AlertNet scours the world's media for provocative articles on humanitarian themes. Below are our choice pickings, updated daily. Click on the links to read the full stories. February 2005 I March 2005 I April 2005 I May 2005 I June 2005 I July 2005 I August 2005 I September 2005 I October 2005 I November 2005 I December 2005 I January 2006 I February 2006 I March 2006 I April 2006 I |
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End Darfur carnage
Toronto Star, April 27, 2006
The U.N. has threatened for a year to get tough in Darfur. It is past time to act, writes this newspaper.
The looming chaos in Chad
Boston Globe, April 26, 2006
Chadian President Idriss Deby could soon lose power to rebels and that may not be a such a bad thing: he is a cruel, tyrannical and corrupt man who has squandered much of the country's new-found oil wealth. But the rebels who would replace him enjoy the deeply troubling support of the Sudanese regime, writes Eric Reeves, a professor at Smith College in the United States.
Malaria missteps
LA Times, April 26, 2006
Anybody with a serious illness would rather see a doctor than a banker. So why does the World Bank still think it knows best how to eradicate disease in developing countries, asks this editorial, commenting on the Bank's efforts to combat malaria.
Making the UN work
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, April 26, 2006
Management and budget reform lacks the sizzle of other subjects typically debated at the U.N., such as war, peace or genocide, but it is vitally important to tackle these issues since the current procedures simply don't work, says this newspaper.
Still under Chernobyl's shadow
Christian Science Monitor, April 26, 2006
In the two decades since the Chernobyl disaster, global attention and aid have largely focused on Ukraine, where the plant is located. But the plight of Belarus, where 70 percent of Chernobyl's nuclear fallout descended, is less well known: over a fifth of the country is still considered to be heavily contaminated.
How to end Darfur slaughter
New York Times on the Toronto Star, April 26, 2006
"Those of us who want a more forceful response to genocide in Darfur should be sobered by Osama bin Laden's latest tape, in which he calls on good Muslims to go to Sudan and stockpile land mines and rocket-propelled grenades in preparation for a long-term war against U.N. peacekeepers and other infidels," writes New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who has advocated intervention in Darfur.
Nepal: the rising
www.opendemocracy.net, April 24, 2006
"I want to be back on the streets, to be part of this history-making people's tsunami," says Kanak Mani Dixit, editor of the magazine Himal, while being held in a Kathmandu police detention centre.
Nepal on the brink
www.opendemocracy.net, April 24, 2006
The battle for a new constitution in Nepal is only the first of many challenges the country will face in preventing a return to the failings of its past.
The Nepalese should decide
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, April 26, 2006
The Nepalese king's apparent capitulation offers a glimmer of hope, but it is no wonder that people are still angry and demonstrators are calling for him to abdicate, says this newspaper.
Barbed wire and bridges
The Guardian, April 26, 2006
The only viable solution to the Balkans' remaining problems would be for the European Union to make cooperation between the region's smaller countries the most important criterion for accepting them as members. "It would be silly to start talks with one or two small states that are not ready to have good relationships with their neighbours", writes Gyula Hegyi, Hungarian Socialist minister in the European Parliament.
Uganda's soldier politicians
www.opendemocracy.net, April 24, 2006
Despite Uganda's steps towards democracy, military involvement in politics remains a dangerous presence, not just a troubling memory.
People of Darfur can only shed dry tears
China Post (Taiwan), April 25, 2006
The situation in Darfur begs for pressure on Sudan's regime to allow a serious U.N. peacekeeping intervention, says John Metzler, U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defence issues.
As Zimbabwe's economy collapses, a tiny few make huge profits
The Guardian, April 25, 2006
Zimbabwe has the fastest shrinking economy outside a war zone, with unemployment pushing 80 percent and inflation at 913 percent. But amid meltdown a small minority of legitimate investors is thriving alongside the crooks.
Behind a facade of normality, Zimbabwe is visibly falling apart
The Guardian, April 24, 2006
On the surface, Zimbabwe seems normal -- there's food in the shops, traffic lights work, children go to school. But behind this facade of normality, a crisis is eating away at the economy and society, causing incalculable suffering in what was once one of Africa's most developed countries.
War is over, so now the Congo army attacks its own people
Daily Telegraph, April 24, 2006
On paper, the Democratic Republic of Congo is at peace and recovering from years of civil war, yet it still has squalid camps filled with people fleeing fighting.
Uganda: aid and democracy
New Vision (Kampala) on www.allafrica.com, April 23, 2006
Aid continues to follow the pattern of Cold War politics: Countries which are strategic to the Western world still receive more money than those which are not, irrespective of whether they are democratic or not. U.S. aid to Israel is a case in the point, says this newspaper.
Standing behind the despot on the wrong side of history
The Guardian, April 24, 2006
There is one external power that does believe in a military solution to Nepal's Maoist uprising: the U.S., whose "security experts" visited Nepal to urge the king and the army to step up the war. India, for its part, has developed a new-found enthusiasm for the Nepalese king and the U.S. stance on the crisis, writes Isabel Hilton in this commentary.
While Nigeria simmers
International Herald Tribune, April 24, 2006
If Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo doesn't manage to get his bid to run for a third term approved by national and local legislatures, he may decide to pursue power by other means and push the country towards civil war, writes Ian Bremmer, president of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group.
Famine woes in Africa require new solutions: Improved roadways crucial for nomads
San Francisco Chronicle, April 23, 2006
The international community should intervene in food crises before images of starving babies hit the TV screens, aid workers say.
Five truths about Darfur
Washington Post, April 23, 2006
Emily Wax, the Washington Post's East Africa bureau chief, dispels some of the biggest misconceptions about Darfur with a list of five "truths" about the conflict in the western Sudanese region.
Rwanda innkeeper: I am not a hero
Miami Herald, April 23, 2006
Paul Rusesabagina, the Rwandan hotel manager who saved over 1,000 people during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, catalogues the horrors his country lived through in his book "An Ordinary Man".
Lessons from Katrina
International Herald Tribune, April 22, 2006
Key lessons from the response to Hurricane Katrina are that the federal government must do a better job of relocating evacuated families to permanent homes, and that the authorities should provide ongoing medical care for the displaced, writes this newspaper.
Oil wealth and corruption at play in Chad's rebellion
Christian Science Monitor, April 21, 2006
Elements that are central to many conflicts across Africa are the basic factors behind the instability in Chad as well: growing oil wealth, complex ethnic ties that transcend borders and ambitious presidents aiming to stay in power longer than their constitutions originally allowed.
Five minutes to midnight for Hamas
Christian Science Monitor, April 21, 2006
Hamas blew its first big test by approving the most recent suicide bombing in Israel. It will undoubtedly have another chance to get it right, but it won't have time for many more opportunities, writes this newspaper.
Africa and Security Council seat
This Day (Lagos) on www.allafrica.com, April 19, 2006
In a characteristic manner, Africa is unable to produce a compromise candidate for the proposed expanded permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, five months to the deadline. If this opportunity is frittered away, black Africans will remain the only race without representation in the most powerful organ of the United Nations, writes this newspaper.
Foreign experts killing the African dream
The Nation (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, April 19, 2006
What the headline-grabbing images of perceived poverty in Africa do not tell is the double role international activists play in Africa's plight. For instance, the West prohibits the use of DDT spray as a protection against malaria yet hundreds of Africans are dying from the disease, says James Shikwati, director of the Inter-Region Economic Network and co-ordinator of the Africa Resource Bank.
How the fund can regain global legitimacy
Financial Times, April 19, 2006
The International Monetary Fund can address the changing global financial landscape only if it has legitimacy as a global institution, by recognising the needs of the poorest members. It should also help to meet the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals to slash global poverty, and give voice and vote to the developing world, says Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and author of End of Poverty.
More repression will not solve this crisis
The Independent, April 20, 2006
If the international community had imposing sanctions on Nepal, it might have forced the King's hand and prevented turmoil becoming a crisis, writes this newspaper.
From Texas to Chad: why one rebel fights
Christian Science Monitor, April 20, 2006
This is a story of a young man who left his job managing logistics for Coca Cola in the United States and went to Chad to join anti-government rebels.
The ethical deficit that plagues charity fundraising
Third Sector, April 19, 2006
Am I the only person who finds it hypocritical of Oxfam to campaign for fair trade while its Christmas cards are printed in China, asks Hilary Blume, director of the Charities Advisory Trust.
Free drugs alone not the answer to malaria
The East African Standard (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, April 19, 2006
A pledge for free, top-of-the-range anti-malarial artemisinin therapy in Kenya's public hospitals is commendable, but the country also needs to think about access to health facilities, training health workers to handle malaria cases and better measures to help people getting ill in the first place .
When debt isn't so bad
International Herald Tribune, April 19, 2006
If aid agencies want to learn from past crises and develop instruments to avoid future ones, then they should see loans as a crucial part of this rather than a hindrance, according to former IMF director-general Michel Camdessus and top French government aid official Jean-Michel Severino.
