Environment Organizations Challenge World Bank Climate Adaptation Funding
Development, Environment Organizations Challenge Loans for Adaptation in Newly Announced World Bank Funding Washington: Following the World Bank’s announcement on Friday that eight countries will be offered funding for adaptation to climate change through the Bank’s new Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), leading environment and development organizations today expressed deep concern that approximately half of that funding (...) »
2 February 2009
Background of Sri Lanka conflict
Thousands of civilians, troops and Tamil Tiger rebels have been killed since a 2002 truce gave way to renewed civil war. Hundreds of thousands uprooted Thousands of child soldiers At least 1 million mines laid Hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans have been displaced across the island due to war past and present and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Violence first erupted in 1983. Since then, some 70,000 people have been killed (...) »
26 January 2009
Oxfam: global food crisis will worsen - 1bn hungry people need help now
Urgent action is needed to prevent hundreds of millions more people slipping into hunger as a result of volatile food prices and increasing energy and water scarcity, said international agency Oxfam today. Decades of underinvestment in agriculture coupled with the increasing threat of climate change mean that despite recent price falls, future food security is by no means guaranteed, and in fact the situation could get worse, said (...) »
15 January 2009
Reuters reports "Power vacuum as Ethiopian troops quit Mogadishu"
Reporters Ibrahim Mohamed and Abdi Sheikh working for Reuters write: "MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Ethiopian troops supporting Somalia’s government withdrew completely from Mogadishu on Thursday, witnesses said, leaving a power vacuum in the capital that is expected to lead to more bloodshed. Islamist hardliners from the al Shabaab insurgent group have ambushed the departing soldiers and also clashed with other militias in a deepening (...) »
14 January 2009
Billions face food shortages, study warns
• Climate change may ruin farming in tropics by 2100 • Record temperatures to become normal in Europe Ian Sample, The Guardian’s science correspondent reports: "Half of the world’s population could face severe food shortages by the end of the century as rising temperatures take their toll on farmers’ crops, scientists have warned. Harvests of staple food crops such as rice and maize could fall by between 20% and 40% as a result of (...) »
9 January 2009
Israel criticised after ’shocking’ discovery of exhausted children
• Red Cross finds children next to bodies of their mothers • UN suspends aid shipments after truck driver is killed Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem guardian.co.uk, Thursday 8 January 2009 19.31 GMT Four exhausted children have been discovered cowering in a house next to the bodies of their mothers by staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which today accused the Israeli military of "unacceptable" delays in allowing (...) »
9 January 2009
Gaza humanitarian crisis
The ongoing Israeli military offensive is further deepening the humanitarian crisis facing the people of Gaza. Gaza crisis: donate now As fighting between the Israeli army and Hamas militias has intensified over the last two weeks, the impact on civilians is appalling, with innocent women, men and children being killed and injured. For people living in Gaza, four out of five of whom were already largely dependent on food aid, (...) »
9 January 2009
Gaza crisis in pictures
Recent Israeli military action has further deepened the humanitarian crisis facing people living in Gaza. Oxfam is calling for an unconditional cease-fire from both the Israeli government and Hamas so that civilians in Gaza and Israel can be protected. source: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam_in_ac... An Israeli boy stands on the staircase of a bomb shelter in Ashkelon Israel’s military offensive aims to bring an end to (...) »
5 January 2009 ● Dominik Paszkiewicz
Oxfam analysis of the Poznan Conference outcomes
“An ambitious deal in Copenhagen is still possible, and is needed more than ever.” The conference in Poznan was meant to be a key milestone between the start of negotiations in Bali last year and their conclusion at Copenhagen next year. But it has exposed a shameful lack of progress. By Poznan, developed nations (Annex 1) were meant to have submitted proposals on emissions reductions, finance and technology; they have failed to do (...) »
23 September 2008 ● Dominik Paszkiewicz
1 billion € fund for farmers
An innovative proposal of the European Union (EU) to redirect 1 billion euros of unspent Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funds to help millions of farmers across the developing world was applauded yesterday by senior leaders of the World Bank, Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and United Nations (UN). CONCORD, the European confederation of relief and development NGOs, whose members represent over 1600 NGOs, welcomes this (...) »
28 May 2008 ● Dominik Paszkiewicz
“Missing: 75 billion for the world’s poor” say campaigners
European governments’ aid efforts are continuing to fail the poor to the tune of 75 billion euros, a new report by NGOs campaigners across Europe reveals. “No Time to Waste”, a report published today by CONCORD, the European confederation of relief and development NGOs whose members represent over 1 600 NGOs supported by millions of citizens across Europe, reveals that on current trends the European Union (EU) will have given 75 (...) »
20 May 2008 ● Dominik Paszkiewicz
Japan to double development aid to Africa over 5 years as China raises profile
TOKYO: The Japanese government will double its aid to Africa over the next five years to try to boost development on the continent, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Tuesday. The announcement came ahead of a May 28-30 conference hosted by Japan and aimed at supporting Africa’s development, and as rival China increases its presence on the continent through massive aid and oil-linked investment. Japan’s aid to Africa now averages 100 (...) »
19 May 2008 ● Dominik Paszkiewicz
Sachs appeals for new agriculture aid fund
Influential US economist Jeffrey Sachs is on a tour to promote the need for extra funding and a new mechanism for agriculture. On Monday he was in the European parliament making further appeals to European official donors to do more in this area, and not just provide short-term food aid. The encouragement to increase investment in agriculture is worthwhile, but is the creation of another aid vehicle the best way to go about this? (...) »
10 April 2008 ● Dominik Paszkiewicz
