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Dave Letterman tackles food aid: World Food Programme on The Late Show
Josette Sheeran, the Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme on The Late Show with Dave Letterman.
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When the emergency aid leaves...
The "first wave" emergency aid efforts after a disaster often gets most of the media attention. However, after the first recovery period, communities need assistance with a longer term impact. That is where organisations like the World Fish Center come in. The "first wave" emergency aid efforts after a disaster often gets most of the media attention. However, after the first rec... more
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In My Name: celebrities team up against poverty
YouTube has teamed up with will.i.am, and non-governmental organizations GCAP, Oxfam International, Save the Children and Comic Relief to help spread the message that poverty around the world needs to be eradicated. YouTube has teamed up with will.i.am, and non-governmental organizations GCAP, Oxfam International, Save the Children and Comic Relief... more
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Kim Jong dead or sick
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is very ill or dead. If Kim is not longer the effective leader of the isolated and nuclear-capable Marxist state there are profound implications.
north korea, kim jong-il, dead, pyongyang, rumours concubines, terrorism, washington, united states, kim il-sung, nuclear moscow, soviet union, war, negotiations, economic, diabetes, parade, military,Jonathan Manthorpe, international affairs, Vancouver, Vancouver Sun. North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is very ill or dead. If Kim is not longer the effective leader of the isolated and nuclear-capable Mar... more -
Taliban claims responsibility for Aid Workers' Deaths
The Taliban in Afghanistan has claimed responsibility for killing three female foreign aid workers and an Afghan driver in an ambush near the capital, Kabul.
The women from the United States, Canada and Ireland were working for the International Rescue Committee.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said the group's fighters had ambushed a two-vehicle convoy of what he called "military personnel," most of them female, in Logar province.
The deputy police chief in Logar, Abdul Majid Latifi, said the attackers had broken the windows of the clearly-marked IRC Landcruiser and shot the women and their driver at close range.
Another Afghan driver travelling with the group in a clearly marked IRC vehicle was critically wounded in the attack.
The three foreign victims were a British-Canadian, a Canadian and a Trinidadian-American, the IRC said.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, has expressed his "shock and sorrow" at the killings.
"I want to convey our deep shock and sorrow over the senseless murders of our friends and colleagues from the International Rescue Committee," Mr Guterres said in a statement.
"I condemn the killings in the strongest possible terms."
Guterres said the IRC had been one of the UNHCR's longest-standing partners.
So far this year, 19 NGO staff have been killed in militant attacks.
**Read More** The Taliban in Afghanistan has claimed responsibility for killing three female foreign aid workers and an Afghan driver in an ambush n... more -
Sudan capitalises on food exports while receiving aid for starvation in Darfur
Even as it receives a billion pounds of free food from international donors, Sudan is growing and selling vast quantities of its own crops to other countries, capitalising on high global food prices at a time when millions of people in its war-riddled region of Darfur barely have enough to eat.
...Why is a country that exports so many of its own crops receiving more free food than anywhere else in the world, especially when the Sudanese government is blamed for creating the crisis in the first place?
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Take sorghum, a staple of the Sudanese diet, typically eaten in flat, spongy bread. Last year, the United States government, as part of its response to the emergency in Darfur, shipped in 283,000 tons of sorghum, at high cost, from as far away as Houston. Oddly enough, that is about the same amount that Sudan exported, according to United Nations officials. This year, Sudanese companies, including many that are linked to the government in Khartoum, are on track to ship out twice that amount, even as the United Nations is being forced to cut rations to Darfur.
Eric Reeves, a professor at Smith College and an outspoken activist who has written frequently on the Darfur crisis, called this anomaly "one of the least reported and most scandalous features of the Khartoum regime's domestic policies." It was emblematic, he said, of the Sudanese government's strategy to manipulate "national wealth and power to further enrich itself and its cronies, while the marginalized regions of the country suffer from terrible poverty." Even as it receives a billion pounds of free food from international donors, Sudan is growing and selling vast quantities of its own c... more -
Myanmar says US aid can't be trusted
There are so many valid reasons to be this suspicious of U.S. intentions. How many lives will be lost over this distrust?