With fragile optimism
The Guardian, April 19, 2006
A staggering 4 million people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1998. That's more fatalities than in Iraq, the Middle East, the Asian tsunami, Darfur and the Pakistan earthquake combined, says Oona King, founding chair of the UK's All Party Parliamentary Group on the Great Lakes Region.
Why Millennium Goals may not empower the poor
The East African (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, April 19, 2006
Millennium Development Goals that include reducing poverty and hunger and improving health are commendable, but they won't work if the policies that generate poverty are not analysed and no alternatives are proposed, says Nizar Visram, political scientist and journalist.
Starving Niger hungers for foreign aid
Toronto Star, April 18, 2006
Niger's food crisis hasn't gone away. With drought a fact of life in one of the world's hottest countries, food often runs out in late spring or summer, before the autumn harvest.
Educated only in anarchy
LA Times, April 17, 2006
After 15 years of anarchy in Somalia, fewer than one in five children has ever stepped into a classroom, and even those who have been to school received only the most basic skills. Humanitarian experts predict that a lack of skills will hinder Somalia's prospects of recovery for at least a decade.
The tomatoes of wrath
LA Times, April 16, 2006
Hundreds of tonnes of tomatoes used to be exported from Gaza, but with Israel sealing its borders, they are being thrown away. Commerce in the Palestinian territories is down and U.N. workers fret that they will soon run out of food for refugees.
Out of patience in Nepal
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, April 17, 2006
Will Nepal's pro-democracy protests lead to the end of its monarchy or will the king be able to save his crown?
Blood and oil in Nigeria
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, April 17, 2006
Despite generating hundreds of billions of dollars since oil was discovered, the Niger Delta is one of Nigeria's poorest and least developed regions. The government should start to pay attention to the people who live around the oil wells that have sustained the country for so long, writes this newspaper.
Both sides dragging their feet over Kosovo
International Herald Tribune, April 17, 2006
Two months after talks began in Vienna on Kosovo's future, both the Serbian and Albanian sides appear to be manoeuvring to change the facts on the ground to help determine whether the province will become an independent state or remain a province within Serbia.
Try Charles Taylor in Africa
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, April 17, 2006
The benefits of trying Charles Taylor in Sierra Leone far outweigh the costs of activating internationally trained forces to help maintain short-term stability in the region.
A fearful symmetry in Chad
Boston Globe on International Herald Tribune, April 15, 2006
Out of all the causes of the recent coup in Chad, the one that should weigh on the world's conscience is the spillover effect from genocidal massacres in Sudan's Darfur.
Dying for water in Somalia's drought
Washington Post, April 14, 2006
In Somalia, a well with water is as precious as a town bank, controlled by warlords and guarded with weapons. During the region's relentless three-year drought, water has become a resource worth fighting and dying over.
Balancing AIDS prevention
Boston Globe, April 14, 2006
Ever since the U.S. Congress started requiring in 2003 that one-third of all U.S. money spent on preventing AIDS overseas should be used for promoting abstinence and fidelity, there have been complaints that this was holding back work to fight the disease.
Restoring peace to Nepal
International Herald Tribune, April 13, 2006
There is no question that the Maoist insurgency is a serious blight, but Nepal's king and his dictatorial measures are not the answer the country needs, says this newspaper.
While Darfur burns
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, April 13, 2006
It is enormously distressing to watch the sausage-making that passes for the world's attempt to do something about the carnage in Darfur, writes this editorial. Rwanda has taught us nothing.
Selfish generosity
Boston Globe, April 13, 2006
There are two self-serving reasons why the United States should spend more on foreign aid: poor countries are more politically unstable and can be a breeding ground for wars, revolutions, terrorism or diseases; and rehabilitating economically backward states would create new markets for U.S. products and services.
Resolution for earthly troubles
The Guardian, April 13, 2006
Google's quirky desktop mapping tool, Google Earth, is becoming increasingly important in efforts to coordinate disaster relief.
Africa should have resisted Taylor arrest
New Vision (Kampala) on www.allafrica.com, April 12, 2006
For the sake of Africa's honour and dignity, the whole continent should have rallied behind Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to stave off U.S. and British pressure to arrest Liberian ex-president Charles Taylor on war crimes charges, writes Magode Ikuya of the National Resistance Movement's Historical Leaders Forum.
Turn the tap off on wasteful use of precious fresh water
Daily Star (Lebanon), April 12, 2006
Just 3 percent of the planet's water is fresh,and we could soon run short of it. If we consider the fights we are capable of having over oil, it is chilling to think what a global water shortage could do, says Michel Rocard, former prime minister of France and member of the European Parliament.
Assessing AIDS
Washington Post, April 10, 2006
Recently revised AIDS figures turned out to be lower than previous doom-laden predictions, but infection rates are still devastating in countries like Botswana, where almost 35 percent of the population is HIV-positive.
Keep the peace or seek swift justice?
Christian Science Monitor, April 12, 2006
Although there is no guarantee that future warlords and dictators will not find a way to slip through the hands of justice, the system is slowly but surely closing in on them, says Ibrahim A. Gambari, U.N. under-secretary-general for political affairs.
Nigeria: the young rebels
Le Monde Diplomatique, April 2006
More than ten years after the execution of the Nigerian writer Ken Saro Wiwa, the people of the Nigerian delta are looking for new heroes to fight their corner against the government and foreign oil companies. But today's idols are dubious figures, combining political activism and economic banditry.
India's poor left behind in push for growth
Die Spiegel Online, April 2006
India's stock markets are soaring and its economy is growing at incredible 8.5 percent per year, but 26 percent of its citizens live below the poverty line, there is no universal public health care system, no quality education for poor children and millions of minors are forced to go to work. What is going wrong, Spiegel asked Arundhati Roy, award-winning Indian author and civil rights activist.
New price for tyranny
USA Today, April 10, 2006
Liberian ex-warlord Charles Taylor and others like him need to know they live in a world where justice applies to them too, says this newspaper.
A President's Promise - Mr. Bush must not walk away from Darfur
The Washington Post, April 11, 2006
In 2004, the Bush administration described the killing in Darfur as genocide, then failed to stop it. In February this year, the president spoke of deploying NATO troops to the region; now this idea seems in danger of fizzling. This editorial asks why the United States cannot overcome Sudan's obstructionism and deliver on the need for an effective peacekeeping force.
World Bank's changing role
Business Line (The Hindu), April 11, 2006
From an institution that ruthlessly marketed liberalisation and globalisation in the 1980s and 1990s, the World Bank has changed its tone to advocate causes that are the concerns of non-governmental organisations and civil society in India, says this report.
U.S. Public Backs More Humanitarian Aid
Inter Press Service News Agency, April 11, 2006
Despite a U.S. decision to halt direct aid to the Palestinian Authority and likely congressional cuts in the White House's foreign aid requests, a majority of U.S. citizens support their country's humanitarian and development assistance, according to a poll by Zogby International.
Assessing AIDS
The Washington Post, April 10, 2006
This editorial argues that a recent report in the newspaper (see below), highlighting how the AIDS toll in some African countries is lower than had been suggested by the United Nations, casts doubt on the credibility of the U.N.'s statistics.
Shaky Ground
The Statesman, April 10, 2006
According to TV Jayan, India's seismic zoning map underestimates the risks of earthquake damage as measures adopted by India have failed to incorporate the latest understanding of geophysical processes.
Handed over by the big boys, to brutal rulers
The Sydney Morning Herald, April 8, 2006
As debate continues over how to deal with West Papuan refugees, former ABC Jakarta bureau chief Mike Carlton looks at the history of relations between Papua, the Indonesian government and the international community.
From the firing line into the frying pan
The Age, April 8, 2006
The recent influx of 8,000 refugees from Chad is changing the nature of the Darfur crisis, reports Daniel Pepper from Geneina, Sudan. It's now beginning to look more like Somalia, with tribal-based militias fighting each other and a steady flow of arms on both sides of the border.
How many more people have to die to get noticed?
The Monitor (Kampala) on www.allafrica.com, April 7, 2006
Over 1,000 people are dying every week from violence or disease in northern Uganda's camps for internally displaced people which are overcrowded and lack health services and proper security. How many need to die in order for the world to pay attention, ask Adrian Bradbury and Peter Quaranto who helped found the pressure groups GuluWalk and UgandaCAN.
We must hear the unheard for a more stable world
Financial Times, April 7, 2006
Powerful countries get their way because of their power, but also because the world of diplomacy is skewed in their favour. But in this era of globalisation, agreements that fail to take into account the interests of weaker parties are not sustainable and often fall apart, which ultimately means a less stable world as people who are ignored often find violent ways of getting heard, says Carne Ross, a former British diplomat and founder of the advisory group Independent Diplomat.
Kandahar's economy dives for cover
Globe and Mail, April 7, 2006
Rising violence in Afghanistan is disrupting trade and hurting the city of Kandahar and the surrounding region's economy.
How AIDS in Africa was overstated
Washington Post, April 6, 2006
A report on AIDS figures in Africa suggests earlier projections of high death tolls in some African countries were too pessimistic. One such prediction stated that the death rate in Rwanda would be 30%, yet the actual figure falls below the U.N. estimate of 13%.
