NAIROBI, 2 June 2007 (IRIN) - CONTENTS:

DJIBOUTI: Cholera outbreak in northwest under control ETHIOPIA: Delays in third national census SOMALIA: NGO, civil society leaders discuss reconstruction GLOBAL: Making relief aid count AFRICA: UN report exposes widespread abuse of children

Also See: HORN OF AFRICA: 'Improved approach needed towards disarmament' at: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72455

SOMALIA: Giving Somali girls a chance at: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72452

SUDAN: Making humanitarian work safer at: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72486

DJIBOUTI: Cholera outbreak in northwest under control

An outbreak of cholera that left five people dead in two villages in the Tadjourah region of northwestern Djibouti has been contained, an official with the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on 29 May.

"No new cases have been reported in the area since 18 May," Djibouti-based WHO medical officer Karim Djibaoui told IRIN. Efforts to bring the outbreak under control included setting up emergency treatment centres in the affected areas, providing clean drinking water and launching a hygiene awareness campaign, he added. [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72422]

ETHIOPIA: Delays in third national census

Ethiopia began a nine-day national census on 29 May to determine demographic trends in the country, but the exercise was delayed in Afar and Somali, officials said.

"Due to the mobility of their populations, the census does not include the Somali and Afar regional state," Gebeyehu Abelti, acting deputy director-general of Demographic and Social Statistics Sector at the Central Statistics Agency said. "The census will be carried out [in the two regions] in November." [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72428]

SOMALIA: NGO, civil society leaders discuss reconstruction

Non-governmental organisations working in Somalia and civil society leaders are meeting in Uganda to discuss a reconstruction programme that could see judicial officers trained and education and water supply improved, an official said.

"They are here to discuss the needs of the people and the root causes of the conflict," Eric Laroche, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Somalia, said in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on 29 May. [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72431]

SUDAN: UN condemns killing in Darfur as joint force approved

The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) has condemned the killing by armed robbers of an Egyptian military officer working for the mission in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.

The murder underscores concerns expressed by both the UN agencies and non-governmental organisations over continuing insecurity in Darfur, where at least 200,000 people are estimated to have died since the conflict erupted in 2003 between government forces, allied Arab militias and rebels seeking greater autonomy. [Full story at: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72401]

GLOBAL: Making relief aid count

The Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) has launched a 'standard' to improve accountability and quality in the delivery of disaster and relief aid. Crucially, the people at the receiving end will have the opportunity to judge such assistance.

A key challenge to accountability has been the rapid growth of the aid sector - official humanitarian assistance is estimated at US$9 billion this year - and the multitude and diversity of actors involved.

Nicholas Stockton, executive director of HAP, said: "The benchmarks in the HAP standard have all been selected for their humanitarian relevance, measurability and affordability – both in terms of implementation and measurement." [Full report at: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72396]

AFRICA: UN report exposes widespread abuse of children

Efforts to eradicate abuse of children in Africa should concentrate on fighting gender-based violence, including rape, which exposes youngsters to HIV/AIDS, mistreatment at school and harmful traditional practices, a senior United Nations official said.

"Within the region, two out of three new HIV/AIDS infections in the 15 to 24 age group are in girls or women," said Per Engeback, the UN Children's Fund regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, on 28 May. "The face of HIV is a woman's face, a girl's face."

Engeback was speaking during the launch in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, of the UN World Report on Violence Against Children. It was prepared by an independent expert, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, for the UN Secretary-General. [Full report at: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=72407]

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