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Doctors Without Borders:Survivors of Cyclone Nargis Still Living in Dire Condition...
MSF medical staff have in the past month carried out more 17,000 consultations, with an average of 500 per day in the last week of May. At first, more than half the patients were treated for injuries caused by the cyclone, but very soon other pathologies linked to the dire conditions in which people lived dominated the consultations. Some MSF teams have seen a high number of respiratory infections and cases of diarrhea, which could be linked to a lack of access to clean water, absence of shelters, and exposure to heavy rains in recent weeks.
"In many areas, especially where death rates have been high, we are seeing more and more people suffering from mental health problems," says Alena Koscalova, MSF medical coordinator in Yangon. "Some can not talk anymore, others are highly depressed after they lost their loved ones. In the coming weeks, we will try to address this problem by giving trauma counseling and psycho-social support with mental health specialists."
Over a three month period, MSF expects to carry out around 50,000 consultations at a rate of 500 per day. MSF aims to respond to any disease outbreaks within 24 hours of the reports and to ensure that any patients with severe health problems will be referred to secondary level health facilities. So far, no disease outbreak or alarming rates of malnutrition were reported by MSF’s 36 mobile teams in the delta.
Four weeks after the relief operations started, food, shelter, and access to clean water and remain the biggest needs of the victims. Food supplies have been largely insufficient as specialized agencies have not been able to set up proper distribution channels and in many areas, people have barely received enough to survive, if anything at all. Tens of thousands of people have seen their houses destroyed, lost all their properties and food reserves and have to rely on external assistance.
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Doctors Without Borders is truly one of the most extraordinary organizations on this planet. No matter where tragedy strikes they are there to give aid and life to those who suffer regardless of what they need. While I feel helpless in being able to do as much as I would like to help these people, I know that through helping DWB I am helping them and that gives me peace of mind.
If you wish to help the people of Burma, Doctors Without Borders is for sure a good way to get that help to them. This is another tragedy that I fear is falling out of the consciousness of people now that the initial news cycle is over. However, millions still suffer and the international community must then in my opinion step up and hold the military junta in Burma accountable for the deaths of those who did not receive aid in time due to their dictatorial rule of this country. MSF medical staff have in the past month carried out more 17,000 consultations, with an average of 500 per day in the last week of May... more -
1.5 million survivors in Myanmar without shelter
A severe shortage of housing has left hundreds of thousands of cyclone survivors in Myanmar exposed to heavy rain as the monsoon season begins, aid agencies said Saturday.
The United Nations and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said there was an urgent need for tarpaulins to provide temporary shelter to an estimated 1.5 million homeless survivors. Otherwise, the threats of hunger and disease could intensify, they warned.
"Exposure to the elements five weeks after a disaster of this magnitude has to be a major concern," said John Sparrow, a spokesman for the IFRC. "People are in a weakened condition. They are sick; they are hungry. Without shelter, their whole situation is seriously exacerbated."
Sparrow estimated that only a quarter of those who need shelter materials have been reached.
The U.N. estimates 2.4 million people were affected when Cyclone Nargis hit May 2-3, and warns that more than 1 million still need help, mostly in the hard-to-reach Irrawaddy delta.
John Holmes, the U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said "relatively few" of those survivors who were badly affected by the storm have not received any sort of aid. But he said the U.N.'s effort needs to be stepped up because many survivors still need help and supplies.
"I think people are getting to all the main places, although it's not always as easy as it should be," he said. "There's no evidence of starvation at the moment, although as I say many people are still in significant need of aid."
U.N. officials and aid groups have criticized the regime for hindering access to the delta, saying it has prevented enough food, water and shelter from reaching desperate survivors.
The U.N. also said Saturday that a lack of funding was hindering the aid effort, with only $20 million of the required $50 million received to finance logistic efforts that allow it to extend aid operations into remote regions. A severe shortage of housing has left hundreds of thousands of cyclone survivors in Myanmar exposed to heavy rain as the monsoon seaso... more -
Zimbabwe suspends aid operations
Zimbabwe's government has indefinitely suspended all field work by aid groups and non-governmental organisations.
Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche accused several of "breaching the terms and conditions of their registration", in a written notice sent to the groups.
Earlier, police detained a group of US and UK diplomats for several hours as they investigated political violence there, US ambassador James McGee said.
The US and UK demanded an explanation for the "unjust and outrageous" move.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,And Mugabe does this to his people as he stands before the summit and blames the West for all of his economic woe's. Zimbabwe's government has indefinitely suspended all field work by aid groups and non-governmental organisations. ... more -
Zimbabwe gov't suspends all international aid, claims they work for oppositio...
Times just got a little more difficult in Zimbabwe.
Considering all the good and important work that international relief agencies do in countries like Zimbabwe, today's news is most troubling. International aid agencies say Zimbabwe's government has ordered some groups to suspend their work because of alleged assistance they have given to the campaigning of the opposition party.
Aid groups strongly denounced this charge.
This is just another attempt by Robert Mugabe to remain in power.
Check out more at the associated link. Times just got a little more difficult in Zimbabwe. ... more -
Open up if you want more cyclone aid, Myanmar told
Myanmar was promised millions of dollars in cyclone aid on Sunday, but some Western donor countries said the cash was contingent on the junta keeping its word on letting in foreign aid workers.
"The Myanmar authorities must turn promises into action. The eyes of the world are watching," British development minister Douglas Alexander said after a landmark aid conference in the former Burma, under army rule for the last 46 years.
The United States, which deems the country an "outpost of tyranny", said it was ready to offer more than the $20.5 million of aid sent after the May 2 cyclone that left 134,000 people dead or missing and another 2.4 million destitute.
"However, in order to do so, the government must allow international disaster assistance experts to conduct thorough assessments of the situation," U.S. envoy to southeast Asia Scot Marciel said.
Three weeks after Nargis pounded the Irrawaddy delta, the United Nations says three in four of those most in need have yet to receive any help -- and that hunger and disease could send the death toll soaring if the situation does not change.
The junta, by contrast, says the relief phase of the disaster is already over.
Prime Minister Thein Sein thanked the 500 delegates from 50 countries for the help so far given, and said more would be welcome as long as it came from "genuine goodwill" and "provided that there are no strings attached nor politicization involved".
China and some other Asian countries said it was important to keep aid and politics separate in dealing with a regime that has defied all pressure to loosen its vice-like grip on power. Myanmar was promised millions of dollars in cyclone aid on Sunday, but some Western donor countries said the cash was contingent on th... more -
Myanmar cyclone: Burma to mourn cyclone's victims
Burma's junta has declared three days of official mourning for the victims of Cyclone Nargis, 17 days after the storm struck, state television has announced.
The move came as Burma's closest ally, China, began three days of mourning for its own disaster, the Sichuan quake.
Analysts say Burma's move may indicate it now recognises the scale of the disaster it initially downplayed, and could be more open to outside help.
Earlier, Burma agreed at an emergency summit in Singapore to accept more aid.
Burma's secretive military rulers have been criticised for the slow response to the 2 May disaster, which left about 78,000 dead - more than double the number killed in China's earthquake.
The BBC's South East Asian correspondent Jonathan Head says Burma's junta still seems implacably opposed to using the US, French and British navy helicopters aboard ships anchored just off their coast.
Catalyst for change?
But the firm line they have taken until now, that they can cope without foreign expertise, is softening, he says.
Burmese state television announced that the national flag would be flown at half-mast during the mourning period, beginning on Tuesday.
"Because many people were killed by Cyclone Nargis, we have declared three days of mourning from 20 May to 22, and will lower flags to half-staff starting at 0900 (0230 GMT) on 20 May," the statement said.
The regime has so far allowed only a trickle of aid to reach the 2.4m people estimated to be in desperate need of help.
At a meeting of regional foreign ministers in Singapore on Monday, Burma promised to accept significantly more international aid to help cyclone victims.
