WFP’s food security analysis unit is using new remote mobile phone technologies to track how households are coping in the three worst Ebola-affected countries of West Africa.

People living in the Kailahun and Kenema districts– where most of Sierra Leone’s Ebola cases have been reported - are finding it harder to feed their families than people in other parts of the country and are resorting to more desperate measure to cope, according to a new survey by the World Food Programme.

The Sierra Leone survey is the first in a series of assessments being conducted with remote technologies in the three countries over the coming months.

A total of 850 people across Sierra Leone were questioned about their coping strategies regarding hunger – for example did they borrow food or borrow money to buy food, were they cutting down on meals – but also more generally about their livelihoods – were their income sources stable, were they working their farms, was the price of foods on local markets shifting.

More than 80 percent of people in the Eastern areas (Kailahun and Kenema) said they ate less expensive food, and 75 percent of them reported reducing the number of daily meals and serving smaller portions, indicating that the EVD outbreak has affected their food security. In a comprehensive 2010 survey the Eastern districts were more food-secure than other areas, but the remote survey results show that they now have the worst food-related coping indicators in the country.

‘We believe one of the reasons people in the East are struggling is that the rates for casual labourers are low and that seems to be driving down people’s food purchasing power,’ said Jean-Martin Bauer, a WFP food security analyst. The results showed that even in the breadbasket areas, the main source of food was markets, rather than household’s own production.

As Ebola has spread, many markets in rural areas have been closed.

The use of remote technology to collect data comes as WFP reviews its operations to reduce the risks posed by the Ebola outbreak to its own staff and partners.

A variety of technologies are being used in the three countries - from ‘robot calls’ to text message surveys where people respond by pressing the number that corresponds to their chosen option. In Sierra Leone the survey was sent to cell phone subscribers randomly by location, they answered a series of ten text messages by pressing a number.

“Another advantage of mobile data collection is that is it quicker than sending around teams to do face to face surveys around the country. In a public health emergency, where the situation of communities is changing by the week, this helps WFP have more timely information to shape our response,” said Bauer. “ We will be doing this each month to track the situation as it evolves,” he added.

Belgrade/Brussels, 10 Oct 2014 – EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn today announced an aid package worth nearly €80 million proposed by the European Commission for Serbia, Croatia and Bulgaria after flooding disasters struck the countries in May and June 2014.

The proposed aid of €60.2 million to Serbia, €8.96 million to Croatia and €10.5 million to Bulgaria is to help cover part of the emergency costs incurred by the public authorities in these three countries due to the disasters.

In particular, it will help to restore vital infrastructure and services, reimburse the cost of emergency and rescue operations, and help cover some of the clean-up costs in the disaster-stricken regions.

Serbia suffered the worst of the damage. The floods most severely hit the districts of Kolubara, Macva, Moravica District, Pomoravlje, and part of Belgrade, with detrimental effects for some 1.6 million inhabitants.

The productive and sustainable school feeding programme in Bolivia assists every year 40,000 children of rural areas. In three departments, Chuquisaca, Tarija y Pando, WFP gives one meal (breakfast or lunch) which is complemented by second meal that is provided by the municipal government. The purpose of the programme is that children, especially girls, attend classes, reduce hunger in the short term and focus on their lessons.

"When I was little, we the girls did not go to school. If we did, we reached only third or fourth grade. I was taken out of school when I was on second grade because my father had died and my family needed more hands to help in the field,” says Herminia Pocota, mother of four children who attend the Punilla Pampa School, in Zudañez municipality, at the Chuquisaca department.

Herminia is part of the School Board so she has to supervise the administration of food given by WFP and the municipal government. She also monitors the food preparation, under the productive and sustainable school feeding programme.

"Mothers take turns to cook”, says Herminia. “Each one has to cook two days per month. Before, the stove smoked much, we couldn’t even breathe and our eyes were always red. But since we have the new LOLA stove we come happier to cook”.

The LOLA stove is an ecological stove made of mud and brick that emits less smoke and uses less wood. They were built with WFP support and the Association of Municipalities for School Feeding (MAECH, in Spanish) at each one of the 250 schools in Chuquisaca, supported by the productive and sustainable school feeding programme.

