2012 least deadly for natural disasters in 10 years, but lack of resilience leaves key growth economies at ‘extreme risk’ – Maplecroft

Continuing change around the Arab world sparks a second year of tumultuous transitions.

30-11-2012 Interview

In 1997, 123 States signed the first-ever treaty banning the development, production, stockpiling, transfer and use of a weapon that was already in widespread use: anti-personnel landmines. Fifteen years later, their use and production has been curbed dramatically, while data on clearance, stockpile destruction and casualty rates show undeniable progress towards eliminating the problem. However, much still needs to be achieved, as Claude Tardif, Hhead of the ICRC’s physical rehabilitation programme, explains.

Forging greater ties between the United Nations and the League of Arab States to address Middle East turmoil and working closely with their new Joint Special Representative on the crisis in Syria would be among the top priorities of the Security Council in September, the Permanent Representative of Germany, whose delegation holds the Council’s rotating presidency for this month, said today.

Millions more will go hungry as world struggles to respond to unprecedented food crises and sharply rising prices – Oxfam

PM’s hunger summit welcome & should kick start reforms to end “scandal” of a billion hungry people – “we cannot keep relying on humanitarian agencies to pick up the pieces”

Rising global food prices will force millions more people to go hungry and put massive additional strain on already overstretched humanitarian agencies, Oxfam warned today ahead of this weekend’s global hunger summit in Downing Street.

Niger is the worst place on the planet to be a mum, new research published today by Save the Children has found.

The West African country, one of the world’s poorest, has replaced Afghanistan at the bottom of the children’s charity’s annual State of the World’s Mothers ranking.

The index compares conditions for mothers in 165 countries around the globe, looking at factors such as mother's health, education and economic status, as well as critical child indicators such as health and nutrition.

In Mali military officers overthrew President Amadou Toumani Touré in a coup on 22 March. The takeover followed a mutiny demanding better weapons to fight the Tuareg rebellion advancing across the north. Throughout the month Tuareg rebels defeated government troops and pro-government militias in several northern towns, extending their reach to the key garrison town of Gao and reportedly Timbuktu.

SC/10518

Security Council
2011 Round-up

In a year characterized by mass protests and other challenges to entrenched leadership that frequently provoked violent reactions, the Security Council continued in 2011 to grapple with the question of protecting civilians in a manner consistent with the United Nations Charter, as the 15-member body remained seized of a wide range of conflicts, the birth of South Sudan, the Palestinian application for membership in the Organization and other developments.

United Nations appeals for $498 million to address the challenge in 29 countries

GENEVA - Mine action initiatives in 29 countries, territories or peacekeeping missions will cost $498 million in 2011, according to the 14th edition of the annual Portfolio of Mine Action Projects, released today by the United Nations in Geneva.

The portfolio is an annual snapshot of the impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war in countries or territories with mine action programmes. The portfolio also provides proposals for