Reuters AlertNet -

BlogWatch

Burma: Opening the Door
04 Nov 2009 21:02:00 GMT
Author: Refugees International

The dialogue is changing. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and his deputy Scot Marceil visited Burma and held talks with Burmese officials and Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi. It is the highest-level visit to Burma in more than a decade, and follows the State Departmentâs September announcement of its Burma Policy Review, which began shortly after President Obama took office.

Though the rest of the U.S. review largely endorses existing policy, this is a notable opening of dialogue with the Burmese government. It is also representative of a notable change in the debate around all things Burma â" including humanitarian assistance.

...

Post a comment

Laos: Concert to raise funds for typhoon victims
04 Nov 2009 01:24:32 GMT
Author: Global Voices

A charity concert will be held in Vientiane, Laos this Friday to raise funds for the typhoon victims in the southern provinces of Saravane, Sekong and Attapeu.

Post a comment

Ukraine: Updates on Flu
01 Nov 2009 23:53:49 GMT
Author: Global Voices

Updates on the flu situation in Ukraine, at Greetings From Kyiv - here and here, and at Ukrainiana - here.

Post a comment

Ukraine: Charity
29 Oct 2009 02:26:39 GMT
Author: Global Voices

Scenes From the Sidewalk writes about an encounter with one of Kyivs many homeless children - and posts photos from actress Olga Kurilenkos visit to a CrossRoads Foundation/ChildRescues rehabilitation center. Wild World of Seans Blog reports on a charity visit to a Kyiv hospital for children affected by the Chernobyl catastrophe.

...

Post a comment

Pakistan: Inconvenient Truths
28 Oct 2009 19:51:00 GMT
Author: Refugees International

When they realize youre a Mehsud, they treat you like a suicide bomber whos wearing an explosive jacket. -A displaced Pakistani from South Waziristan, quoted in Dawn

Pakistan is in the midst of an internal conflict with severe humanitarian consequences. Tens of thousands of civilians fled South Waziristan in the past few days, as the Pakistani army continues its offensive against the Taliban in the countrys northwest. With the UN declaring that 1.7 million displaced Pakistanis from the Swat and Buner districts returned home since July, its easy to forget that this crisis has been going on for more than a year, and will likely continue for the foreseeable future.

Indeed, while I was in Pakistan in early October most aid workers insisted that their biggest challenge will be to sustain the required level of aid in the coming months. More than 700,000 civilians remain displaced, the families whove returned will need help to rebuild their lives. The armys operations continue to displace thousands. The humanitarian community is preparing to launch a fundraising appeal for 2010 based on projections of future large scale displacement. Its hard to fathom why, in the words of a high ranking UN official, the Pakistani government thinks the crisis is over.

...

Post a comment

Next entries