Herminia and other mothers say that they do the cooking and food supervision for free because this is their contribution to the school feeding programme. They believe that school feeding will help them one day finish school and get an education that will help them end poverty. “I want them to be better than me, I want them to become professionals, to work and to be better every day,” says Herminia.

In fact, when one asked the children at school the simple question “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, they answered "I want to be a Doctor!""I want to become and Engineer!""I Want to be a Teacher!" Those are the little children’s wishes that they expect will come true. The World Food Programme, the government and their parent’s determination are helping them achieve their dreams.

FAITS SAILLANTS

• Situation humanitaire préoccupante à Batangafo et Boda. Une tension forte entre les différents groupes armés et les forces Internationales persiste, entravant l'accès humanitaire avec retrait partiel de MSF.

• Elaboration et le suivi de la mise en oeuvre du plan de Prévention et la Préparation d’une éventuelle Riposte à la Maladie à virus Ebola.

• Validation du Plan de transition de Cluster santé le 16 septembre 2014.

Situation Humanitaire

La situation humanitaire reste marquée par les conséquences des conflits et des incidents sécuritaires dans plusieurs localités.

A Batangafo, MSFE a réduit sensiblement ses staffs suite à l’insécurité dans cette localité. Ceci a considérablement réduit l’accès aux soins de santé. Environ 1500 personnes déplacées se sont localisées dans l’enceinte de l’hôpital. A Boda une bonne partie des populations et des personnels de santé restent cachés dans la forêt suite à la tension intercommunautaire persistante.

Les poches de malnutrition avec une prévalence relativement élevée sont de plus en plus enregistrées au cours de cette période (Somboké, Yenga, Bokaranga, Ngaoundaye...)

La situation sécuritaire dans la sous-préfecture de Mbrès a été marquée par des scènes de violence: à partir desquelles, 105 ménages ont fuit à Kaga Bandoro constitués essentiellement femmes et enfants

Kinshasa, 10 October 2014 – Martin Kobler, Head of MONUSCO, strongly condemns the killing of nine civilians by suspected members of the Ugandan rebel group, ADF, at Oicha, 30 km north of Beni, in eastern DRC.

“I am deeply shocked by this ignoble attack which shows the need to continue and reinforce the fight against armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The violence must end. MONUSCO will do everything in its power to help the Government neutralize ADF and all other rebel groups that terrorize the civilian population in the DRC,” said Martin Kobler.

The attack occurred in the night of 8 to 9 October, when rebels invaded Oicha and killed 9 people from two families, including children.

The attack caused a massive displacement of the local population from Oicha to Beni. Between 3,000 and 5,000 civilians have arrived in Beni over the last 24 hours.

This report is for media and the general public.

The SMM noted a decrease in violence in a number of areas in Donbas. The lustration issue was debated in Lviv and Odesa.

The deputy chief of police in Kupyansk (140km southwest of Kharkiv city) told the SMM that a police checkpoint in Petropavlovka (10km further west) was set to be re-enforced with an additional 32 personnel from various security structures, namely police, military and State Security Services (SBU).

On 8 October in Luhansk city, the SMM observed a hitherto unseen type of licence plate (LPR in red Cyrillic letters followed by a four-digit number on a blue background).

Ukrainian military personnel at nine different checkpoints (CP) to the east and north of Mariupol city (113km south of Donetsk city) told the SMM that, with the exception of some small arms fire at a number of CPs, there had been no serious security incidents in the previous 24 hours. The SMM noted no incidents whilst at the CPs.

The local chief of police in Dzerzhyns'k (60km north of Donetsk city) told the SMM that generally the security situation remained stable in the town, despite on-going small-arms fire in neighbouring Horlivka, 15km to the southeast, which is under separatist control. The SMM observed groups of people outside two banks in Dzerzhyns'k, waiting to use ATMs.

