http://www.irinnews.org/Updated everydayen-gbWed, 22 May 2013 08:30:52 GMTWed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KANO 22 May 2013 (IRIN) - Tens of thousands of residents of northeastern Nigeria’s Borno State have fled their homes - thousands of them into neighbouring Niger and Cameroon - following airstrikes by Nigerian fighter jets on Boko Haram (BH) camps from 15 May.Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98076/Analysis-Nigerians-on-the-run-as-military-combat-Boko-HaramKANO 22 May 2013 (IRIN) - Tens of thousands of residents of northeastern Nigeria’s Borno State have fled their homes - thousands of them into neighbouring Niger and Cameroon - following airstrikes by Nigerian fighter jets on Boko Haram (BH) camps from 15 May.]]>Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>CAIRO 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Until government and revolutionary forces attacked the Libyan town of Bani Walid, about 170km southeast of the capital Tripoli in October last year, Abdullah Warfella had been determined never to leave.Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98045/Libyans-in-North-Africa-scared-to-return-homeCAIRO 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Until government and revolutionary forces attacked the Libyan town of Bani Walid, about 170km southeast of the capital Tripoli in October last year, Abdullah Warfella had been determined never to leave.]]>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.]]>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.]]>Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - A UN intervention brigade will soon be deployed to the troubled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a bid to neutralize militia groups operating there.Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98036/Briefing-Towards-internal-solutions-to-the-DRC-crisisKAMPALA 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - A UN intervention brigade will soon be deployed to the troubled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a bid to neutralize militia groups operating there.]]>Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KANO, NIGERIA 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - Around 15,000 children in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, have stopped attending classes since February 2013, according to a Borno State Ministry of Education official who preferred anonymity, as Boko Haram extremists continue a wave of attacks on state schools.Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98032/Boko-Haram-attacks-hit-school-attendance-in-Borno-StateKANO, NIGERIA 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - Around 15,000 children in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, have stopped attending classes since February 2013, according to a Borno State Ministry of Education official who preferred anonymity, as Boko Haram extremists continue a wave of attacks on state schools.]]>Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>PHILIPPI 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - This week marks five years since tensions between foreigners and South Africans living in impoverished communities across the country erupted in xenophobic violence, leaving more than 60 people dead and tens of thousands displaced, their homes and businesses robbed and abandoned.Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98035/Quelling-xenophobia-in-South-Africa-apos-s-townshipsPHILIPPI 14 May 2013 (IRIN) - This week marks five years since tensions between foreigners and South Africans living in impoverished communities across the country erupted in xenophobic violence, leaving more than 60 people dead and tens of thousands displaced, their homes and businesses robbed and abandoned.]]>Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DUBAI 13 May 2013 (IRIN) - Like Syrian regime forces, Syria’s multitude of rebel fighters have faced growing criticism in recent months over violations of international humanitarian law (IHL), including war crimes, with groups from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to the UN Commission of Inquiry accusing them of killing opponents execution-style, torturing detainees, taking hostages, including UN peacekeepers, and possibly using chemical weapons. So how do the rebels view IHL principles? What guides their action? Who do they consider a civilian? And what do they think of aid workers?Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98022/Syrian-rebels-on-IHL-In-their-own-wordsDUBAI 13 May 2013 (IRIN) - Like Syrian regime forces, Syria’s multitude of rebel fighters have faced growing criticism in recent months over violations of international humanitarian law (IHL), including war crimes, with groups from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch to the UN Commission of Inquiry accusing them of killing opponents execution-style, torturing detainees, taking hostages, including UN peacekeepers, and possibly using chemical weapons. So how do the rebels view IHL principles? What guides their action? Who do they consider a civilian? And what do they think of aid workers?]]>Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DUBAI 13 May 2013 (IRIN) - In recent months, Syrian rebels have faced increasing criticism for violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law. For guidance on the laws of war, they turn to a combination of Islamic law, IHL and their own sense of righteousness or, as one expert put it, “revolutionary justice” - with mixed results.Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98021/quot-Sometimes-you-cannot-apply-the-rules-quot-Syrian-rebels-and-IHLDUBAI 13 May 2013 (IRIN) - In recent months, Syrian rebels have faced increasing criticism for violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and human rights law. For guidance on the laws of war, they turn to a combination of Islamic law, IHL and their own sense of righteousness or, as one expert put it, “revolutionary justice” - with mixed results.]]>Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DAKAR 10 May 2013 (IRIN) - Academics and government, military and civil society representatives gathered for a conference in the Senegalese capital this week to assess the interplay between development and violent extremism in West Africa, with some participants suggesting that underdevelopment, marginalization and weak governance create a breeding ground for militancy.Fri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98012/Understanding-the-causes-of-violent-extremism-in-West-AfricaDAKAR 10 May 2013 (IRIN) - Academics and government, military and civil society representatives gathered for a conference in the Senegalese capital this week to assess the interplay between development and violent extremism in West Africa, with some participants suggesting that underdevelopment, marginalization and weak governance create a breeding ground for militancy.]]>Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>GOMA 08 May 2013 (IRIN) - Entrepreneur Gilbert Makelele wants armed groups in his part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to wake up and smell the coffee.Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97998/Trading-conflict-for-coffee-in-DRCGOMA 08 May 2013 (IRIN) - Entrepreneur Gilbert Makelele wants armed groups in his part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to wake up and smell the coffee.]]>Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 08 May 2013 (IRIN) - The imminent deployment of a UN-backed 3,000-strong international force mandated to “neutralize… and disarm” all armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) marks a switch to a more belligerent international stance towards rebel militia, but has met with scepticism in some quarters.Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97999/Is-more-force-in-the-DRC-more-of-the-sameJOHANNESBURG 08 May 2013 (IRIN) - The imminent deployment of a UN-backed 3,000-strong international force mandated to “neutralize… and disarm” all armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) marks a switch to a more belligerent international stance towards rebel militia, but has met with scepticism in some quarters.]]>Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAGA,NIGERIA 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - Thousands of residents of Baga in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, remain displaced for fear of further clashes breaking out between radical Islamist group Boko Haram and troops from the Nigeria-Niger-Chad Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF). A reported 187 people died in the clashes on 16 and 17 April.Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97988/Displaced-still-homeless-after-clashes-in-Baga-NigeriaBAGA,NIGERIA 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - Thousands of residents of Baga in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, remain displaced for fear of further clashes breaking out between radical Islamist group Boko Haram and troops from the Nigeria-Niger-Chad Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF). A reported 187 people died in the clashes on 16 and 17 April.]]>Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 06 May 2013 (IRIN) - Unemployment, poverty and political marginalization are contributing to the Islamic radicalization of Kenya's youth, a situation experts say must be addressed through economic empowerment and inclusive policies.Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97982/Countering-the-radicalization-of-Kenya-apos-s-youthNAIROBI 06 May 2013 (IRIN) - Unemployment, poverty and political marginalization are contributing to the Islamic radicalization of Kenya's youth, a situation experts say must be addressed through economic empowerment and inclusive policies.]]>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.]]>Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>DUBAI 02 May 2013 (IRIN) - The army in Yemen has started a crackdown on illegal smuggling hideouts in the north where migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa are frequently held against their will and tortured by criminal gangs looking for ransom money.Thu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97961/In-Brief-Raids-free-enslaved-migrants-refugees-in-YemenDUBAI 02 May 2013 (IRIN) - The army in Yemen has started a crackdown on illegal smuggling hideouts in the north where migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from the Horn of Africa are frequently held against their will and tortured by criminal gangs looking for ransom money.]]>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.]]>Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAGHDAD/DUBAI 29 April 2013 (IRIN) - After a decade of sanctions, Iraq’s GDP has been growing consistently since 2003, and poverty rates have more than halved since 1990. But observers say billions of dollars in oil revenues have not translated into adequate gains in Iraqi well-being.Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97937/More-freedom-but-less-securityBAGHDAD/DUBAI 29 April 2013 (IRIN) - After a decade of sanctions, Iraq’s GDP has been growing consistently since 2003, and poverty rates have more than halved since 1990. But observers say billions of dollars in oil revenues have not translated into adequate gains in Iraqi well-being.]]>Mon, 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.Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://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.]]>Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>COTABATO 25 April 2013 (IRIN) - For Chris Rush, of the Swiss-based NGO Geneva Call, nuance is everything when engaging with armed groups. Although the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Maoist-inspired New People's Army (NPA) are both fighting insurrections on the same Philippines island of Mindanao, the choice of terminology is a tender issue when it comes to the use of such phrases as "armed non-state actors (ANSAs)”.Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97918/Engaging-with-Philippine-armed-groupsCOTABATO 25 April 2013 (IRIN) - For Chris Rush, of the Swiss-based NGO Geneva Call, nuance is everything when engaging with armed groups. Although the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Maoist-inspired New People's Army (NPA) are both fighting insurrections on the same Philippines island of Mindanao, the choice of terminology is a tender issue when it comes to the use of such phrases as "armed non-state actors (ANSAs)”.]]>Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>ABIDJAN 25 April 2013 (IRIN) - After recent attacks in Côte d’Ivoire’s volatile western region in which more than a dozen people were killed, the authorities announced new security measures, but observers say more than a military response is required.Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97920/Calls-for-Côte-d-Ivoire-government-to-tackle-unrest-in-westABIDJAN 25 April 2013 (IRIN) - After recent attacks in Côte d’Ivoire’s volatile western region in which more than a dozen people were killed, the authorities announced new security measures, but observers say more than a military response is required.]]>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.]]>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>ZIGUINCHOR 24 April 2013 (IRIN) - Over half of the mined land in Senegal’s southern Casamance region has been cleared, according to the government’s anti-mines action centre, CNAMS, which says it is on track to reach the 2015 goal of the Ottawa treaty to eliminate such weapons.Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97907/Demining-speeds-up-in-Senegal-s-Casamance-regionZIGUINCHOR 24 April 2013 (IRIN) - Over half of the mined land in Senegal’s southern Casamance region has been cleared, according to the government’s anti-mines action centre, CNAMS, which says it is on track to reach the 2015 goal of the Ottawa treaty to eliminate such weapons.]]>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.]]>Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAMAKO/GAO 22 April 2013 (IRIN) - Residents in the northern Mali towns of Gao and Timbuktu are calling for the rapid return of officials to re-start basic services and help run their towns, which they say are in a state of “complete chaos”.Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97892/Plea-for-return-of-officials-to-northern-MaliBAMAKO/GAO 22 April 2013 (IRIN) - Residents in the northern Mali towns of Gao and Timbuktu are calling for the rapid return of officials to re-start basic services and help run their towns, which they say are in a state of “complete chaos”.]]>