Credit: BBC News Burma's junta has declared three days of official mourning for the victims of Cyclone Nargis, 17 days after the storm struck, sta... more -
Thousands Murdered By Canada's Churches: Modern day genocide and ethnic clea...
This is a shocking video of modern day genocide being commited by the church,the corporations, and government, today in the country of Canada. Unless you watch this,you wouild never believe that this is happening today, in our neighboring county. I love Canada. I love the land and the people,but after watching this shocking report of atrocities that are taking place today,I have no illusions about the government there,especially the government/church/ and corporation alliance
Most media outlets around he world, have caved into pressure about the viewing of the horrible trith,and the revelations of the ongoings of the church. I can only hope that current.com does not fall prey to the same tactics. For those of us that seek truth in everything that we encounter today, this a must see video,and please pass it on. This is a shocking video of modern day genocide being commited by the church,the corporations, and government, today in the country of... more -
Junta rebuffs EU humanitarian Commissioner
The European Union Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Lois Michel has left Burma empty-handed. He failed to convince Burma's military rulers to make any concessions to the international aid effort during his three-day visit.
"I urged the Burmese government to grant more visas and allow more expertise in so that there is a more efficient response to the disaster," the commissioner told journalists. "I stressed that my mission was purely humanitarian and nit in the least political," he added.
The EU envoy went with several key requests: give EU commission staff a thirty day extension to their visas; rapidly process the outstanding visa applications from UN and NGO personnel, of which there is more than 200; grant six-month multi-entry visas to NGOs and UN international aid workers, thereby increasing the number on the ground three-fold; and allow NGO and local staff access to the Irrawaddy Delta without seeking prior permission.
"This would significantly help the international aid effort," he said. "Time is of the essence," he insisted. But the regime took little heed of his appeals.
He also asked for improved air access for planes flying from aboard to land at airports closer to the areas affected by the cyclone to unload aid supplies. The Burmese authorities rejected this appeal on the grounds that Burmese traffic control was incompatible with foreign flights. The international community has recently proposed establishing an air corridor to the affected areas so that some aid flights could by-pass Rangoon airport and deliver the supplies more directly and save time.
Although none of his requests were immediately granted, he remains optimistic that there will be some movement on them in the near future. "I felt they were tempted to react positively but there was a reluctance to co-operate with the international community," he said.
The main problem was that the EU commissioner only met relatively powerless ministers and did not get chance to talk directly to any of the senior members of the junta. The ministers told the envoy candidly that they could take any decisions themselves and had to refer it up, according to a European diplomat travelling with the European delegation.
This was taken to mean only Senior General Than Shwe had the power to make these decisions. "We now know the chain of command and who's at the top," Mr Michel told Mizzima.
Mr Michel also strongly urged the regime to allow him access to the delta during his visit to see the extent of the damage for himself. This they have now arranged, for the day after the envoy had left the country. More than sixty diplomats and heads of UN agencies in Rangoon are being taken to the delta in three helicopters.
"I hope my visit has been useful," the commissioner told journalists in Bangkok on a stop between Rangoon and Brussels. But it seems to have achieved no concrete results. Now the focus is on the UN humanitarian chief John Holmes' visit on Sunday. The European Union Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Lois Michel has left Burma empty-handed. He failed to convince Burma's ... more -
Aid supplies resold in markets, junta issues warning
Burma's military government on Friday warned that it will investigate cases of stealing or hoarding aid supplies for cyclone victims and will punish those found guilty.
The warning, published in the state-run newspaper, comes after reports suggest that several government officials, who are assigned to handle aid supplies, have hoarded the supplies and re-sold them in markets in Rangoon.
The New Light of Myanmar newspaper on Friday called on civilians to inform the authorities if anyone "witnesses or knows that the cash assistance and relief supplies donated to the storm victims are kept for self-interest, traded, used for particular persons and organizations, or misappropriated for other purposes."
"We hereby announce that we have made all necessary arrangements to conduct an investigation into the cases to expose the offenders and take punitive action against them in accordance with the law," the announcement said.
