News
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May 2012
UAE Foreign Aid Humanitarian Flash: The Yemen Conference – 16 May 2012
Read the lastest Humanitarian Flash released by the UAE Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, including our conference for Yemen, here.
Official Statement following our second humanitarian conference for Yemen – 11 May 2012
Read the official statement following our conference held in Cairo on 6th May 2012 in partnership with the League of Arab States and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Our Conference for Yemen, in the news: "Alarm bells over worsening humanitarian crisis" – 9 May 2012
The humanitarian crisis in Yemen has reached a level where it affects not only refugees and migrants, but also millions of ordinary Yemeni families, says the joint statement released after the 6 May meeting for Yemen in Cairo. Read the results of the conference we organized together with the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Humanitarian space: a review of trends and issues – 4 May 2012
Experts say the humanitarian space is 'shrinking' as access is becoming more difficult and aid is becoming more politicised. But HPG's innovative report challenges this narrative and questions whether many of this problems are but a consequence of expanding humanitarian engagement.
United Arab Emirates' Foreign Aid newsletter is out - May edition – 3 May 2012
Find the latest vesion of Musa'adat, the UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid's newletter here.
PACE hearing: after the revolutions in the Arab world, what next for women’s rights? – 2 May 2012
Watch the hearing organised by PACE’s Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination and the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy. during the hearing, women activists spoke about the role of women in the protest movements in Egypt, Libya, Syria and Yemen.
UN's First Humanitarian Bulletin is out - April Edition – 1 May 2012
The first edition of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Bulletin is ready for download, focusing on the Middle East and North Africa.
April 2012
EXCLUSIVE: A HOPE no. 6 preview! – 30 April 2012
You can find exclusively on our website a sneak preview of our latest newsletter, covering our conferences and civil society training workshops for Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Libya and others. Find out more here.
LAS, OIC and The Humanitarian Forum to hold second Yemen Humanitarian Conference in Cairo – 19 April 2012
Read our latest press release regarding our 6th May Cairo Conference on the humanitarian situation in Yemen with the League of Arab States and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
OCFA Humanitarian Flash: One million Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance – 18 April 2012
Read the lastest Humanitarian Flash released by the UAE Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs here.
Libya: ICRC continues to respond to emergencies – 12 April 2012
Read ICRC's latest bulleting regarding their operations and activities in Libya following the end of the conflict.
DISASTERS: Over 50 million affected in Muslim world in 2011 – 9 April 2012
According to our partner OIC, 38 of its 57 member countries were affected by disasters and chronic emergencies in 2011, affecting 55 million people. Read more here.
Syria: ICRC president in Damascus again – 3 April 2012
Read ICRC's latest press release on their president's visit to Damascus.
United Arab Emirates' Foreign Aid newsletter is out - April edition – 2 April 2012
Find the latest vesion of Musa'adat, the UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid's newletter here.
One million Syrians need humanitarian assistance, says UN-backed survey – 2 April 2012
A government-led assessment mission jointly carried out with the UN and OIC identified priority needs such as protection, food, medical assistance, non-food items, such as beddings and household essentials, and education. Read more here.
World Bank re-engages with Yemen – 2 April 2012
After an eight month suspension, the World Bank has resumed operations in the country, following an agreement for a unity government and the resulting improvement in the security situation. Read an interview to Country Manager Wael Zakout here.
March 2012
UN says aid plans in Sahel lack money – 29 March 2012
The organization warned that response plans for the region are less than 40% funded ahead of an expected crisis peak. Experts estimate 15 million people were affected by the food crisis. Read more here.
World scientists define united approach to tackling food insecurity – 29 March 2012
A new report by the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change offers a roadmap for action to address the global challenge of feeding a world confronted by climate change, population growth, poverty, food price spikes and degraded ecosystems. Download the report here.
Have your say: Global resilience action programme – 29 March 2012
The UK Government is launching a Consultation to set up a new Global Resilience Action Programme. The consultation is open for individuals and organisations. More information here.
Analysis: Has the Refugee Convention outlived its usefulness? – 28 March 2012
Can an international convention drafted 60 years ago to protect a limited number of Europeans uprooted by World War II continue to provide protection to the millions of people around the world today forced to flee their countries for a variety of reasons?