The SMM noted a decrease in the level of violence in Donetsk city during the reporting period. However, it did monitor the aftermath of a shelling incident which had occurred the previous day. The owner of a large shop in the north of Donetsk city – and a number of other interlocutors – told the SMM that the shop had been shelled the previous evening, resulting in nine people sustaining slight injuries. The SMM observed damage to the roof of the shop, a crater in the shop and five other craters in the vicinity of the shop. The SMM also observed the remnants of what appeared to be a GRAD rocket lodged in the ground less than 300 metres from the shop.

The situation remained calm in Dnipropetrovsk.

The SMM observed two rallies outside the regional administration building in Odesa city, both overwhelmingly involving young males. Approximately 300 people were in attendance, in support of Opposition Bloc, a new political party fielding candidates formerly aligned with the Party of the Regions and drawing support from people formerly loyal to that party. Approximately 75 young men stood by, apparently there to secure the venue and protect attendees. A smaller group – of approximately 100 young men – was present at the other side of the square, calling for the lustration of Party of the Regions and Communist Party members. Alongside them were approximately 70 camouflaged self-defence activists, most of whom were wearing masks or balaclavas. A large number of them were also equipped with helmets and shields, and a handful had wooden clubs. Two hundred police officers formed a cordon separating both groups. All participants dispersed without incident.

The head of the Psychological Support Centre at the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Mykolaiv (69km northwest of Kherson city) told the SMM that, of the over 1,000 IDPs treated since the start of the crisis in the east, there had been three cases of serious psychological trauma identified. The psychological problems of IDPs, according to the interlocutor, were mostly related to their unfavourable social situation and frequently dire living conditions, unemployment, and general uncertainty about their future. Many IDPs, he said, believing their displacement to be temporary in nature, refused to look for work, and some, he said, were discouraged by the low salaries on offer relative to those available in Donbas. He warned – as others have previously done – that there was an increasingly negative perception amongst many people in host communities, particularly towards male IDPs, seen by some people as neither fighting for Ukraine nor working.

The situation remained calm in Chernivtsi.

At an extraordinary session of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Council – observed by the SMM – councillors narrowly rejected a motion calling upon the Ukrainian parliament to rescind the legislation allowing for special status for certain parts of Donbas.

The mayor, the chief of the City Police and the co-ordinator of the local self-defence group in Horodok (30km west of Lviv) told the SMM that two of the town’s residents had been killed whilst serving with the Ukrainian armed forces in the east, causing what they referred to as “a negative psychological effect” on the local population. They insisted, however, that a stronger sense of unity and patriotism had also emerged due to events in the east, citing material and financial assistance offered by people in support of the war effort, and the recent example of eight local policemen who had volunteered to serve in the east.

The SMM attended a press conference – entitled “Garbage lustration – lynching in the Ukrainian style?” – in Lviv, at which various views were offered on a recent spate of incidents involving direct action undertaken by people against what they perceived as corrupt officials. A member of a local self-defence group said such “justice” was “efficient”, given what he characterised as incompetent law enforcement agencies, and “morally acceptable” given the “injustice” ordinary citizens allegedly experience. He said such “garbage lustration” should be seen by senior officials as “an early warning”. A journalist at the press conference opined that such actions contravened both morality and Ukrainian legislation, and could be used as a weapon against political opponents. The vice rector of a local university warned that “garbage lustration” contravened democratic principles and could hinder the country’s integration into the European Union.

The situation remained calm in Kyiv.

Recognition for Activist a Reminder of Challenges Ahead

OCTOBER 10, 2014

(New York) – The awarding of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize to Indian child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi recognizes the hard fight against child labor and should serve as a call to address this challenge around the globe, Human Rights Watch said today. Satyarthi, 60, launched a campaign against employing children in the worst forms of labor both in India and elsewhere, and has built a movement to encourage businesses to employ ethical practices without child labor.

Satyarthi won the prize jointly with 17-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, a tenacious advocate for the rights of all children, and girls in particular, to attend school and receive a quality education, free from discrimination, violence, and fear.