Liberia: the Taylor problem
Financial Gazette (Harare) on www.allafrica.com, April 6, 2006
By requesting the extradition of Charles Taylor, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf becomes the first African leader to adopt a principled stance in confronting abuses and atrocities committed by a predecessor in an independent country.
South Africa: straight thinking about poverty
Business Day (Johannesburg) on www.allafrica.com, April 6, 2006
To tackle poverty, South Africa needs to make markets central to their development strategy. Rather than protecting poor people from markets, South Africa should ensure that markets work effectively and enable the poor to improve their lives, writes this newspaper.
Pandering to America has dealt Liberia a political blow
The Monitor (Kampala) on www.allafrica.com, April 6, 2006
The pressure on Liberia to request the extradition of Charles Taylor came from Washington rather than Monrovia, Abuja or other African capitals. To ensure compliance the U.S. withheld its development assistance to war bankrupted Liberia.
Western reporters in Africa struggle over when to help
Christian Science Monitor, April 6, 2006
Western reporters covering developing countries often face unique conundrums: a little humanity - just the change in their pockets - can sometimes feed 10 or 20 people. But to what extent does it clash with their journalistic principles?
A replay of Iraq beckons in Darfur if we send in troops
The Guardian, April 6, 2006
Western military intervention is not the way to go in Darfur. What's needed is the same sort of international political effort that was invested in Sudan's north-south peace agreement - otherwise we could end up with a replay of Iraq or Somalia, says Dr Paul Moorcraft, a former Ministry of Defence policy expert who has been visiting Sudan regularly for 10 years.
Lesotho's painfully slow fight to treat HIV
Globe and Mail, April 6, 2006
A key problem in tackling HIV/AIDS in Lesotho is weak systems in the Ministry of Health. The bulk of trained health-care workers have either fled the country for better-paying jobs elsewhere in southern Africa or have fallen ill themselves. International organisations are trying to fill some of these gaps.
Paving the way for Hamas
New York Sun, April 6, 2006
The U.S. House International Relations Committee is considering legislation to codify the policy that no American aid should go to the Hamas-led Palestinian government. Nathan Diament, director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, writes that the committee's action comes not a moment too soon, but finds it troubling that representatives are poised to water down the legislation.
Rescuing the Red Cross
Christian Science Monitor, April 5, 2006
For all its shortcomings, the Red Cross outperformed the federal government during last autumn's hurricane season, and has reach and experience that would be hard to re-create, writes this newspaper.
World Bank should link loans to press freedom
International Herald Tribune, April 5, 2006
"When you rattle a snake, you must be ready to be bitten," commented a Kenyan government official on the recent media crackdown in the country. This is one example of why the World Bank should make press freedom a condition for its loans, writes David Hoffman, President of Internews Network, an international non-profit organisation that promotes access to information for people around the world.
Ending African impunity
The Guardian, April 4, 2006
Charles Taylor has joined the ranks of Slobodan Milosevic and Saddam Hussein - a lesson that should make other African despots think twice before committing atrocities. But his trial needs to be efficient as well as fair, says this commentary.
Trying a tyrant
LA Times, April 4, 2006
Charles Taylor is a lot like avian flu: frightening, unpredictable and an unwelcome visitor to any country. The world is better off with him behind bars than at large, infecting the whole of West Africa, says this editorial.
Returning favor, Indonesians aid Katrina's victims
Christian Science Monitor, April 4, 2006
Eight Indonesian tsunami survivors and aid workers who witnessed international relief firsthand travelled to devastated communities along Mississippi's Gulf Coast to help survivors of Hurricane Katrina rebuild their lives.
Women and 'gendercide'
Christian Science Monitor, April 4, 2006
A United Nations estimate says that between 113 and 200 million women around the world are "missing" and between 1.5 and 3 million women and girls die from gender-based violence and neglect. Just as we put an end to slavery, we must end "gendercide", says Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali-born Dutch politician who lives under 24-hour protection because of death threats against her by Islamic radicals.
National harmony? Not in this contest
Washington Post, April 4, 2006
The European Song Contest might sound bland, but this year's Armenian entry controversially declared himself a native of the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, and Balkan rivalries regularly split votes for Serbia and Montenegro's representative.
Impunity of the war lords comes to an end
Public Agenda (Accra), April 2, 2006
The recent arrests of Charles Taylor, former Liberian president, and Thomas Lubanga, a Congolese military commander, offer hope that war criminals will be prosecuted for acts like recruiting child soldiers.
If not peace, then justice
New York Times, April 2, 2006
The Hague has become a symbol of both the promise of international law and its stunning shortcomings, writes Elizabeth Rubin in this feature on the workings of the International Criminal Court.
Bloody rise and fall of an African despot
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, April 3, 2006
"Taylor had a map he carried around with him called Greater Liberia," says Douglas Farah, who has written extensively about former Liberian leader Charles Taylor's links to criminal and terrorist networks. "It included parts of Guinea, diamond fields in Sierra Leone. It wasn't something abstract to him. He had a very clear idea of what he was trying to achieve. He had a grandiose plan, and he almost succeeded."
Milosevic, Saddam, Taylor. Who's next?
International Herald Tribune, April 3, 2006
The transfer of former Liberian president and war crimes suspect Charles Taylor to the U.N.-backed Special Court on Sierra Leone is yet more evidence that the world has become a less hospitable place for people accused of committing atrocities. The next test case for Africa should be the former dictator of Chad, Hissène Habré, writes Reed Brody, special counsel with Human Rights Watch.
Severe drought threatens nomads' lives and way of life. Herders for centuries, they don't know any other way to live
San Francisco Chronicle, April 2, 2006
Prolonged drought, which has put 17 million people in East Africa on the brink of starvation, threatens to destroy a centuries-old way of nomadic life in the region.
Abstinence, not condoms, is the word in Mozambique
Baltimore Sun, April 2, 2006
Children under 15 are not hearing about condoms and their use in preventing AIDS in Mozambique's public schools. The country's Ministry of Education does not allow discussion of condoms in primary schools, and the U.S. government forbids grant recipients from delivering condom information to students younger than 15.
A story in which only the happy ending is unusual
New York Times, April 2, 2006
Helen Cooper tells the story of her sister and her family who managed to escape Charles Taylor's reign of terror in Liberia.
When foreign aid is an ATM
LA Times, April 2, 2006
Most of the $54 million the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria gave to Uganda went missing. Nowadays, armed guards stand at the entrance of the Fund's local office and the new receptionists read Bibles. Although it is heartening to see how seriously the Ugandans are taking the matter of the missing money, none of this can erase the fact that an enormous act of international goodwill that may not come again has been squandered, writes Helen Epstein, visiting scholar at the Center for Health and Wellbeing at Princeton University.
Where will Africa trials lead?
LA Times, April 2, 2006
Many analysts say Charles Taylor's arrest will act as a deterrent for African tyrants and warlords, but some are warning that it may have the opposite effect - dictators won't have an incentive to step down peacefully.
The Milosevic lessons: faster and more efficient trials
New York Times, April 2, 2006
The trial of Slobodan Milosevic generated about 120 DVD's, 46,000 pages of transcripts and more than 300,000 pages of oral and written evidence. The number of documents had reached 1.2 million pages, and more were on the way. All that work was stopped in its tracks with his death, leaving lawyers and court officials, witnesses and victims abruptly bereft.
Preventable disease blinds poor in Third World
New York Times, March 31 2006
The World Health Organization estimates that 70 million people are infected with the blinding trachoma, while five million suffer from its late stages and two million are blind because of it.
Throwing money -- and missing
Business Week, March/April 2006
The real tragedy isn't the West's indifference towards the human crises in Africa and elsewhere, but the development community's dismal record on treating the most basic needs of the poor. The fatal flaw of big aid initiatives is that they derive from rich Westerners' utopian agendas rather than the needs of those they purport to help, says William Easterly in his new book "The White Man's Burden: Why the West's efforts to aid the rest have done so much ill and so little good".
Marketing humanitarian crises
International Herald Tribune, March 31, 2006
Why do some crises attract global attention while so many others do not? While the international spotlight is no guarantee of peace or justice (witness Darfur) attention from the press and nongovernmental organisations can alter the dynamics of conflict, writes Clifford Bob, author of "The Marketing of Rebellion: Insurgents,
Media, and International Activism".
Hypocritical Arab generosity on Darfur
International Herald Tribune, March 31, 2006
It would be comical if it were not so cynical: Arab leaders at the Arab League summit in Khartoum offered to fund the African Union force in Darfur from Oct. 1. The problem with that is the African Union's mandate in the region ends a day before that, writes Julie Flint, co-author of "Darfur: A Short History of a Long War".
Unsolved killings terrorize women in Guatemala
Boston Globe, March 30, 2006
The number of women slain in Guatemala in the past six years has risen steadily, yet the authorities have devoted scant resources to the crisis. Amnesty International traces the culture of impunity back to the country's 36-year civil war in which 200,000 were killed.
The least surprising jailbreak ever
New York Times, March 29, 2006
Hopefully former Liberian President Charles Taylor's disappearance won't lead to a return of Taylor-style ethnic fighting in West Africa, says this editorial.