UN asks for help in responding to Syrian refugee crisis – 28 March 2012
The UN has played a limited role in the response to the Syrian refugee crisis so far. But as violence increases and refugees keep streaming out, the scale of the problem is becoming too big for host countries Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey to handle alone. Read more here.
Will pressure make Chinese aid more transparent? – 28 March 2012
While China disburses aid with a scant paper trail, analysts say strong-arming its government to boost transparency - and aid efficacy - may hurt countries in need. Read more here.
Middle East countries meet to discuss better health care for detainees – 27 March 2012
ReadICRC's latest press release on the first ever regional meeting to discuss better health care for detainees.
A Review of Natural Disasters in 2011: The Year that Shook the Rich – 22 March 2012
It was the most expensive year in terms of disaster losses in history: their global econonomic cost was $380 billion, most of which due to the Japan tsunami. While natural disasters result in higher economic losses in rich countries, fewer people tend to be affected than those in developing countries. Download the report here.
ENHAnce Horn of Africa courses: Expanding National Humanitarian Ability – 21 March 2012
Are you a humanitarian worker? Would you like to develop core humanitarian skills and leadership competencies? ENHAnce Horn of Africa is extending the application deadline for its courses to March 23rd. There are free places for governments and local NGOs. Read more here.
Yemen: ICRC visits detained soldiers in Abyan – 19 March 2012
Read ICRC's latest press release here.
Valerie Amos's Syria Statement – 13 March 2012
Read UN chief Valerie Amos's statement to the press made after her visit in Syria in March.
Aid policy: Big is not always best among the donors – 8 March 2012
DARA's Humanitarian Response Index on aid effectiveness and accountability was released this week, giving top places to Norway, Denmark and Sweden, followed by Ireland and the Netherlands. Read more here.
New UNICEF podcast: What does it take to educate a girl? – 8 March 2012
In the lead-up to the launch of the documentary 'To Educate a Girl’, UNICEF podcast moderator Femi Oke spoke with filmmakers Frederick Rendina and Oren Rudavsky about their travels to discover what it takes to educate a girl in Nepal and Uganda. Watch the podcast here.
Yemen: dozens of people wounded in the fighting in Abyan – 7 March 2012
Read ICRC's latest press release on Yemen.
Statement calling for immediate humanitarian response for Syria – 6 March 2012
This is a joint statement from The Humanitarian Forum, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and League of Arab States on Syria.
Latest OCFA newsletter is online - March issue – 4 March 2012
Find the latest vesion of Musa'adat, the UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid's newletter here.
Empowering Women for Stronger Political Parties – 2 March 2012
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) have released a guidebook to promote women's participation in politics. Download it here.
Syria: with no halt in fighting, aid effort faces major challenges – 1 March 2012
Read the latest press release from ICRC, our member organisation.
February 2012
ICVA, VOICE, and the Humanitarian Forum call for humanitarian access to populations in distress in Syria – 29 February 2012
As the respective global and European NGO networks for humanitarian response, our NGO members, collectively, have a significant capacity to respond to the humanitarian needs in Syria. Today, too few are working inside the country. Read more...
The State of the World's Children Report 2012 calls for focus on urban children – 28 February 2012
UNICEF’s annual report claims for greater emphasis on identifying the needs of children living in slums and shantytowns, which are among the most vulnerable in the world. The report warns that, with global urban population growing by 60 million a year, the situation is likely to worsen. Read more here.
Back from the Brink: Humanitarianism before politics – 22 February 2012
The report, co-published by The Humanitarian Forum, Islamic Relief, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Turkish Red Crescent, outlines 10 ways the international community must address Somalia's humanitarian crisis.
Saving the lives of Somalis should be the London conference’s priority say leading NGOs – 21 February 2012
Yesterday delegates from 78 leading humanitarian organisations from 4 continents gathered in London to urge the international community to adopt a new approach to Somalia. Find out more.