Satyarthi founded the grassroots organization Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement) in 1983 to help free children from forced labor. In India, economic pressures force poor and marginalized families to hand over their children as bonded laborers for petty loans, or children end up working alongside their families in bondage. These children are often employed in the worst forms of labor, working long hours for very low pay, and vulnerable to verbal, physical, and even sexual abuse. Satyarthi’s work has focused on identifying and rescuing such bonded child workers with the help of other nongovernmental organizations and helping to rehabilitate them.

“Kailash Satyarthi has campaigned tirelessly against the worst forms of child labor and slavery and has given many children a chance at a better life,” said Zama Coursen-Neff, children’s rights director. “The Nobel Committee’s recognition of Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi spotlights the importance of protecting children – whether in or out of school.”

The number of child workers worldwide has declined by one-third since 2000, but still remains as high as 168 million children, according to the International Labour Organization. More than half, 85 million, are in hazardous work. Millions of children in India are still engaged in child labor, including in hazardous work. Children are largely employed on farms, in brick kilns, in the silk weaving industry, making fireworks, and also as domestic workers. In October 2013, speaking at the ILO global conference on child labor in Brazil, Satyarthi said, “It’s not just numbers. Every number has a face, and a name, and every child matters.”

Under international law, child labor is prohibited for anyone under 15, or under 14 in some circumstances in developing countries. Hazardous and other worst forms of child labor are prohibited for anyone under 18. Indian law prohibits the employment of children in hazardous work including domestic labor. A law to ban all work by children under 14 and hazardous work for children under 18 was introduced in the Indian parliament in 2012 but has yet to be passed.

In awarding the Peace Prize to Satyarthi, the Nobel Committee acknowledged his contribution to the development of international conventions on children’s rights: “Showing great personal courage, Kailash Satyarthi, maintaining Gandhi’s tradition, has headed various forms of protests and demonstrations, all peaceful, focusing on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain.”

Through his organization, the South Asian Coalition Against Child Servitude, Satyarthi has worked on building consumer resistance and has lobbied effectively for boycotting products by manufacturers who employ child labor. One of his key initiatives has been his work to transform villages into child-friendly spaces where children have greater access to education, organize themselves into child governance bodies, and work with village officials on issues related to children.

The recognition of Satyarthi will draw attention to gaps in enforcing India’s ambitious Right to Education law, which provides free and compulsory education to all children up to age 14. While enrollment has spiked since this law was enacted in 2009, retention remains a serious challenge, with many children from oppressed castes and minority groups dropping out and joining the work force, partly because of the discrimination they face in the classroom.

Human Rights Watch investigations from around the world show that child labor harms children’s health, impedes education, and perpetuates poverty. For instance, child tobacco workers in the US are exposed to nicotine and toxic pesticides, and child miners in Mali and Tanzania use mercury to extract gold from ore, which can cause deadly harm. There are an estimated 15 million child domestic workers worldwide who often work long hours for little pay, and are particularly vulnerable to trafficking, forced labor, and physical and sexual abuse.

“Global action on child labor has been slow and efforts to end the worst forms of child labor are lagging behind,” Coursen-Neff said. “The prize for these two activists should be backed by global action against child labor that includes making primary education truly cost-free, adopting social protections that would improve school attendance for the poorest, and aggressively enforcing child labor laws.”

The European Union is scaling up its response to the Ebola disease in West Africa with an airlift operation to the affected countries. The European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) will facilitate the transportation of relief items to West Africa. In addition, the EU will fund and coordinate if necessary the evacuation of international staff from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

A quarter of the new €4 million funding will be allocated to UNICEF, enabling three Boeing 747 cargo planes to transport vital material to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. The first plane will take-off on Friday, carrying 100 metric tons of emergency equipment from Amsterdam to Freetown, Sierra Leone. The supplies and equipment include personal protection equipment, including masks and gloves, as well as essential medicines and hygiene supplies.

In addition, the remaining €3 million will help in the setting up of a medical evacuation system, coordinated by the ERCC, that will enable international workers in West Africa diagnosed with the Ebola virus disease (EVD) to be evacuated in less than 48 hours by plane to hospitals within Europe that are equipped to deal with the disease.