With desperation setting in, it's the second coup age in Africa
The East African (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, March 28, 2006
If African governments fail to reverse the scandalous levels of poverty and general failure in most places around the continent, faith in democratic politics could collapse and desperate anti-democratic alternatives such as coups will become more attractive and back on the African agenda, writes Charles Onyango-Obbo, Nation Media Group's managing editor for convergence and new products.
Water crisis will worsen our plight
The East African (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, March 28, 2006
Aid to African countries for water attracts little attention from donors, and when it is handed out it is usually in the shape of loans, pushing those heavily indebted countries deeper into debt, writes Oscar Kimanuka, a commentator on social and economic issues based in Kigali.
Rumors of Taylor's escape from Calabar - What does it mean for Liberia's security?
The Analyst (Monrovia) on www.allafrica.com, March 28, 2006
Liberians must never allow another round of conflict because of one man, says this editorial analysing what former Liberian President Charles Taylor's disappearance could mean for the security of Liberia.
Free trade and AIDS drugs
New York Times, March 28, 2006
The Bush administration is negotiating a free trade agreement with the Southern African Customs Union. It's important that the United States does not in the process restrict poor people's access to generic drugs in countries with some of the highest rates of AIDS infection, says this editorial.
Act now to stop the genocide in Darfur
Detroit News, March 27, 2006
If the world waits much longer to stop the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, there may be no one left to save, says this editorial.
NGOs should stay out of politics
The Times of Zambia (Ndola) on www.allafrica.com, March 27, 2006
Instead of reaching out to the remotest parts of Zambia and making their presence felt in rural areas, NGOs are concentrating on workshops that are held in five star hotels and elegant lodges in big towns, says this newspaper.
We will handle bird or bad flu
New Vision (Kampala) on www.allafrica.com, March 26, 2006
The signs are that the bird flu will reach Uganda, and when it does, the only basis for optimism will be having good plans and preparations in place that should be strictly adhered to, says this newspaper.
Foreign aid may be key to Sudan conflict and averting new north-south war
Canberra Times, March 27, 2006
No peace process can survive when one party believes the other is eventually planning to attack them. If the north-south war in Sudan resumes, Darfur will look like a minor conflict, says Sonny Lee, who worked in the Australian defence department from 2003 to 2006.
A desperate wait for food -- meagre supply running out
San Francisco Chronicle, March 26, 2006
The United Nations says it need $170 million to feed Kenyans affected by drought, but so far it has raised only $74.6 million and people are struggling to survive.
In Nigeria, things fall apart
New York Times in International Herald Tribune, March 26, 2006
The last thing Africa needs is its most populous country Nigeria descending into civil war, writes this newspaper.
Why the camel is handy during famine
The Nation (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, March 25, 2006
A story in Kenya's Gabra tradition tells how a man showed no emotion when his wife passed away. But when a favourite camel died, tears flowed down his cheeks. Camels are valuable because they provide food security in times of drought and famine when other livestock are dying.
Outrage in Afghanistan
New York Times in International Herald Tribune, March 24, 2006
An Afghan man is facing the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity. Should Afghanistan also return to stoning women to death for adultery, asks this editorial.
A needless toll of natural disasters
Boston Globe, March 23, 2006
Next week's Third International Early Warning Conference in Bonn is a unique opportunity for governments to demonstrate their resolve to make progress on disaster reduction through full funding of these efforts, writes Eric Schwartz, the U.N. secretary general's deputy special envoy for tsunami recovery.
Levies on medicines in developing nations are fatal
The Monitor (Kampala) on www.allafrica.com, March 23, 2006
In the time it takes you to read this column at least 10 people in poor countries will die from diseases that are preventable and curable, says Roger Bate, fellow of the American Enterprise Institute and a Director of health advocacy group Africa Fighting Malaria.
Hasty poppy eradication in Afghanistan can sow more problems
Christian Science Monitor, March 23, 2006
Deteriorating security in Afghanistan reveals the high price of the slow pace of reconstruction. Winning Afghan hearts and minds isn't as quick or easy as growing poppies.
Aid agencies in battle to fight corruption in Aceh
Third Sector, March 22, 2006
CARE International, one of the charities trying to prevent corruption on projects in tsunami-hit areas, is expanding its 'postbox' system, which encourages local people to report any wrongdoing anonymously.
Clean water is a human right
The Guardian Weekly, March 2006
The pendulum is swinging back from privatisation towards the public sector. At some point international donors, banks and governments will recognise that clean water is a human right. Until then billions of poeple will die from water-borne diseases, waste hours of their day collecting water or go into debt to stay alive, writes The Guardian's John Vidal.
Facilitate Somali state structure
New Vision (Kampala) on www.allafrica.com, March 2006
All outside attempts at helping Somalia will come to nothing unless the Somali government moves to Mogadishu, the economy is propped up through aid and investment, displaced people are resettled and civil infrastructure rebuilt. The African Union and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development need to step up their efforts, since the wider international community will not get involved after U.S. losses in the early 1990s, argues this editorial.
Poor water and sanitation kills
The Post (Lusaka) on www.allafrica.com, March 22, 2006
There is no reason why water and sanitation shouldn't be made an election issue in Zambia when it affects lives in so many ways, writes this newspaper.
A step forward for international justice
Christian Science Monitor, March 22, 2006
"For 100 years, a permanent international tribunal was a dream. This dream is becoming reality", says Luis Moreno-Ocampo, a chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court.
Saving Central Asia from Uzbekistan
International Herald Tribune, March 22, 2006
Uzbekistan may not blow up today, but it remains a powder keg. The world needs to prepare the Uzbeks and their neighbours for turbulence ahead, says Chris Patten, former European Commissioner for external relations and chairman of the board of the International Crisis Group.
Backstory: Tapping the world
Christian Science Monitor, March 22, 2006
Africans consume 37 litres of water a day on average, while Americans consume 420 litres a day. This is one of the interesting statistics that this article offers on the water issue.
Opening the tap for a thirsty planet
Christian Science Monitor, March 22, 2006
Any picture form space shows that Earth has water everywhere, but finding a glassful to drink is another matter.
As experts ponder world water crisis, teenagers show creativity
Christian Science Monitor, March 22, 2006
While adults argue over ideological differences at the World Water Forum, youngsters participating in the parallel Children's Water Forum are taking grass-roots action to reach those hardest hit by a lack of safe water and basic sanitation.
We have the tools to end global poverty
Christian Science Monitor, March 22, 2006
Putting an end to poverty goes far beyond building physical infrastructure and elevating per capita income in the developing world. It is equally necessary to help individuals gain control over key decisions in their lives, says Peter Bell, who steps down as president and CEO of CARE on March 31.
Extraditing Charles Taylor
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, March 22, 2006
Liberia's president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is taking a courageous and risky step by calling for Charles Taylor's extradition and America and Europe should make sure that Liberia gets the necessary security aid to handle any pro-Taylor backlash, writes this newspaper.
Where is Europe's voice against genocide?
International Herald Tribune, March 21, 2006
When we talk about genocide in Darfur, the one element that needs far more attention is the disgraceful role of Western Europe, which has neglected taking action by not labelling what is happening in Darfur as genocide, writes Kenneth Jacobson, associate national director of the Anti-Defamation League.
Spreading genocide to Chad
New York Times, March 20, 2006
The African Union soldiers have done their best in Darfur, but they are poorly equipped, lightly armed, low in numbers and lack sufficient intelligence capability. That's a recipe for stalemate, and stalemate is the last thing villagers waiting to be massacred need, says this newspaper.
Dowries running dry in drought-stricken East Africa
Washington Post, March 20, 2006
Men of marrying age in East Africa are calling the current dry season "the drought that killed the dowry", as cattle originally intended to provide for marriage are dying fast.
For Serbia, a death that transforms - but how?
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, March 19, 2006
"Thanks for all the deceit and theft, for every single drop of blood that thousands shed because of you. Thank you for our fear and uncertainty, for lost lives and generations, dreams that were never fulfilled, horrors and wars that you lead on our behalf without asking, and the burden you have put on our backs", reads one of Slobodan Milosevic's death notices in a Serbian newspaper.
Selling 'pandemic flu' through a language of fear
Christian Science Monitor, March 21, 2006
What's lacking in the general discussion about pandemic flu is disagreement, criticism, and scepticism - once the bedrock of science - from researchers willing to question and test the data, writes one graduate student at Harvard University.
To conquer, or control? Disease strategy debated
New York Times, March 20, 2006
The struggling fight against polio has raised new questions about whether eradication of any disease is achievable, and, if so, whether the cost in terms of effort and dollars is worth it given all the other diseases that need attention.
The case for caring now
Washington Post, March 20, 2006
Why should the United States care about Liberia? Helping the country now is cheaper in the long run than the alternative, and its newly elected president espouses anti-corruption and a socially inclusive vision that aid officials can only dream of finding in most poor countries, says columnist Fred Hiatt.
Scenes from a disaster in the making
Toronto Star, March 19, 2006
Desperate people search for water in barren regions as famine fears in Horn of Africa increase.