A shop owner in Rangoon division's Kun Chan Kone township, which was severely devastated by the cyclone, said a soldier who brought in aid supplies asked him if he wanted to buy zinc roofs to resell.
"I denied him, because I do not want to put up any aid supplies meant for refugees," the shop owner, who came to Rangoon with an aid worker, told Mizzima.
The shop owner, however, was not able to identify the soldier.
The aid worker, who had just returned from Kun Chan Kone Township, said he had not witnessed any reselling of aid supplies in the markets. But he said he heard from others that aid supplies, including high-energy biscuits, tarpaulin, zinc roofs, and tissue boxes, are for sale.
A Mizzima correspondent in Rangoon said he spotted boxes of tissues with the Red Cross label at the Mingalar Market in Rangoon. Photos were posted on the Mizzima website.
However, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said they have not received any reports of such cases and that they would react 'strongly' if aid supplies were resold.
John Sparrow, spokesman for the IFRC in Bangkok said, "Our aid supplies reach the Myanmar Red Cross society, who directly takes them to the Cyclone affected areas."
"We have not received any reports of re-selling our aid supplies," Sparrow added. Burma's military government on Friday warned that it will investigate cases of stealing or hoarding aid supplies for cyclone vict... more -
Doctors Without Borders:Responds to Cyclone In Myanmar
Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, formerly called Burma, on May 2, 2008, affecting several areas of country, and causing a huge number of deaths. More than a week later, large parts of the population remained without drinking water, food, and shelter, and little international aid had reached people in need.
By May 14, 4 Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières(MSF) cargos planes carrying a total of 140 metric tons of relief supplies, including tents, medical material and drugs, pumps and generators for water and sanitation activities, and ready-to-use therapeutic food had arrived in Yangon. Another plane with supplies is scheduled to arrive in Yangon from Jakarta on Friday. The first plane with nearly 40 tons of emergency relief items arrived on the morning of Monday, May 12.
MSF has now more than 250 staff and between 10 and 20 new staff arriving daily. MSF teams are working in Pyanpon, Bogaley, Haingyi, Pyinsalu, Tongwa, Labutta, Thingangon, and Chaungzu. Another team traveled to Dedaye on May 14 in order to assess the situation.
MSF has hired two large boats to use in Pathien (Bassein), an MSF operational hub, bringing the total number of boats used to transport aid in the Irrawaddy Delta to ten. This is combined with the ten trucks that MSF is using to bring aid from Yangon to Pathien. So far, MSF has managed to distribute 275 tons of locally purchased and existing stocks of relief supplies, including food, plastic sheeting, and oral rehydration sachets, in the region. On May 14, MSF teams distributed aid to around 15,000 people and distributed a total of 6,000 plastic sheets
More at the link about Doctors Without Borders and their exceptional work in Myamnar and around the world. They are in my opinion the most reputable organization if you are looking for one to donate to in order to help the people there who need it so desperately. And with reports more erratic weather is heading to the same location, they will need these types of organizations who can gain access to their country. Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, formerly called Burma, on May 2, 2008, affecting several areas of country, and causing a huge number of de... more -
Myanmar cyclone victims getting spoiled food
Many cyclone victims are getting spoiled or poor-quality food from Myanmar's junta instead of the enriched supplies being delivered by foreign governments and charities, victims and aid workers said Tuesday.A longtime foreign resident of Myanmar's biggest city, Yangon, told The Associated Press in Bangkok by telephone that angry government officials complained to him about the military misappropriating aid.He said the officials told him that high-energy biscuits rushed in on the World Food Program's first flights were sent to a military warehouse. They were exchanged for what the officials described as "tasteless and low-quality" biscuits produced by the Industry Ministry to be handed out to cyclone victims, he said.The foreign resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity because identifying himself could jeopardize his safety, said it was not known if the high-quality food was being sold on the black market or consumed by the military. Many cyclone victims are getting spoiled or poor-quality food from Myanmar's junta instead of the enriched supplies being deliver... more
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Some Myanmar Aid Reportedly Stolen
The directors of several relief organizations in Myanmar said Wednesday that some of the international aid arriving into the country for the victims of Cyclone Nargis was being stolen, diverted or warehoused by the country’s military.