This initiative is funded from €30 million in humanitarian aid announced by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, in New York last month during a High Level Meeting in response to the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon.

"We are in a race against time to fight Ebola," said Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian aid and Crisis Response. "The European Commission alone has so far pledged some €180 million to help the affected countries. Funding is crucial but far from enough. That is why, together with our member States, we have been mobilising in-kind assistance including medical equipment and personnel."

Tonio Borg, European Commissioner for Health, added: "To strengthen Europe's preparedness to handle Ebola, we have been mobilising solidarity inside the EU. We are working closely so that patients can be treated in an appropriate healthcare facility."

The ERCC is coordinating the transportation of aid, equipment and personnel to hotspots in the countries affected by the disease. European countries such as the UK, France, Austria and Belgium have already made use of the mechanism, providing field hospitals, ambulances, sanitation products, medical isolation equipment and experts to the affected region.

Background

The European Commission has been scaling up its response to the epidemic since March 2014 and has so far pledged €180 million to help the countries affected by the Ebola virus (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria). Humanitarian experts, mobile laboratories and teams of specialists from the European Mobile Laboratory project for dangerous infectious diseases have been deployed in the region, providing diagnostic support, monitoring the situation and liaising with partner organisations and local authorities. Funding will also cover the reinforcement of local and regional healthcare capacities and budget support to the affected countries.

The European Commission is also working closely with the EU Member States within the Health Security Committee to keep them informed about the latest developments and secure the synchronisation of measures. The Health Security Committee has produced advice for all travellers to the affected countries, available in all EU languages.

The European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM) facilitates co-operation in disaster response, preparedness and prevention among 31 European states (EU-28 plus the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland and Norway). The European Commission manages the Mechanism through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre. Operating 24/7, the ERCC monitors risks and emergencies around the world and serves as an information and coordination hub during emergencies. Through the Civil Protection Mechanism, the Commission also provides financial support to transport operations.

Highlights

• UNICEF and partners continue to provide life-saving and recovery assistance for children affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

• September was National Mass Immunization Month. UNICEF and WHO supported the Department of Health to vaccinate 13 million children under 5 years in the Philippines. UNICEF provided 3 million doses of measles-rubella vaccine, 1.2 million doses of polio vaccine and $7.8 million in cold chain equipment.

Situation overview & humanitarian needs

According to OCHA, 14.1 million people have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan. 4.1 million people, including 1.7 million children, were displaced. The devastation occurred in some of the Philippines’ poorest regions and communities where prior to the Typhoon more than 40% of children lived in poverty.

Boletín No. 547/14 México, D.F., 9 de octubre de 2014

El Comité Científico Asesor del Volcán Popocatépetl se reunió hoy en las instalaciones del Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres (CENAPRED), para evaluar la actividad registrada durante las últimas semanas del volcán Popocatépetl, con el fin de emitir un diagnóstico.

El monitoreo del Volcán Popocatépetl se realiza de forma continua las 24 horas. Cualquier cambio en la actividad será reportado oportunamente.

A la fecha el Comité ha celebrado 66 reuniones ordinarias y 43 extraordinarias, desde la primera sesión realizada el 22 de diciembre de 1994.

El Comité, presidido por el doctor Carlos Miguel Valdés González, Director General del CENAPRED, confirmó con base en el análisis realizado y la actividad estable observada que el semáforo de alerta se mantiene en Amarillo Fase dos, por lo que se invita a la población a seguir las siguientes recomendaciones:

• Continuar con el radio de seguridad de 12 km, la permanencia en esa área no está permitida.
• Mantener el tránsito controlado entre Santiago Xalitzintla y San Pedro Nexapa, vía Paso de Cortés.
• A las autoridades de Protección Civil, mantener sus procedimientos preventivos, de acuerdo con sus planes operativos.
• A la población, estar atenta a la información oficial que se difunda.

Lo anterior con la finalidad de salvaguardar a la población y así evitar accidentes como el sucedido recientemente en el volcán Ontake, en Japón.

EAST JEBEL MARRA (10 Oct.) - Two children died in Mashrou Abu Zeid in Darfur's East Jebel Marra, allegedly by poisoning, after touching an unexploded bomb.

