Fact Sheet

BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR

April 19, 2013

Thirty-two countries* will participate in a full-scale tsunami alert exercise in the Caribbean on 20 March 2013. The goal is to test the reaction capacity in countries of the Caribbean and adjacent regions, including the East Coast of Canada and the United States, the Gulf of Mexico and Bermuda. The exercise was organized under the auspices of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).

Caracas, 28 Feb. AVN.- Venezuelan vice-president Nicolas Maduro attended Thursday to the allocation of 160 apartments to the same number of families who lived in makeshift shelters in Caracas, after relentless rainfalls ruined their homes.

The new housing complex built for such sheltered families counts with 20-story buildings, distributed in eight apartments per floor. The National Government invested 117,760,000 bolivares through the Grand Housing Mission Venezuela.

Thousands of people are still dealing with the hurricane's effects, especially in Cuba where a lack of funding is hampering the response.

Caracas, 04 Dic. AVN.- A total 1,867 tons of humanitarian aid has been sent by Venezuela to sister nations of Cuba and Haiti, which are recovering after the devastation caused by hurricane Sandy late in October this year.

Interior Relations and Justice Minister Nestor Reverol said the information Monday, adding that a new shipment would be sent with 380 tons of humanitarian aid for the two nations, 200 for Cuba and 180 for Haiti.

HAITI

Increase in cholera cases

Detected by the Alert and Response System in the North, Northeast and Center Departments, around 200 new cases within the past two days, distributed in different villages.

The increase on cholera cases had been also identified in the South, Southeast, Nippes, Artibonite and West Departments after the Hurricane Sandy

Floods 8-9 November

Women are main guardians of crucial livestock diversity

New study argues that to succeed, breed conservation efforts must empower women

Women livestock keepers worldwide must be recognized as the major actors in efforts to arrest the decline of indigenous breeds, crucial for rural food security and animal genetics, a new FAO study argues.

Yet women's contribution to indigenous livestock breeding and conservation is poorly documented and undervalued, the study Invisible Guardians: Women manage livestock diversity says.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• VENEZUELA: Some 9,000 people in the state of Merida are cut-off due to rains.

• HONDURAS: At least 5,400 people are cut-off due to road damages. Last week 5,875 people were evacuated.

• BOLIVIA: At least 6 departments are affected by drought. Some 400 head of cattle are at risk.

Bogota, 21 September 2012 – Hope clearly begins to breathe in Colombia after decades of open confrontation between armed groups. For 15 years, victims displaced from the Colombian conflict have longed to return to the homeland they were forced to leave. With the beginning of peace talks between the left-wing guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the government that hope may finally be realised.