The United States military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said there was a good chance that “a significant tropical cyclone” — a second big storm — would form within the next 24 hours and head across the Irrawaddy Delta, the region that suffered most from the first storm that struck earlier this month.
In Yangon, the main commercial city, winds were already beginning to whip up Wednesday evening, but it was unclear how strong the storm would become.
Thailand’s prime minister Samak Sundaravej flew to Yangon on Wednesday to persuade Myanmar’s leaders to allow more foreign aid workers into the country. The members of the military junta told him they were in control of the relief operations and had no need of foreign experts, he told reporters after arriving back in Bangkok, The Associated Press reported.
The government said there were no outbreaks of disease or starvation among the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the cyclone. In Yangon, he met Prime Minister Lt. Gen. Thein Sein, The A.P. said.
The aid directors in Myanmar declined to be quoted directly on their concerns about the stolen relief supplies for fear of angering the ruling junta and jeopardizing their operations, although Marcel Wagner, country director of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, confirmed that aid was being diverted by the army. He said the issue would become an increasing problem, although he declined to give any further details because of the sensitivity of the situation.
International aid shipments continued to arrive Wednesday, including five new air deliveries of relief supplies from the United States. Western diplomats said their representatives at the airport were making sure the cargo was unloaded efficiently and then trucked to staging areas.
The fate of the supplies after that, however, remained unknown, because the junta has barred all foreigners, including credentialed diplomats and aid workers, from accompanying any donated aid, tracking its distribution or following up on its delivery.
There were rumors in the capital on Wednesday that special high-energy biscuits donated for distribution in the disaster areas had been replaced by cheaper, off-the-shelf crackers. But Mr. Wagner and the others said they had not heard of high-quality foodstuffs being stolen and replaced by inferior products.
Although aid flights are now regularly seen arriving at the Yangon airport, international rescue teams and disaster-relief experts for the most part are being kept away from the country. A small French rescue team has arrived in Yangon, although it was unclear whether it had received official permission. Diplomats and representatives of aid missions said that visas for overseas experts were still being denied.
Mr. Wagner said he and his agency’s foreign staff members were now barred from the Irrawaddy Delta, even to areas where the group has ongoing projects dating from before the storm. Fortunately, he said, he has Burmese staff who are permitted come and go through an increasing number of military checkpoints. The directors of several relief organizations in Myanmar said Wednesday that some of the international aid arriving into the country f... more -
Myanmar aid trickles in; EU warns of starvation
The 1.5 million people left destitute by Myanmar's cyclone are in increasing danger of disease and starvation, experts said on Wednesday, but its ruling junta said no to a Thai request to admit more aid workers.
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej met his Myanmar counterpart Thein Sein in Yangon for 2 ½ hours trying to convince him the former Burma should open up for international relief operations and ease visa rules for aid workers.
Early May's Cyclone Nargis swept through Myanmar's heavily populated Irrawaddy delta rice bowl, leaving up to 100,000 people dead or missing, and many of the survivors homeless and hungry.
International aid has amounted to little more than a trickle as Myanmar's generals resist efforts to open the floodgates to foreign workers and their operations and equipment.
Myanmar's prime minister "insisted that his country with 60 million people has a government, its people and the private sector to tackle the problem by themselves," Samak told reporters after returning to Bangkok.
"They are confident of dealing with the problem by themselves. There are no outbreaks of diseases, no starvation, no famine. They don't need experts, but are willing to get aid supplies from every country," Samak said.
Louis Michel, the European Union's top aid official, had a different view.
"There is a risk of water pollution. There is a risk of starvation because the storages of rice have been destroyed," he told reporters in Bangkok before flying to Yangon to seek better access for international aid workers and relief efforts. The 1.5 million people left destitute by Myanmar's cyclone are in increasing danger of disease and starvation, experts said on We... more
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