It takes a world to raise a village
Toronto Star, March 19, 2006
Nothing short of a miracle can prevent a drought in the Horn of Africa from becoming a human catastrophe.
Gaza below breadline as blockade starts to bite
The Times, March 20, 2006
Palestinian bakeries are rationing bread and humanitarian agencies have cancelled food handouts to Palestinian widows and orphans amid warnings of severe shortages in the Gaza Strip, the newspaper reports.
Hopes for natural anti-HIV drugs
BBC News Online, March 20, 2006
Scientists from Ohio State University have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that cells use to fight off HIV, sparking hopes that the breakthrough could lead to treatments to which the virus might be less able to adapt.
How can a space satellite track ebola?
The Guardian, March 16, 2006
A project funded by the European Space Agency has linked the epidemic spread of ebola or meningitis with dryness and drought, meaning that in the future officials may be able to warn people in villages that are at increased risk.
What now for war trials after Milosevic?
Christian Science Monitor, March 16, 2006
Tribunals have become the international community's tool of choice for responding to mass violence, and in the process, law has crowded out other options. But law is a fragile process with uncertain effects. Claims that international courts deter violence, create a record, or promote reconciliation remain speculative, says Timothy Waters, a member of the team at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia that drafted the original indictment of Milosevic.
Fears of a lost generation of Afghan pupils as Taliban targets schools
The Guardian, March 16, 2006
The playground has become a battleground in the Afghan south, where the resurgent Taliban have launched a fierce campaign of arson, intimidation and assassination that has closed 200 schools in recent months and left 100,000 students at home.
Every tyrant should hear Banquo's ghost hissing: 'Remember the Hague'
The Guardian, March 15, 2006
There is a better, truly international court in which all future Milosevics should be tried rather than in ad hoc tribunals and that is the International Criminal Court in The Hague, says Timothy Garton Ash.
Remaking the mistakes of East Timor
The Age, March 15, 2006
By supporting Indonesia's sovereignty and negating West Papua's struggle for freedom, some Australian politicians are repeating the mistakes that their predecessors made in the case of East Timor and its fight for independence, writes Scott Burchill, senior lecturer in international relations at Deakin University, Australia.
The dictator who got away
New York Times, March 15, 2006
Now more than ever, Serbia can and must finally break free of Slobodan Milosevic's dark legacy so the country can take its rightful place in Europe, says Adam LeBor, author of "Milosevic: A Biography".
Death of a tyrant
Miami Herald, March 16, 2006
Milosevic's death is a reminder that the international community must insist that Serbia arrest and transfer Milosevic's henchmen, Ratko Mladic and Radovian Karadzic, to the Hague tribunal, writes this newspaper.
The death of Milosevic
International Herald Tribune, March 15, 2006
Milosevic's death in prison was bad news for the fledgling notion of international justice, but not a total defeat, writes this newspaper.
In Africa, the chicken crossed the road because it was free to
The East African (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, March 14, 2006
There's reason to worry about bird flu in Africa because diseases that take even a low toll on other continents can kill millions in Africa, writes Charles Onyango-Obbo.
Milosevic's death, reactions in Bosnia
Turkish Daily News, March 14, 2006
The premature death of Milosevic could have consequences for another big court case also taking place in The Hague: Bosnia's accusing of Serbia of genocide, writes Hajrudin Somun, former ambassador of Bosnia-Herzegovina to Turkey.
Taylor's surrender: a decision that could cost Liberia dearly
The Analyst (Monrovia) on www.allafrica.com, March 14, 2006
Less than two months into the elected government of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Liberia, the issue of what to do with exiled former President Charles Taylor has taken centre stage.
One man's crimes
Washington Post, March 14, 2006
In the long run, Serbs, and Europeans generally, will remember Slobodan Milosevic as the last of the power-craving nationalists who all but destroyed the continent in the 20th century. The sooner that understanding takes hold, the more quickly Serbia will recover, says this editorial.
A corrupt French connection
Washington Post, March 13, 2006
Last year Democratic Republic of Congo earned more than $2 billion from oil, or $600 per person. If it spent that money competently, it would not have two-thirds of its people living below the $1-a-day poverty line. But despite this, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have cut Congo's debt payments, writes Sebastian Mallaby in this commentary.
The post-Katrina charity boom is going bust
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, March 14, 2006
Since Hurricane Katrina, a fast- track approval process has granted tax exemptions to almost 400 new charities planning to assist the disaster's victims, including one that distributes leather jackets to address the special needs of sadomasochists and another that hands out new underwear.
Don't bury The Hague with Milosevic
International Herald Tribune, March 14, 2006
For all the trial's weaknesses, its lessons and legacy bear learning and preserving. It would be rash and counterproductive to bury the trial with Milosevic, says David Kaye, legal adviser to the American Embassy in The Hague from 2002 to 2005.
Seeking made-in-Africa solutions
Globe and Mail, March 13, 2006
African states should work towards being in line with higher values of the international community if they are to be taken seriously on the international stage.
In Uganda, a fresh start for former child fighters
Washington Post, March 13, 2006
"The thing to remember is that there are two Ugandas. One of relative peace, and then one where children suffer more than in any country on Earth", says Rev. Carlos Rodriguez, executive secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission.
Milosevic's death won't undermine trials
Globe and Mail, March 13, 2006
Slobodan Milosevic may have evaded judgment and thumbed his nose at the hundreds of thousands of victims of his alleged war crimes, but he's not thought to have escaped responsibility nor permanently impaired the cause of international justice.
A hard lesson: James Nesbitt on the child victims of Aids in Africa - and what they taught him
The Independent, March 14, 2006
James Nesbitt, British actor, visits UNICEF's educational and HIV/AIDS projects in Zambia, where one in six of those aged between 15 and 24 is HIV-positive and where every year 40,000 babies are born HIV-positive.
Spectre of Milosevic still haunts Balkans
Globe and Mail, March 13, 2006
In death, Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic is proving to be as adept at creating division and turmoil as he was in life.
Festering war in Darfur
Daily Champion (Lagos) on www.allafrica.com, March 10, 2006
The underfunded, ill-equipped AU peace-keepers have proved to be ineffective and are unable to match the fire-power and numerical strength of government-backed "Janjaweed" militias, says this editorial.
Open up Darfur to UN's scrutiny
The East African Standard (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, March 10, 2006
Sudan's territorial integrity should be respected, but it should not be used as a pretext for denying its citizens the right to peace and prosperity, argues this newspaper.
Quake aid gives radical Islam a stage
Christian Science Monitor, March 10, 2006
Militant groups have become a vital part of Pakistan's quake relief, raising concerns that extremism will spread.
But there is also hope that these groups, having seen the benefits of relief work, are trading the mantle of militancy for social work.
How to avoid another Iraq in Sudan
Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) on www.allafrica.com, March 9, 2006
Sudan's Darfur region could become another Iraq, if recent calls for greater western involvement in the savage war are heeded. The "something must be done" syndrome isn't always best, says Paul Moorcraft, formerly in the UK Defence Ministry, now director of the Centre for Foreign Policy Analysis in London.
America's and Africa's duty in Darfur
Christian Science Monitor, March 10, 2006
NATO is the best alternative to help Darfur's displaced people return home safely, since the U.N. -- which has more peacekeeping operations around the world than any time in its history -- would be stretched in mustering a Darfur force, argues this editorial.
Is Ghana a failed state?
Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) on www.allafrica.com, March 9, 2006
More than 40 percent of Ghana's national budget is donor funded. So if another Great Depression hits Europe, the United States and Japan, Ghana's economy would automatically overheat.
Darfur's moment of decision
LA Times, March 9, 2006
Inertia and apathy ruled as killers ran amok in Rwanda and Somalia in the 1990s. Now the world has a chance to demonstrate that it has learned from its mistakes by acting in Darfur, writes this newspaper.
East African trade zone off to creaky start
Christian Science Monitor, March 9, 2006
"It is a very long journey, but at least the journey has started", says a Ugandan businessman, commenting on the plans to fast-track economic and political integration of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
Middle East neighbours living side by side and worlds apart
Christian Science Monitor, March 9, 2006
In Gaza, donkey-carts are a common form of transport for people and goods, many roads are unpaved and unemployment tops 40 percent. In Israel, on the other hand, high-tech entrepreneurs sip lattes in lavish shopping malls as conflict with the Palestinians seems comfortably distant, says Helena Cobban who's writing a book on violence and its legacies.
World warned it must do better as 20m face threat of famine in Africa
The Guardian, March 9, 2006
"Those crises that get the most attention in the media have the best chance of being funded. While an estimated 25,000 people died of hunger every day, "90% of them will not die in a high-profile situation", said James Morris, executive director of U.N. World Food Programme.
A grandmother's plea
Toronto Star, March 8, 2006
It's estimated that more than 50 percent of orphaned children live in grandparent-headed households in Botswana and Malawi, and more than 60 percent in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Uncertain future for quake survivors
BBC News, March 7, 2006
Anwar Gul, food aid monitor for the U.N. World Food Programme, reports on the uncertain future facing people affected by last year's earthquake in Kashmir.
