. IRIN spoke to Sahel aid practitioners, analysts and donors to discuss what hampered the response, and what needs to be done to improve response in the future.]]>Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 24 October 2012 (IRIN) - Sahelians are used to living on the edge and doing all they can to overcome adversity. In 2011, the combined shocks of ongoing high food prices, an end to remittances from Libya, poor harvests across much of the region, and conflict in northern Mali, had a disproportionate effect on the fragile food security situation and the region’s economy: An estimated 18.7 million people are at risk of hunger and 1.1 million at risk of severe malnutrition this year.Wed, 24 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96632/SAHEL-What-went-right-in-the-crisis-responseDAKAR 24 October 2012 (IRIN) - Sahelians are used to living on the edge and doing all they can to overcome adversity. In 2011, the combined shocks of ongoing high food prices, an end to remittances from Libya, poor harvests across much of the region, and conflict in northern Mali, had a disproportionate effect on the fragile food security situation and the region’s economy: An estimated 18.7 million people are at risk of hunger and 1.1 million at risk of severe malnutrition this year.]]>Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAMAKO 18 October 2012 (IRIN) - Hundreds of displaced northerners in southern Mali are risking life under Sharia law to return home, lured by the prospect of jobs, free water and electricity, and in some parts, relatively cheaper food, Malians in the north and south told IRIN.Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96578/MALI-Islamists-lure-back-northernersBAMAKO 18 October 2012 (IRIN) - Hundreds of displaced northerners in southern Mali are risking life under Sharia law to return home, lured by the prospect of jobs, free water and electricity, and in some parts, relatively cheaper food, Malians in the north and south told IRIN.]]>Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>BANGKOK 09 October 2012 (IRIN) - On the sidelines of a recent presentation he made in Bangkok on disaster prevention and preparedness, IRIN spoke to Jan Egeland, deputy director of Human Rights Watch, about progress on the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96495/CLIMATE-CHANGE-Human-Rights-Watch-s-Jan-Egeland-calls-for-faster-progressBANGKOK 09 October 2012 (IRIN) - On the sidelines of a recent presentation he made in Bangkok on disaster prevention and preparedness, IRIN spoke to Jan Egeland, deputy director of Human Rights Watch, about progress on the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).]]>Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>BANGKOK 09 October 2012 (IRIN) - Services to inform communities about the climate are available in higher-income countries, but are not reaching the people most in need of them in developing countries due to lack of government investment and a disconnect between experts and communities facing extreme weather.Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96493/CLIMATE-CHANGE-Tackling-the-information-voidBANGKOK 09 October 2012 (IRIN) - Services to inform communities about the climate are available in higher-income countries, but are not reaching the people most in need of them in developing countries due to lack of government investment and a disconnect between experts and communities facing extreme weather.]]>Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>SEVARÉ 08 October 2012 (IRIN) - Children as young as 14 are joining military training camps run by militias in southern Mali preparing to fight Islamist groups in the north. At the same time, Islamist groups in the north are recruiting children as young as 11 to man checkpoints, gather intelligence, search vehicles and patrol the streets in Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, according to aid agencies and human rights groups.Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96484/MALI-Children-take-up-gunsSEVARÉ 08 October 2012 (IRIN) - Children as young as 14 are joining military training camps run by militias in southern Mali preparing to fight Islamist groups in the north. At the same time, Islamist groups in the north are recruiting children as young as 11 to man checkpoints, gather intelligence, search vehicles and patrol the streets in Gao, Timbuktu and Kidal, according to aid agencies and human rights groups.]]>Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>MOPTI 05 October 2012 (IRIN) - Teachers, the Ministry of Education and aid agencies are scrambling to provide catch-up classes to thousands of displaced children who fled northern Mali for southern towns to help them graduate this year, while those teachers and families who stayed in the north are doing the same - determined to keep their children learning despite the closure of dozens of public schools and severe changes to the curricula.Fri, 05 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96463/MALI-Northerners-fight-to-learnMOPTI 05 October 2012 (IRIN) - Teachers, the Ministry of Education and aid agencies are scrambling to provide catch-up classes to thousands of displaced children who fled northern Mali for southern towns to help them graduate this year, while those teachers and families who stayed in the north are doing the same - determined to keep their children learning despite the closure of dozens of public schools and severe changes to the curricula.]]>Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 04 October 2012 (IRIN) - After years of negotiations, a long-awaited legal treaty sets new rules for donors on food assistance, but experts say it fails to address the growing food insecurity facing many poor countries as global food costs rise.Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96456/Briefing-New-food-treaty-thin-on-substanceJOHANNESBURG 04 October 2012 (IRIN) - After years of negotiations, a long-awaited legal treaty sets new rules for donors on food assistance, but experts say it fails to address the growing food insecurity facing many poor countries as global food costs rise.]]>Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAMAKO 02 October 2012 (IRIN) - After weeks of shuttle diplomacy, speculation and contradictory signals, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) now looks to have the backing of the Malian government for a major troop deployment in northern Mali.Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96436/Analysis-Towards-intervention-in-MaliBAMAKO 02 October 2012 (IRIN) - After weeks of shuttle diplomacy, speculation and contradictory signals, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) now looks to have the backing of the Malian government for a major troop deployment in northern Mali.]]>Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>ARI HARA/JOHANNESBURG 01 October 2012 (IRIN) - Women are pioneering Mauritania’s fledgling dairy industry and trying to get Mauritanians to support local small producers, but they face steep competition from the heavily subsidized European milk sector.Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96427/MAURITANIA-Foreign-subsidies-sour-domestic-milk-industryARI HARA/JOHANNESBURG 01 October 2012 (IRIN) - Women are pioneering Mauritania’s fledgling dairy industry and trying to get Mauritanians to support local small producers, but they face steep competition from the heavily subsidized European milk sector.]]>Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAMAKO 24 September 2012 (IRIN) - Sparse rainfall in 2011 triggered food alerts for Mali which went out well before the start of the rebellion in the north in January, and the coup d'état in Bamako in March. This year, the rains have been better but the warnings from the north, in particular, remain stark particularly for food insecurity and malnutrition.Mon, 24 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96381/MALI-Struggling-to-deliver-aid-to-rebel-held-northBAMAKO 24 September 2012 (IRIN) - Sparse rainfall in 2011 triggered food alerts for Mali which went out well before the start of the rebellion in the north in January, and the coup d'état in Bamako in March. This year, the rains have been better but the warnings from the north, in particular, remain stark particularly for food insecurity and malnutrition.]]>Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 20 September 2012 (IRIN) - Niger has nearly halved the death rate of children below five years old since 1998, a significant drop highlighting the benefits of free universal health care for children and pregnant women as well as increased donor funding for health, The Lancet said in a study released on 20 September.Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96357/NIGER-Child-mortality-slashedDAKAR 20 September 2012 (IRIN) - Niger has nearly halved the death rate of children below five years old since 1998, a significant drop highlighting the benefits of free universal health care for children and pregnant women as well as increased donor funding for health, The Lancet said in a study released on 20 September.]]>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.Fri, 14 Sep 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://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.]]>Fri, 17 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>MOPTI 17 August 2012 (IRIN) - It is raining in Mopti Region in central Mali and most of the fields are filled with millet and rice seedlings, turning the usually dusty landscape a vivid green. But interspersed with these are vast tracts of land that lie uncultivated because farmers could not get the seed to plant them.Fri, 17 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96126/MALI-Rain-but-too-few-seedsMOPTI 17 August 2012 (IRIN) - It is raining in Mopti Region in central Mali and most of the fields are filled with millet and rice seedlings, turning the usually dusty landscape a vivid green. But interspersed with these are vast tracts of land that lie uncultivated because farmers could not get the seed to plant them.]]>Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>OUAGADOUGOU/ABIDJAN 16 August 2012 (IRIN) - In times of severe drought such as in the Sahel or East Africa, food funding often takes priority over other needs like education, yet children who miss out on learning remain vulnerable to future disasters, said British aid group Save the Children.Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/96122/SAHEL-Education-in-crisisOUAGADOUGOU/ABIDJAN 16 August 2012 (IRIN) - In times of severe drought such as in the Sahel or East Africa, food funding often takes priority over other needs like education, yet children who miss out on learning remain vulnerable to future disasters, said British aid group Save the Children.]]>