New UNICEF podcast: Education is key to peace and social development – 13 February 2012
The podcast is based on a recent UNICEF report that discusses the role of education in Peacebuilding in Lebanon, Nepal and Sierra Leone. Read more and watch the podcast here.
Aid management goes automated in the Philppines – 13 February 2012
The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Philippines government are implementing an open-source software to develop a national relief goods inventory and monitoring system in order to improve aid distribution in one of the world's most disaster-prone countries. Read more here.
Syria: humanitarian aid reaches people in Homs and Bludan – 13 February 2012
Read ICRC's latest press release regarding Syria here.
Challenging the humanitarian project: From global to local – 8 February 2012
In a report entitled "Crises in a New World Order", Oxfam says that the international humanitarian system will fail to cope with an expected rise in emergencies unless it shifts from global to local. Download the report in English and Arabic here.
Yemen: faint hope amongst further violence – 7 February 2012
Read ICRC's latest press release about Yemen here.
January 2012
World Interfaith Harmony Week kicks off on 1st February – 29 January 2012
The World Interfaith Harmony Week is a week-long celebration of the common principle that is shared among all faith traditions. Read more on the events to be held here.
UAE Aid to Somalia and Yemen totals $4.5 million – 26 January 2012
Find out more about UAE donors' contributions to the humanitarian crises in Somalia and Yemen.
Call for Papers: Arab Women & the Arab Spring – 25 January 2012
The Journal of International Women's Studies calls for article submissions on Arab women and their role in the current revolutions sweeping the Arab World. Find out more here.
A growing phenomenon: Corporate Engagement in Natural Disaster Response – 19 January 2012
In the last decade, corporate engagement in natural disaster response has grown beyond standards of corporate social responsibility, becoming a central component of the international response machinery. Read the report here.
The rising cost of catastrophes – 18 January 2012
There is little evidence that natural disasters occur any more often nowadays than a century ago, but they do extract a far higher price. How to limit the damage they do?
More than 15,000 participants have already joined the "Springeneration" dialogue for a new Arab-Europe partnership – 17 January 2012
Read the Centre for European Studies (CES)'s latest press release here.
ASIA: Natural disasters becoming costlier than ever – 11 January 2012
From earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan, to heavy flooding in Australia and Asia, economic losses in the first nine months of 2011 came to $259 billion.
December 2011
Latest OCFA newsleter is online - January issue – 29 December 2011
Find the latest vesion of Musa'adat, the UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid's newletter here.
Season's Greetings from The Humanitarian Forum! – 23 December 2011
Adam Leach, Trustee, at the 4th UN Alliance of Civilisations Global Forum in Doha – 22 December 2011
The Forum of the UNAOC now brings together 2,500 participants and has taken place in several global locations including Madrid, Istanbul, and Rio de Janeiro with plans to move on to Vienna and Jakarta. In Doha, discussions about ranging from sport, creative industry, and tourism to education, migration, and youth pondered questions about how cultural diversity matters to development, how promoting trust and tolerance can advance development goals, and new strategies for intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation.
UN, OIC and The Humanitarian Forum hold high-level meeting for Syria and Yemen in Cairo – 21 December 2011
(Cairo, 20 December 2011) A meeting to improve coordination of humanitarian efforts in countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region including Syria and Yemen was held in Cairo on 17 December under the auspices of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Humanitarian Forum (HF).
System failure? The problems of timely response in the Horn of Africa – 21 December 2011
Humanitarian response in the Horn of Africa has consistently been late, and therefore unsuccessful to prevent the destruction of livelihoods. Read more and download the Humanitarian Network paper here.
Aid Policy: Spotlight on New Deal for fragile states – 20 December 2011
The recognition that fragile states need a different approach to aid has turned into a concrete action plan, as the 4th global Aid Effectiveness Forum held last November in Busan agreed a "New Deal" on fragile states.
Philippines: Major emergency operation following Tropical Storm Washi – 19 December 2011
Devastating Tropical Storms swept across the Philippines causing massive flooding, flash floods and landslides from 16 to 18 december. Read OCHA's situation report here.
New 'Pick and Mix' Early Warnings Service Launched by WFP – 16 December 2011
Take a look at WFP's new Early Warnings Service and download the Seasonal and Hazards calendar here.