Some say India deal ignores another energy need: food
LA Times, March 7, 2006
"...the Western world, and perhaps more so the United States of America, has a feeling that India is a highly developed country. So they are reluctant to face the reality of the other side of India, which is millions of people living in poverty", says Baby Mathew of ActionAid India.
World Bank's war on corruption
Christian Science Monitor, March 7, 2006
Paul Wolfowitz has called corruption "the biggest threat to democracy since communism", but this editorial advises the World bank chief to strike the right balance between fighting corruption and fighting poverty.
Before the drought
This Day (Lagos) on www.allafrica.com, March 7, 2006
Knowledge garnered from fighting desertification and erosion can be employed to fortify Nigeria against any climatic adversity. The best time to act is now, says this editorial.
A call to outrage
Baltimore Sun, March 7, 2006
Can an individual do anything to stop genocide?
Why debt relief is a palatable painkiller
The Nation (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, March 7, 2006
There's no one-size-fits-all prescription for curing poverty, whether we're dealing with debt relief, grants or loans to poor nations, says this editorial critiquing Jeffrey Sachs' approach in his book "The End of Poverty".
Floods are signs of things to come
New Era (Windhoek) on www.allafrica.com, March 6, 2006
Officials in Namibia should better prepare for sudden natural disasters as their response to recent floods in the country has been dismal, writes this newspaper.
Fighting the poverty of hunger
The Post (Lusaka) on www.allafrica.com, March 6, 2006
It is unbelievable that a world that has made so much technological progress still has over 800 million people going hungry, says this editorial.
Who created the Darfur crisis?
The Nation (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, March 6, 2006
The African Union should get real, saying, "We did our best," and turning the whole mess over to the U.N., says this newspaper.
Underwriting Hamas
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, March 6, 2006
The Palestinian Authority is having a genuine financial crisis, but it is not the United States' responsibility. Continuing U.S. subsidies while Hamas is in power will not move the region one step closer to a fair and sustainable peace, writes this newspaper.
Take bird flu threat seriously
The Nation (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, March 6, 2006
Images of Kenyans picking up dead birds with their bare hands and without protective clothing are in sharp contrast to pictures from Europe and Asia where scientists in gas masks and overalls handle infected poultry. This only shows health authorities in Kenya must start a more sustained campaign to educate the public on how to handle birds with suspicious diseases, the newspaper says.
Opinion
The Times of Zambia (Ndola) on www.allafrica.com, March 6, 2006
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Food crops going to waste for lack of proper storage facilities and the inability of authorities to buy and collect all the food that is produced every season are some of the reasons exacerbating Zambia's food crisis.
A nation on trial for its past
Christian Science Monitor, March 6, 2006
Serbia and Montenegro, already struggling to find a place in Europe, risks becoming the first state ever to be formally branded genocidal.
Why you should care about the Khmer Rouge tribunal
Chicago Tribune, March 5, 2006
In the six decades since the world vowed it would "never again" allow the mass killing of innocent people, other versions of the horror have unfolded in Cambodia, the Kurdish region of Iraq, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda.
Kashmir: Lessons from another insurgency
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, March 5, 2006
One of the first lessons taught to all soldiers deployed in Kashmir is that an insurgency can never be militarily defeated. It can only be managed until a political situation is found - a lesson the Bush administration would do well to remember in Iraq, says Anit Mukherjee, who served in the Indian Army for nine years.
Forecast shows Africa to face river crisis
The Guardian, March 3, 2006
Africa's rivers face dramatic disruption that will leave a quarter of the continent severely short of water by the end of the century. Even modest decreases in rain in western Africa will see rivers lose as much as 80 percent of their water, triggering a surge in "water refugees".
An exported genocide
Boston Globe on International Herald Tribune, March 3, 2006
The genocide in Sudan's Darfur region goes on and on because outside powers refuse to stage humanitarian intervention with the required level of force, writes this newspaper.
The plight of Malawi's child brides
Mail and Guardian, March 1, 2006
"I had no money to buy soap or lotion for my body, so I thought the only way was to find a boyfriend to take care of my needs," explains one of many Malawian underage girls who are marrying to escape the empty bellies, numbing work and overwhelming tedium of poverty.
Children born of rape come of age in Bosnia
The Globe and Mail, March 3, 2006
Most of the children living in an orphanage in the industrial town of Tuzla in northern Bosnia are part of a huge wave of babies born to women raped during the 1992-95 war.
Pakistan quake zone escapes dreaded 2nd wave of deaths
Washington Post, March 2, 2006
Despite stark warnings last autumn, a widely anticipated second wave of deaths from disease, hunger and exposure has not materialised in quake-hit Pakistan. As a result, aid workers are starting to shift their attention from emergency relief to the long-term challenge of reconstruction across a remote mountainous region.
The pariahs
Globe and Mail, March 2, 2006
With Serbia still isolated from the international community, its more moderate-minded citizens are becoming increasingly poor as business opportunities remain slim and the option of crime and extremism become more tempting.
Where prostitutes also fight AIDS
Washington Post, March 2, 2006
"If that's the way it's done in your culture, that's fine. But it's different here, and we'll do it our way", says a former prostitute commenting on U.S. pressure on Brazil to abandon its successful AIDS prevention programme of handing out condoms and working with sex workers and promote abstinence instead.
Congo's chance of survival
This Day (Lagos) on www.allafrica.com, March 1, 2006
A new constitution that has been signed into law in Democratic Republic of Congo marks a landmark in Congo's transition from autocracy and a ruinous war to a decentralised democracy.
War on terror needs more humanitarian efforts
Christian Science Monitor, March 2, 2006
American humanitarian aid to Pakistan after the earthquake and to Indonesia after the tsunami improved the United State's image in those countries and that is how America should fight its war on terror, says Kenneth Ballen, counsel to the House Iran-Contra Committee and president of Terror Free Tomorrow.
African Union: Can it deliver?
The New Times (Kigali) on www.allafrica.com, March 1, 2006
How the African Union handles HIV/AIDS, armed conflicts and famines will determine the fate of Africa, writes this newspaper.
Bird flu on the move; Great Lakes region beware
The New Times (Kigali) on www.allafrica.com, March 1, 2006
Bird flu's economic impact on the Great Lakes region is likely to be exacerbated by the governments' lack of emergency funding.
Agreements are reached to be honoured
Shabait.com (Asmara) on www.allafrica.com, March 1, 2006
In the past few months various parties have been voicing their misgivings regarding the Sudanese government's unwillingness to reveal the exact size of the country's oil profits.
Africa's longevity curse
Boston Globe on International Herald Tribune, March 1, 2006
Uganda's president won it what looked like a free and fair election, but that doesn't make the vote a victory for democracy.
Will Montenegro be Europe's newest state?
Globe and Mail, March 1, 2006
There are three moves in the Balkans that could challenge the international community's nation-building skills: Montenegro might secede from Serbia, Kosovo is edging towards independence, and there are plans to try and unite the two regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Poverty can't be harnessed with impromptu promises
New Vision (Kampala) on www.allafrica.com, February 28, 2006
Unless Uganda cuts the cost of running its public services and diverts savings to help people in the countryside, any attempt to eradicate poverty will be nothihng but a pipe dream, writes this newspaper.
Poverty: there's hope in Africas
The East African (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, February 28, 2006
Good governance per se is inadequate if it is not measured and related to the alleviation of poverty, one of the major impediments to Rwanda's development.
Oil wars are coming to Africa
The East African (Nairobi)) on www.allafrica.com, February 28, 2006
U.S. military involvement in East Africa is on the rise, a disturbing sign that Africa's strategic importance is being redefined on the basis of what resources can be exploited from it, says L. Muthoni Wanyeki, executive director of the African Women's Development and Communication Network.
After Uganda's poll
Business Day (Johannesburg) on www.allafrica.com, February 28, 2006
One of the main challenges for Uganda's re-elected president will be to dispel fears that he's turning into a dictator, and these fears are well founded since teh constitution was changed to let him run for a third term.
Fight against chikungunya reaches new dimensions
L'Express (Port Louis) on www.allafrica.com, February 28, 2006
Even if there is no chikungunya epidemic, the disease is infecting more people every day. As this tropical disease only affected poor countries until now, there's no vaccine.
It's time for regional leaders to stop playing the blame game over Darfur
Daily Star (Lebanon), February 28, 2006
The Arab League has exonerated Khartoum in Darfur, blaming other factors for the conflict, including drought, tribal disputes and underdevelopment instead of protecting its people, says this newspaper.
Danger signs in Nigeria
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, February 28, 2006
The world needs a stable Nigeria for reasons that go beyond oil. Nigeria is crucial to all of West Africa, having often provided the military troops and negotiating forums to quell civil war and related violence in neighbouring countries, says this article.
For many, UN's grip worse than civil war
Globe and Mail, February 28, 2006
"This is a fake peace we're enduring, and we'd prefer to return to war than lose our freedom this way", says a Kosovo Albanian man who is part of a group of youngsters whose crusade is to make life difficult for the international peacekeepers in the region.
