Ukraine war triggers fall in aid for Africa
13/4/2023: Aid budgets spent by wealthy countries on hosting refugees at home and helping Ukraine has soared, while bilateral support to Africa and least-developed countries decreased. Led by Oxfam, NGOs have expressed alarm at preliminary data released by OECD.
Source: Devex
Putin ICC arrest warrant poses dilemma for South Africa
13/4/2023: Putin is due to attend a summit of the BRICS, a bloc which includes Russia, in South Africa in August. But the host nation is a member of the International Criminal Court and has an obligation to arrest Putin if he enters the country.
Source: The East African
Global arms sales decline despite surge in wars
12/4/2023: Arms sales have been booming for years, thanks to the many flashpoints all over the world. But this trend came to a halt in 2022 — albeit only temporarily. This is according to the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Source: DW
What’s on Cindy McCain’s plate as WFP’s new chief
5/4/2023: The incoming head of the World Food Programme faces unprecedented challenges. Global food insecurity and extreme hunger are at record levels, driven by a mix of conflict, COVID-19, the climate crisis, and economic turmoil. There’s not enough donor funding to cover what aid agencies say they need.
Source: The New Humanitarian
International Court of Justice to advise states on climate duties
29/3/2023: The UN General Assembly has approved a resolution calling on the International Court of Justice to advise how the legal obligations of states relating to climate change should reflect international law . An advisory opinion from the ICJ is highly influential.
Source: Climate Home News
Nearly one-third of 2022 UK aid spent on refugees at home
29/3/2023: The UK government gave its Home Office a “blank cheque” to spend on refugees in the country’s fractured asylum system, according to an independent watchdog’s report. This made it impossible for officials to plan an aid strategy, causing major disruption to international development.
Source: Devex
International system unfit to deal with global crises
28/3/2023: Amnesty International’s Annual Report for 2022 highlights double standards throughout the world on human rights. The failure of the international community to unite has led to inadequate responses to human rights abuses, fuelling impunity and instability.
Source: Amnesty International
Global population could peak below 9 billion
27/3/2023: A new analysis suggests the global population could peak at a level significantly lower than is assumed by the UN. In a scenario of unprecedented investment in poverty alleviation, particularly investment in education and health, researchers estimate that population could decline to around 6 billion people by the end of the century.
Source: Earth4All
African countries embrace first malaria vaccine
23/3/2023: The new vaccine has been criticized for its relatively high costs and low efficacy but the World Health Organization reports a more than 10% drop in child deaths in three pilot countries. At least 28 further African countries are planning to introduce the vaccine this year.
Source: Devex
IPCC highlights rich nations’ failure to help developing world
20/3/2023: The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that funding needs to increase ‘many-fold’ in order to protect communities disproportionately affected by global warming. The report says some tropical, coastal, polar and mountain ecosystems have already reached hard adaptation limits.
Source: Climate Home News