East Africa: 5.6 million displaced, according to OCHA – 15 December 2011
The number of refugees across the region increased by 13% in the last 6 monrhs, according to OCHA Eastern Africa's last Displaced Populations Report. Read the report here.
UAE relief efforts totalized US $29.2 million – 15 December 2011
Aid efforts were directed to tackling the food crisis in the Horn of Africa and cooperating for the emergencies in Libya, Pakistan and Turkey. Read the report in English and Arabic here.
Exclusive: Our 2011 Annual Review is fresh off the press! – 12 December 2011
The milestones, the challenges and the outcomes of the year in brief. Read more to find out how to get your own copy.
Yemen: medical teams struggle to save lives amidst increasing violence – 10 December 2011
People continue to die in Yemen, despite the agreement between the government and opposition. Escalating violence in Taiz and elsewhere is hitting medical and other essential services. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Yemen Red Crescent are doing their utmost to save lives.
Migration: Misperceptions of migration fuel tensions – 8 December 2011
"Accurately informing about migration may be the single most important policy tool in all societies faced with increasing diversity", says IOM's World Migration Report 2011, released on 6 December. Read more on IOM's last report here.
In Brief: New reports on climate change impact in 10 developing countries – 8 December 2011
As UN Climate Change Conference proceeds in Durban, a series of reports examining the impact of climate change in 23 countries has been launched. Read more on the reports here.
SUDAN: Security “volcano” ready to blow in the east – 8 December 2011
Five years after a peace deal was signed to end a rebellion in eastern Sudan, popular discontent in the area could lead to a new wave of violence within a few months, according to a UNDP official. Read more here.
Yemen desperate for aid as economy crumbles – 7 December 2011
Experts say Yemen needs $5 billion in aid over one year, but violence and corruption could delay disbursements further,
Read more here.
Tufts University presents MA in Humanitarian Assistance – 6 December 2011
Read more on the one-year joint degree offered by the Friedman School and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University here.
Climate Change: More than just a word game – 2 December 2011
Various NGOs, agencies and research institutes are lobbying to get a word into the negotiating text of the COP17 Climate Change Conference 2011, taking place in Durban. Read more here.
November 2011
Latest OCFA's newsleter is online – 30 November 2011
Find the latest vesion of Musa'adat, the UAE Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid's newletter, here.
Iran/Iraq: joint mission to clarify the fate of soldiers missing since 1980-1988 war – 29 November 2011
29 November 2011
How to: Build a flood-resilient city – 29 November 2011
29 November 2011
Climate Change: The mounting costs of bad weather – 29 November 2011
29 Novemberv 2011
Top UN Humanitarian Official warns of deepening humanitarian crisis after visit to Yemen – 29 November 2011
“We are seeing chronic deprivation made worse by continuing violence”, said the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Catherine Bragg!. Read more here.
It's time to Make Aid Transparent – 28 November 2011
CIVICUS, along with 98 organisations from all over the world, is calling on governments to publish more information about the aid they give. Read more.
Red Cross and Red Crescent meet States to strengthen humanitarian action – 28 November 2011
Read more on upcoming International Conference of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement taking place in Geneva from 28th November.
Libya: radio campaign warns of dangers of unexploded devices – 28 November 2011
Read more on the joint ICRC - Libyan Red Crescent radio campaign to warn people returning to Sirte and Bani Walid of the dangers of unexploded weapons.
Gender and Climate Change: Three Things You Should Know – 28 November 2011
Empower Women and Be Better Prepared for Climate Change, Says World Bank Study
Red Cross Red Crescent organizes worldwide TEDx event – 25 November 2011
Find out more details of a TEDx event - TEDxRC² - which will take place in Geneva this Sunday 27th November.
Horn of Africa: Latest key messages by top UN Official – 23 November 2011
Read the November issue of the Emergency Relief Coordinator's key messages on the Horn of Africa here.
Libya: aid for 10,000 people returning to Sirte – 18 November 2011
Read more details of ICRC operations in Libya concerning aid for civilians returning to Sirte here.