Red Cross had been warned of inefficiencies
LA Times, February 28, 2006
The work of the American Red Cross is under scrutiny as a senator and current and former employees complain of the organisation's hierarchy, lack of coordination between headquarters and the field and practices such as the use of contributions to hire consultants to buff up the Red Cross' image.
US tsunami aid still reaps goodwill
Christian Science Monitor, February 28, 2006
The number of Indonesians "with a favourable opinion of the US" has nearly tripled in the past three years, something experts attribute to American reconstruction efforts in the tsunami-hit Aceh province.
India's war on poverty: easy victory unlikely
International Herald Tribune, February 28, 2006
The Indian government is planning a programme that will guarantee 100 days of work for people living in rural areas who would be working on projects designed to improve condition for the village as a whole.
When food aid doesn't solve Africa's problems
The Monitor (Kampala) on www.allafrica.com, February 27, 2006
Food aid has been used as a foreign policy tool allowing rich nations to dump farm surpluses generated with the help of subsidies on poorer nations like Uganda, the newspaper says.
On Hamas, patience
LA Times, February 27, 2006
If Hamas is given a chance to govern without interference, it will have to provide Palestinians with the clean, efficient government they thought they were voting for. But if Israel or the international community acts in a hostile manner, Hamas can blame them when things go badly, says this newspaper.
Stopping Uganda's war on children
LA Times, February 27, 2006
The U.N. Security Council, with U.S. leadership, should recognise the conflict in northern Uganda as a threat to international peace and security and develop a plan that, if necessary, authorises third-party states to use force to apprehend indicted rebel leaders.
New borders, old tensions key to volatile area's future
Globe and Mail, February 27, 2006
Parts of former Yugoslavia - Serbia & Montenegro, Bosnia and Kosovo - are about to undergo dramatic changes which could see the birth of another two independent nations.
Polls gone, large issues remain
The Monitor (Kampala) on www.allafrica.com, February 26, 2006
Uganda's polls are over but it now needs to tackle the really big issues of importance to its future such as poverty and corruption, says this editorial.
Hamas victory and moderation of extremists
Turkish Daily News, February 26, 2006
Hamas will not rush to Islamisise Palestinian society because it knows that this is the least popular part of its programme, but there will probably be a steady increase in Islamist legislation, mostly at the local level, says Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs Centre.
Museveni, Besigye; why it has been a tight race
The Monitor (Kampala) on www.allafrica.com, February 26, 2006
Now that President Yoweri Museveni has been re-elected, opposition leader Kizza Besigye should build his movement into a national political party to stop Museveni being able to use the military to clamp down on opposition supporters, argues this editorial.
For refugees, aid shortfalls - and slim diets
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, February 24, 2006
The system that funnels food to the world's needy rests almost wholly on the generosity of the well-off and each donor's impulse is subject to different forces. The latest example is that of of the U.N. cutting basic food rations to Angolan war refugees in Zambia to stretch its thinning supplies.
Starting over in Somalia: How to break the cycle of failure
The Nation (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, February 24, 2006
The formation of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government in 2004 was supposed to stop the country's vicious cycle of statelessness, insecurity and humanitarian crisis. Instead, nearly one and a half years later, Somalia has rarely been in worse shape.
Self-styled justice in Guatemala
Washington Post, February 24, 2006
The recent surge in armed abductions and murders by self-appointed anti-crime squads throughout Guatemala is leaving a messy trail of blood and tears.
World Bank goes into the global crafts business
Washington Post, February 22, 2006
The World Bank is planning to open a store this spring that will sell crafts from developing countries to help promote socially responsible trade and help improve its image.
For AIDS orphans, lessons on life - and car repair
Christian Science Monitor, February 23, 2006
A school in Malawi set up by an HIV-positive businessman to train AIDS orphans as car mechanics is an innovative way to fight the disease and help lift the country out of poverty.
Bird flu dangers
Business Day (Johannesburg), February 22, 2006
When it comes to bird flu, the terrible dilemma for all governments, but particularly for poor ones, is how much money and effort to pour into preparations for a nightmare scenario that might not happen.
Beyond talk on Darfur
International Herald Tribune, February 22, 2006
It's not the job of the U.S. to police the world, but Darfur is a special case that the Bush administration has rightly described as genocide. That's why America needs to play a role in finding a solution to the conflict, writes this editorial.
Eradicating slavery in Sudan
Boston Globe, February 22, 2006
Failure to eradicate slavery in Sudan, with all its overtones of racism and religious bigotry, would destroy any possibility of national reconciliation and undermine attempts at sustainable peace and stability, writes this editorial.
East Timor takes steps to avoid pitfalls of oil wealth
International Herald Tribune, February 21, 2006
Asia's newest nation, East Timor, is also its poorest, with about 40 percent of its one million inhabitants living in poverty. It's prospects are brightening with plans to tap into billions of dollars of oil and gas reserves below the Timor Sea.
Saving Hispaniola
Baltimore Sun, February 21, 2006
Allowing Haiti to fester would not only jeopardise its neighbours but also drain U.S. tax coffers to pay for yet another international peace operation, and Americans are growing tired of paying for transitions that have no end in sight, say Johanna Mendelson and Charlotte McDowell of the U.N. Foundation and Chetan Kumart, who worked on efforts to promote political dialogue in Haiti.
From Bosnia to Darfur
USA Today, February 21, 2006
Just like in Bosnia, Darfur needs a hard-charging, U.S.-led effort to bang together the heads of Sudan's leaders in a peace deal that would not only stick but also be enforced by NATO-led troops, says this newspaper.
Famine: an artificial African problem
The Nation (Nairobi) on www.allafrica.com, February 21, 2006
Africa's hunger crisis is the same old story of poor leadership and over-zealous donor organisations that are not keen on long-term solutions, says James Shikwati, director of Inter Region Network and coordinator of the African Resource Bank.
To deal with Hamas, Israel might consider NGOs
Daily Star (Lebanon), February 21, 2006
The Israeli and Palestinian governments could benefit from the help of non-governmental organisations in negotiating a resolution to their conflict since NGOs are seen to be neutral and to represent civil society, says Yossi Ben Ari, Israeli coordinator of the Israel-Palestine Centre for Research and Information Strategic Affairs Unit.
Bird flu in Nigeria
Vanguard (Lagos) on www.allafrica.com, February 21, 2006
Bird flu is the latest test of Nigeria's readiness to handle emergencies. It's important that it comes out of the crisis better prepared for future emergencies, says this newspaper.
Playing chicken with bird flu
New York Times, February 21, 2006
Rich countries should be sending platoons of veterinary experts to help Nigeria and its neighbours to fight bird flu, writes this editorial.
A broken taboo - and an uneasy peace
The Times, February 21, 2006
Negotiations in Vienna about Kosovo's final status may yield a deal pretty quickly but it will take far longer to ensure lasting peace, says this newspaper.
'Two Ugandas' split as election nears
Miami Herald, February 21, 2006
Days before presidential elections in Uganda, this newspaper tells a tale of two countries within a country - a prosperous south and a north wracked by Africa's longest running civil war.
Stop the crisis in northern Uganda
Philadelphia Inquirer, February 21, 2006
How do you end a 19-year insurgency led by a messianic guerrilla leader with an army of abducted, tortured and brainwashed children, ask John Predergast, senior advisor to the International Crisis Group, and Betty Bigombe, mediator in the northern Uganda peace process.
Challenges loom for Preval in Haiti
Washington Post, February 20, 2006
Haiti's new president will have to confront the problems of a nation with almost no functioning judicial system, corrupt and inept law enforcement, deep poverty and abominable public sanitation.
Fight terrorism by fighting poverty
Daily Star (Lebanon), February 20, 2006
The best way to target terrorism is to reduce global poverty, which has become a breeding ground of resentment, envy and despair, writes Fidel Ramos, chairman of Ramos Peace and Development Foundation and the Boao Forum for Asia.
Avian flu and hysteria: the myths and the realities
The Independent, February 20, 2006
This newspaper debunks myths about a possible pandemic outbreak of bird flu.
'We're a thirsty land of empty promises'
Washington Post, February 20, 2006
The Kenyan government, elected on a pledge to stamp out corruption, can barely afford to feed its hungry citizens much less make good on campaign pledges, largely because past and present administrations have looted the country's treasury in one corruption scandal after another, the newspaper says.
A chance for New Orleans
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, February 17, 2006
U.S. Congress needs to be quick in approving a proposed $4.2 billion more in aid to help Louisiana residents if its citizens are to have a chance at recovery.
Stumbling forward in Haiti
New York Times on International Herald Tribune, February 17, 2006
The internationally brokered deal that declared René Préval the official winner of last week's Haitian election provided the best available exit from a bad and worsening situation, writes this editorial.
In Kenya, 3 glasses of water a day - for the lucky ones
International Herald Tribune, February 17, 2006
Drought and a lack of government planning are widely blamed for a humanitarian crisis affecting a vast swathe encompassing northern Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti.
Containing bird flu in Africa a huge job
Chicago Tribune, February 17, 2006
Despite recent cases of bird flu in Nigeria the disease remains an abstract worry for much of Africa, making identifying outbreaks more difficult, particularly if farmers are reluctant to come forward or simply don't recognise the disease.