Eurodad rapid response to the EU communication package on Aid effectiveness and the Monterrey process
The EC has just released a communication package that presents the EU position on Aid effectiveness, on the MDGs and on the Monterrey process on Financing for Development (FfD).1 Such a communication has been produced annually since 2003 and this year it aims to “position the EU and ensure that Member States are united in promoting a common vision for ambitious results on the Millennium Development Goals, aid effectiveness and (...) »
10 April 2008 ● Dominik Paszkiewicz
UK’s Brown calls for G8 action on food crisis
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Wednesday called for a coordinated response led by the United Nations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund to address soaring food prices. In an April 8 letter, Brown asked Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, as chair of Group of Eight industrial nations, to request the international agencies develop a global strategy to address the problem of rising food (...) »
4 April 2008 ● Ola Antonowicz-Cyglicka
OECD Figures: Scandalous lack of progress in EU development aid
Press release – 4th of April 2008 In 2007, European Aid fell by 1.7 billion euros, show OECD figures released today. NGOs from across Europe warn European governments that their failure will cost lives. “European governments’ failure to meet aid pledges is nothing short of disgraceful. Europe likes to see itself as a world leader in development assistance, but these figures show that governments are taking a step (...) »
4 April 2008 ● Ola Antonowicz-Cyglicka
Patchy progress by world’s donors in reforming aid, warns new report of EURODAD
A major new civil society report launched today “Turning the Tables: Aid and accountability under the Paris framework” shows that the world’s rich countries have only made patchy progress in making aid more effective for helping the poor, despite high-profile commitments to reform aid. The report, by Eurodad in collaboration with nine other African and European NGOs [1] , showcases fresh evidence from 7 developing countries. It (...) »
31 March 2008 ● Dominik Paszkiewicz
Major donors failing Afghanistan due to $10bn aid shortfall
Forty per cent of aid spending returns to rich countries in corporate profits and consultant costs The prospects for peace in Afghanistan are being undermined because Western countries are failing to deliver on their promises of aid to the tune of $10bn and because aid going to the country is used ineffectively, according to a new report written by ACBAR, an alliance international aid agencies working in Afghanistan. Read the (...) »
14 February 2008 ● Dominik Paszkiewicz
Practical Aid Watch workshop - March, 18-19
Practical “Aid Watch” workshop for Czech, Slovak and Polish aid monitoring groups Polish Green Network Where/when: March, 18-19, Kraków, Poland Working language: English Organized by: Polish Green Network, www.globalnepoludnie.pl Supported by: Grupa Zagranica Aidwatch Working Group and Czech NGDO platform FoRS »
31 January 2008 ● Ola Antonowicz-Cyglicka
EU must show global leadership with Energy Package
Europe set itself up in Bali as a world leader on tackling climate change but is in danger of falling at the first hurdle, international agency Oxfam warned today. The European Union (EU) has missed a crucial opportunity with its Energy Package to help the world’s poor – the very people who suffer most from climate change. Biofuels could be part of the solution to tackle climate change and poverty alleviation, but not under the (...) »
29 January 2008 ● Ola Antonowicz-Cyglicka
Ryszard Kapuściński - reportage emperor
23th of January 2008 has been the first anniversary of the passing, at the age of 74, of the remarkable Polish writer and journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski, who made a career of reporting from the third world where he was sent by the Polish News Agency he worked for, covering the African continent for over 40 years including 27 revolutions and coups. He had acquired an almost celebrity status in Poland, where his books were read as (...) »
29 January 2008 ● Ola Antonowicz-Cyglicka
EP: Sexual violence in Congo is "the worst in the world"
European Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the international community to take action against the widespread sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which it describes as "the worst in the world". According to the resolution, the war and unrest in eastern DRC "has resulted in sexual violence against women on a widespread and alarming scale committed by armed rebel groups, as well as by (...) »
11 January 2008 ● Ola Antonowicz-Cyglicka
NGOs brand EIB the weakest link in EU development aid effort
At the European Development Days in Lisbon in November last year, NGO campaigners concerned about the expanding financing role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in developing countries have called for the EIB to urgently strengthen its lending standards and procedures. Magda Stoczkiewicz, Policy coordinator for CEE Bankwatch Network, said: "Its recent big funding increase will make the EIB the largest multilateral lender in (...) »
28 December 2007
Fifteen years of conflicts have cost Africa around $300bn
The cost of conflict on African development was approximately $300bn between 1990 and 2005, according to new research by Oxfam International, IANSA and Saferworld. This is equal to the amount of money received in international aid during the same period. The study “Africa’s Missing Billions” is the first time analysts have calculated the overall effects of conflict on GDP and comes as diplomats from around the world arrive at the (...) »
23 December 2007
Act in Europe with the Global Call to action against poverty (GCAP)
The quantity and quality of aid from rich countries is inadequate and promises of debt cancellation have not yet materialised. Rich countries have yet to act on their repeated pledges to tackle unfair trade rules and practices. Galvanised by this imperative, a group of civil society actors including NGOs, international networks, social movements, trade unions, women’s organisations, faith-based and youth groups and other civil (...) »
3 December 2007
International Arrest Warrants for labour activists NGOs in India
Amsterdam, December 3 2007 - An Indian magistrate Court ruled on Saturday that international warrants will be issued for the arrest of Dutch human rights activists, report the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and the India Committee of the Netherlands, two of the organizations whose staff are being charged in connection with their efforts to raise awareness of rights violations at an Indian factory supplying Dutch jeans company G-Star. (...) »
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