What We’re Reading
Matt Damon: ‘I Would Kiss George W. Bush on the Mouth’ For His AIDS Work – In an interview with The Atlantic, Matt Damon, the co-founder of Water.org, a NGO “fighting for radical new ways to increase access to clean water and eliminate water-borne diseases, discussed the small part of the foreign aid budget that goes towards water, an “enormous problem that literally underpins . . . disease, poverty, [and] women’s rights.” Damon went on to explain that “Bono’s group (the One Campaign) has done a lot of work trying to figure out how to message these issues, and what people respond to is things that work.” (The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg)
Guinea-Bissau: Lenders Apply Pressure –The World Bank and the African Development Bank suspended millions of dollars of aid to Guinea-Bissau on Thursday in an effort to “press leaders of a military coup to return power to civilians” and quickly resolve the crisis. The World Bank had more than a dozen projects in Guinea-Bissau worth approximately $54 million, while the African Development Bank has five economic and social development programs in the country. (Reuters)
(more…)
Opinion: How Malawi Fed Its Own People – Following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi earlier this month, many of his countrymen “seem to have declared good riddance,” yet it is important to remember the legacy of his agriculture-led boom in Malawi that “pointed a way for Africa to overcome its chronic hunger, food insecurity, and periodic extreme famines.” Mutharika’s government subsidized smallholder famers to buy fertilizer and seed in order to replenish the soil nutrients and achieve a livable crop, despite resistance from many donors, and succeeded in doubling production within one harvest season. (NYTimes, Jeffrey D. Sachs)
World Bank-IMF spring meeting to hone in on cost-effective safety nets – At the World Bank-IMF spring meeting on April 21, cost-effective safety nets will be one of the primary items of discussion, as safety nets “can transform people’s lives and provide a foundation for inclusive growth without busting budgets.” New data from the World Bank shows that 80% of the world’s poorest countries lack effective safety net coverage, and that a “lack of pre- and post-natal care for mothers and children has led to 2.8 million newborn deaths in the first week of their lives.” (Devex, Jenny Lei Ravelo)
(more…)
US lawmakers seek to boost exports to Africa – Lawmakers from both major US parties introduced bills in the House and Senate with the goal of “expanding US exports to Africa by 200 percent over the next decade.” While some have expressed concern that an increase in US exports to Africa could flood African markets and damage their economies, US exports in the “agricultural sector will enable African producers to become more efficient and profitable.” (AFP)
Kenya sees stable food supply to Sept, to buy maize – The agriculture ministry in Kenya reports that improved output of key staples will keep food supplies stable until September, but they will still require maize imports to boost stocks. Prices of staples are expected to fall somewhat over the next six months thanks to improved supply, easing inflationary pressures on households. Kenya is currently in its long rain season, and meteorologists predict near or above-normal rain, advising farmers to take advantage of the favorable conditions. (Reuters)
(more…)
World Bank chooses Jim Yong Kim as president – The World Bank selected Jim Yong Kim, the president of Dartmouth College and an expert in public health, as its next president on Monday. Kim said that he would “seek a new alignment of the World Bank Group . . . [that] amplifies the voices of developing countries and draws on the expertise and experience of the people we serve.” Kim has previously been a director of the World Health Organization’s department of HIV/AIDS and is a co-founder of the nonprofit Partners in Health. (Los Angeles Times, Don Lee)
Donors, gov’t failing to reform Congo army – International and Congolese NGOs reported Monday that “failure to reform Democratic Republic of Congo’s large and ill-disciplined army has kept much of the civilian population in poverty and insecurity despite billions of dollars of foreign aid.” Due to corrupt networks within the security services, over $14 billion of international aid over the last 5 years has had “little impact on the average Congolese citizen.” (Retuers, Jonny Hogg)
(more…)
Disaster looms for people of Mali as country is split by revolt – In a region “already blighted by hunger, poverty and weak government,” rebellion and political uncertainty in Mali threaten to divide the nation and send the region into chaos. NGO workers in Bamako have reported “widespread looting in Gao, with aid groups and government offices targeted and food stores looted.” The UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay warned last week that Mali could be “plunged into a devastating food crisis with a risk of other shortages, including medical supplies, if the insurrections and insecurity persist.” (CNN, Tim Lister)
Who will succeed Hillary? – The international community will likely be presented with a new face in US foreign affairs come November, as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has repeatedly said that she will not be seeking a second term. Speculation about who will fill this position is on the rise, with John Kerry, the current chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Susan Rice, the US Ambassadors to the UN, and National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon are all in the running for Obama’s choices. (Devex, Jenny Lei Ravelo)
(more…)
Private funding for humanitarian response: Trends and challenges – According to a new report by the Global Humanitarian Assistance program, “private donors have become increasingly important to the international humanitarian community . . . consistent despite the global financial crisis and even without mega-disasters.” Between 2006 and 2010, private donors accounted for about a quarter of all humanitarian aid. (Devex, Ivy Mungcal)
Mali crisis raises West Africa famine threat – The political crisis in Mali “is worsening an already precarious situation [as] Mali’s food reserves aren’t accessible, and the borders are closed.” In addition, people from Mali are migrating to neighboring countries to find work and food and rising food prices and food shortages are now threatening the lives of 15 million people in the Sahel region. (CBC News, Laura Payton)
Canada’s aid overhaul ignores the needy: critics – In late March, Canadian Prime Minister Harper “slashed its development assistance to poorer countries by 7.5 percent,” as Canada radically changes “how it doles out foreign aid, funding partnerships with chosen mining giants and development groups while ignoring those most in need.” The Canadian International Development Agency defends the alterations saying that “the most effective way to reduce poverty is to stimulate a country’s economy, creating more opportunities and jobs for people in need.” (AFP, Guillaume Lavallee)
Brazil says BRICS to Make Joint W. Bank Decision – The BRICS group of emerging market countries, which includes Russia, India, China and South Africa will make “a joint decision on who to support for the World Bank presidency as soon as Friday.” The candidates include Colombian Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo, Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Jim Yong Kim, a Korean-American health expert. (Reuters)
Put Sahel crisis [back] on the map, UN official says – Pressure on donors to increase aid for countries in the Sahel region despite “donor and misery fatigue,” continues to build as the humanitarian situation there turns ‘extremely dramatic.’ The UN High Commissioner for Refugees notes that the “situation in the Sahel is slipping from the world’s attention because of the focus on Syria.” Oxfam International encouraged the US to “immediately disburse its pledged financial aid, ensure effective aid delivery, and improve coordination with other donors and organizations.” (Devex, Ivy Mungcal)
Drug-Resistant Malaria Threatens Effort to Control Disease – Researchers from the US and Thailand report that the “growing number of cases of drug-resistant malaria being reported in Thailand and neighboring countries threatens the worldwide campaign to control and eliminate the mosquito-borne disease.” The malaria parasite in this region is becoming increasingly resistant to malaria therapy-artemisinin combination treatment – “and experts say there is a real danger of the resistant strain moving to Africa.” New drugs and therapies are needed to help prevent the emergence of drug-resistant strains of malaria. (VOA, Vidushi Sinha)
(more…)
