Aug 12th, 2011 11:49 AM UTC
By Geena Wardaki
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UN says say famine-hit Somalia faces cholera epidemic due to issues with water and sanitation – The World Health Organization said today that “Somalia faces a cholera epidemic as dirty water and poor sanitation are leading to an increase in outbreaks of the disease.” The organization reported “the number of cases has risen sharply this year, with 60 percent of 30 random lab samples taken from 4,272 people in the capital Mogadishu suffering from acute watery diarrhea testing positive.” (Associated Press)
Clinton: Don’t cut farm aid for Africa – “Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton appealed Thursday for support for President Obama’s” Feed the Future program, “saying that the reforms it was promoting had prevented the drought in East Africa from being worse.” The White House requested “$1.4 billion for the project in 2012,” but “a House Appropriations subcommittee recently slashed several accounts that could leave the program with about one-third less in funding.” (Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post)
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Aug 11th, 2011 1:00 PM UTC
By Geena Wardaki
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Anderson Cooper 360 – Interview with Bono and K’naan: Bono discusses short term immediate crisis solutions that are in Somalia, saying aid organizations can be better informed by listening to people on the ground, such as the Somali Diaspora. He also makes the point that long term solutions, such as agriculture programs backed by the US are allowing other drought hit areas of East Africa to bounce back. Ed note: Watch the full-length interview on our Act Now page.
Where Will Growth Come From? – A New York Times editorial argues that “never has the world economy depended so much on the success of developing nations,” the result of “a misguided focus on budget cutting” that has pushed the European Union and the US towards prolonged “economic stagnation.” However, developing countries are not “robust enough to keep the global economy from sinking,” and therefore, the US and the UK “must focus more on spurring economic growth.” (editorial, New York Times)
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Aug 10th, 2011 11:16 AM UTC
By Geena Wardaki
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Why Americans should care about famine in Africa – Bill Frist, former Republican Senate Majority Leader, reflects on his trip to Kenya and Somalia with Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden. Frist says “the good news for the American taxpayer is that investments by our humanitarian and development organizations have worked,” arguing that “past advances in agriculture and food security led by the United States,” have saved thousands of more lives that could have been lost in the region. (CNN)
Liberian officials say more than 10,000 voters registered more than once for upcoming election – The National Elections Commision in Liberia said “it has found more than 10,000 people who registered more than once to vote in upcoming elections,” which “are slated for later this year.” The Justice Ministry says it is investigating the matter. (Associated Press)
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Aug 8th, 2011 12:10 PM UTC
By Geena Wardaki
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Jill Biden visits East Africa refugee camps to draw international attention to famine – Jill Biden, wife of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, visited Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya today, which was the “highest-profile U.S. visit to drought-stricken East Africa since the numbers of refugees began dramatically increasing in June.” According to Biden, “the aim of her visit was to raise awareness and convince donors to give more.” (Associated Press)
How This 15-Minute Test Could Save Millions of Lives – A biotech innovator has found a way to bring the HIV testing process to the patient with the “mChip,” a new technology being described as “a lab on a chip.” Each test costs about $3, is more accurate than traditional tests and does not require special training for an individual to read the test. (Justin Fritz, Wall St Daily)
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Aug 4th, 2011 1:39 PM UTC
By Geena Wardaki
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US says Somalia famine has killed more than 29,000 children under age 5 in last 90 days – According to US estimates, “the drought and famine in Somalia have killed more than 29,000 children under the age of 5” and the has UN reported “640,000 Somali children are acutely malnourished.” On Wednesday, the UN “declared three new regions in Somalia famine zones, bringing the total number to five.” (Associated Press)
Voices from Rome: Food Safety Lessons from Africa Drought Response – Devex interviewed government representatives, UN officials and nonprofit leaders “about the sluggish response to last year’s early warnings and what should be done next to address the current crisis and prevent similar ones in the future.” Werner Schultink from UNICEF said the “building up of social safety net assistance to small farmers” helped to prevent “large population groups” in Ethiopia and Uganda from facing “the same kind of difficulties large population groups in Somalia are in.” (Elena L. Pasquini)
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Aug 3rd, 2011 12:12 PM UTC
By Geena Wardaki
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State Department Reassures Groups Aiding Somalia in Food Crisis – The Obama administration assured aid groups Tuesday that “that they could deliver desperately needed food to famine-stricken parts of Somalia without fear of prosecution, even if some assistance is diverted to extremists linked to Al Qaeda.” New guidelines “allow charities to provide famine aid as long as they pledge their best efforts to combat attempts by the Shabab to hoard aid or collect taxes on supplies.” (Associated Press) (Ed. note: We’ll be hosting a live conference call with USAID’s Raj Shah and World Food Programme’s Josette Sheeran tonight at 8:10 PM ET to discuss this situation. To join, just RSVP here.)
Off Media Radar, Famine Garners Few Donations – Aid groups report that raising money to address the famine in Somalia has been slow and difficult, which they say underscores “the pivotal role the media plays in spurring fund raising after disasters.” While the famine “has had to compete with the wrangling over the debt ceiling” and “the mobile phone hacking scandals in Britain” organizations say “the American public is not seeing and feeling the urgency of this crisis.” (Stephanie Strom, New York Times)
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Aug 2nd, 2011 1:04 PM UTC
By Geena Wardaki
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Somalis Waste Away as Insurgents Block Escape From Famine – The Shabab Islamist insurgent group in Somalia “is blocking starving people from fleeing the country and setting up a cantonment camp where it is imprisoning displaced people who were trying to escape Shabab territory.” Aid organizations report that the country is “one of the most complicated places in the world to deliver aid,” because its lawlessness makes it so dangerous for aid workers. (Jeffrey Gettlemen, New York Times)
U.S. to ease anti-terrorism rules to help Somali famine victims – The Obama administration announced Monday that it is “moving toward easing anti-terrorism restrictions in Somalia that have hampered delivery of urgently needed aid to famine-stricken parts of the country.” With current restrictions, “U.S.-funded groups could face prosecution if they pay “taxes” or tolls demanded by al-Shabab on food shipments,” however the administration has raised concern that with relaxed restrictions “it is inevitable that some aid will be siphoned off by al-Shabab.” (Mary Beth Sheridan, Washington Post)
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