Darfur: Stop the killing, or pay the price
International Herald Tribune, February 17, 2006
The current peace talks between the parties involved in the Darfur conflict need to succeed, otherwise some of them may be left with a smaller role to play than they would have achieved had they reached an agreement, writes Jack Straw, Great Britain's foreign secretary.
Hungry Ethiopia finds an answer at its feet
LA Times, February 17, 2006
The drought-resistant wild enset plant saved many of the tribes in southern Ethiopia during severe famines of 1973 and 1984 and it could one day play a role in alleviating African food crises.
In Rwanda, suicides haunt search for justice and closure
Washington Post, February 17, 2006
Rwandan officials have recorded a rash of suicides and attempted suicides in the past year among genocide suspects as traditional courts have begun to hear cases.
A chilling visit with Pol Pot's `brother'
Chicago Tribune, February 17, 2006
Ending years of delays, Cambodia and the United Nations are preparing to open a tribunal to offer the first full accounting of how, from 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge turned Cambodia into a labour camp, emptied cities, made torturers out of children and caused the death of 1.7 million people.
Campaign against corruption in Kenya: A convenient smokescreen?
Pambazuka News, February 16, 2006
It is surreal and hypocritical to find sleaze-engulfed states such as the U.S. and Britain, with their Enrons and Haliburtons, acting as 21st-century champions against graft and economic crimes, says Onyango Oloo, a Nairobi-based political activist.
Kosovo: countdown to independence?
Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, February 16, 2006
"If the status of Kosovo has already been decided, what are we supposed to negotiate? Are we supposed to go, just to see how beautiful [U.N. Special Envoy for the future status of Kosovo] Athisaari is?" asks a local Serb leader in Kosovo.
Cambodia's quest to just get the basics
International Herald Tribune, February 16, 2006
In a sign of what might be called progress, road accidents in Cambodia have now displaced land mines as the number two cause of death after AIDS.
Africa's forgotten crises
The Guardian, February 16, 2006
Since the second intifada began in 2000 about 4,480 Palestinians and Israelis have died - but the toll is merely to that of a long weekend in the Democratic Republic of Congo where, according to the U.N., 1,200 people are dying every day from war-related causes.
Another pivotal Balkan moment
Christian Science Monitor, February 16, 2006
Gordon Bardos, Balkans analyst for Freedom House, asks: If Kosovo Albanians can secede from Serbia, why shouldn't Macedonian Albanians split from Macedonia? Or Croats and Serbs from Bosnia-Herzegovina? Or Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians from Azerbaijan? Or Kurds from Iraq and Turkey?
War tourists fight to see Bosnia's past
Christian Science Monitor, February 16, 2006
War tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina isn't a positive development since it involves explanations that can rile some Bosnians in a country still divided into mostly ethnic halves.
Make poverty political
The Guardian, February 15, 2006
International aid and development has risen up the national and international policy agendas, but is becoming more and more politicised.
Why you should always look a gift goat in the mouth
The Times, February 15, 2006
The fashion of charities' selling goats as perfect Christmas gifts has angered a leading environmental charity, which says the trend is short-sighted and will damage farmland and create rather than alleviate poverty.
Billions pumped through NGOs, but no change felt
The East African Standard (Nairobi), February 15, 2006
Northeastern Kenya boasts one of the largest numbers of aid organisations dealing with humanitarian issues, but many people still go hungry, thirsty and live in squalor. Meanwhile, the suffering has created opportunities for fraudsters and outright corruption by some organisations purporting to work for their good to eradicate poverty.
Bird flu in Nigeria
Daily Champion (Lagos) on www.allafrica.com, February 15, 2006
Nigeria is a country with a practically non-existent emergency management system, so it needs the help of the international community to avoid further spread of the disease, says this editorial.
Let's reclaim development in trade talks
Daily Champion (Lagos) on www.allafrica.com, February 15, 2006
A one percent increase in Africa's share of world trade would deliver more development every year than the continent currently receives in total aid, says Peter Mandelson, European Union trade commissioner.
Why let the survivors drown?
The New Times (Kigali) on www.allafrica.com, February 15, 2006
Media houses all over the world are carrying horror stories of starvation in Africa. Hunger has now become the in-thing in many African countries, but since the hungry are the poor, rich nations are turning a blind eye, writes this newspaper.
The right way to pressure Hamas
New York Times, February 15, 2006
In the long, sorry history of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, there is not a shred of evidence to support the notion that pushing the Palestinian population into more economic desperation would somehow cause them to moderate their political views, argues this newspaper.
The vote in Haiti - a new hope
Christian Science Monitor, February 15, 2006
Haiti urgently needs stability and a period of reconciliation and dialogue between its political factions, and the last week's elections are the first sign of hope for the country, says this editorial.
Exposing deadly corruption
The Guardian, February 14, 2006
Exposing corruption, as John Githongo, Kenya's former anti-corruption chief, has done, is a moral duty and an act of courage, says this newspaper.
The fuss about the poor, not genuine
Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone) on www.allafrica.com, February 14, 2006
National budget speeches in developing countries fuss about the poor. In spite of all this fuss, the poor are getting poorer. Is this fuss genuine, asks this newspaper.
The lost decade
Inter Press Service, February 13, 2006
Ten years after the United Nations launched the "Decade for the Eradication of Poverty", more than one billion people still live without access to safe drinking water, health care, adequate housing and other essentials of daily life.
How Kenya is caught on the thorns of Britain's love affair with the rose
The Guardian, February 14, 2006
Rising demand for flowers in the the West is leading to a tense trade-off between economic progress, environmental destruction and social problems in countries like Kenya, one of the main exporters of cut flowers in the world.
'Only God knows how we will survive'
The Guardian, February 14, 2006
Climate change, politics and a lack of development are some of the main causes of the hunger crisis northeastern Kenya.
Female Genital Mutilation: being conducted on the quiet with young girls exposed to infections and to HIV
The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe) on www.allafrica.com, February 14, 2006
The widespread practice of female genital mutilation is a closely guarded secret that only heightens the risk of HIV infection.
The West can't save Africa
Washington Post, February 13, 2006
Everyone was invited to the "Save Africa" campaign of 2005 except for Africans. They starred only as victims: genocide casualties, child soldiers, AIDS patients and famine deaths on our plasma screens, says William Easterly, author of "White Man's Burden: Why the West's efforts to aid the rest have done much ill and so little good".
Towards real action in Africa
Business Day (Johannesburg) on www.allafrica.com, February 13, 2006
We have to ensure that we all deliver on commitments made by the international community and the leaders of Africa, says British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Five years on, Milosevic is still in the dock
The Independent, February 13, 2006
The trial of the former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, the first sitting head of state to be indicted for war crimes, enters its fifth year this week amid expectations that a verdict will be pronounced by the end of the year.
When globalization leaves people behind
International Herald Tribune, February 12, 2006
Kevin Watkins, director of the U.N. Development Programme's Human Development Report Office, highlights the worrying gap opening up between economic growth and social progress in India.
Why war is my medicine
The Sunday Times, February 12, 2006
'War surgeon' Jonathan Kaplan says life is less stressful in the world's battle zones than back home dealing with mortgages and pensions.
'We were put in crates'
The Age (Australia), February 12, 2006
The massive report by East Timor's Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation, known by the Portuguese acronym CAVR, poses a dilemma for Canberra, which has already disputed its findings about Australia's role in events leading to independence in 1999.
Babies of war cruelly spirited away
The Age (Australia), February 12, 2006
Leaked versions of a truth commission's landmark report on East Timor's ordeal under Indonesian occupation accuse the Indonesian army of abducting children during the war, and document the abuses suffered by the children of a "lost, stolen generation".
Sudan: Less censorship - but watch out for security agents
Inter Press Service on allAfrica.com, February 10, 2006
Sudanese journalists say that while censorship has decreased since last year's peace agreement, they are still being harassed and detained by state agents.
Rough trade: Diamond industry still funding bloody conflicts in Africa
The Independent, February 10, 2006
In the approach to Valentine's Day, human rights campaigners warn that an international system of regulating the gem trade is being systematically bypassed. Millions of men, women and children are being killed, injured and made homeless as a result in Liberia, Ivory Coast and other countries.
The International Criminal Court: A Ray of Hope for the Women of Darfur?
Pambazuka News, February 9, 2006
The International Criminal Court offers hope and an alternative avenue for justice for the women and firls who comprise almost 90% of the victims of the Darfur conflict, says Christine Butegwa of African Women's Development and Communication Network.
Breakthrough to help feed hungry
BBC News, February 9, 2006
The solution to a 50-year wheat-breeding problem that could help feed the world's growing population has been found by UK scientists: crossing commercially grown wheat with wild varieties that have greater tolerance to drought or extreme conditions.
U.S. must act now to end genocide in Sudan
Baltimore Sun, February 9, 2006
Darfur's desolate terrain may not be of much value to America's larger strategic interests, but the mass killing of innocent men, womena nd children should provoke moreal outrage in the U.S., says Joseph Biden, Democrat senator on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.