A relative of one of the deceased explained to Radio Dabanga that the children, 12 and 17 years old, were herding their cattle and found an unexploded ordnance which the Sudanese Air Force dropped during a bombardment. He said that they touched it several times.

After they brought the cattle home, the children went for dinner. “They touched the food with their hands. Both of them immediately started vomiting and suffering from diarrhoea. They died half an hour later.”

The relative added that the livestock in East Jebel Marra suffer from a disease, which the residents are unfamiliar with. He mentioned that the symptoms are paralysis, diarrhoea, and skin rash. Many animals have died, he stressed.

“The people in East Jebel Marra believe that the bombing by the Sudanese government has poisoned the drinking water, affecting the livestock.”

Yemen faces a large scale humanitarian emergency caused by years of under-development, poverty, lack of basic services and the absence of state authority and rule of law in many areas. At the same time, thousands of Yemeni families have had to flee their homes due to conflict this year alone. Sustainable solutions to these long-term problems require progress on political and economic reform. Meanwhile, immediate support is needed to reduce humanitarian suffering.

Fuente: El Diario de Hoy

Serán seis lagunas artificiales que se sumarán a las 16 existentes

El Ministerio de Obras Públicas (MOP) empezó la construcción de seis nuevos reservorios en el volcán Chaparrastique, entre los municipios de San Miguel y Chinameca, con la finalidad de retener el material volcánico que baja desde el cono del coloso cada vez que llueve fuerte en la zona.

En las nuevas obras de mitigación, el MOP está invirtiendo más de 30 mil dólares y los trabajos comenzaron en el caserío y finca Olimpia, además del cantón El Volcán.

Días atrás, Obras Públicas culminó cuatro lagunas artificiales más que servirán para contener los flujos que bajen de la parte alta del coloso, sumando así 16 obras de mitigación, según explicaron fuentes de esa cartera de Estado. A esas se unen las seis que están en ejecución.

Las lagunas artificiales se ubican en el cantón El Carreto de San Miguel, caserío Placitas, en el cantón Conacastal de Chinameca, además, en el municipio de San Jorge, todo con el objetivo de disminuir la velocidad del agua y material arrastrado durante las lluvias para que no afecte a personas y viviendas en cantones y municipios inmediatos.

Según el MOP, son más de 200 mil metros cúbicos de material los que los reservorios pueden recibir y que los trabajadores de la institución retiran cuando se llenan y se hace una posterior limpieza.

Durante 2014, el MOP y las municipalidades de San Miguel, Chinameca y San Jorge, han invertido en construcción y limpieza de reservorios en el volcán Chaparrastique más de 130 mil dólares de los que Obras Públicas brindó un poco más de 115 mil dólares.

Mientras que las alcaldías involucradas que son San Miguel, Chinameca, San Jorge y San Rafael Oriente brindaron mano de obra y combustible.

El gobernador de San Miguel, Ricardo Canales, explicó que las nuevas obras de mitigación se han construido en las zonas donde se formaron nuevas rutas de bajada de material volcánico con las lluvias.

"Tenemos nuevos reservorios que se han construido en la parte poniente del volcán que pega con la finca Olimpia, pasa por el caserío Los Chávez y que también pasa cerca en una parte de la colonia Ciudad Pacifica", explicó el funcionario.

En la referida zona se están construyendo dos nuevas obras de mitigación para evitar que los deslaves alcancen la parte urbana de San Miguel.

Canales sostuvo que por ahora, siguen en la zona limpiando los reservorios existentes que se han llenado, pues durante la semana se han registrado algunas tormentas, que provocaron la bajada de material, aunque apuntó que ha sido poco.

"Anoche estábamos preocupados porque llovió casi toda la noche, pero estuvimos monitoreando y gracias a Dios no pasó nada", sostuvo el funcionario.

Agregó que durante esta semana han desarrollado la limpieza de dos reservorios que ya estaban llenos, eso como parte de las acciones permanentes que desarrollan en la zona para evitar que los deslaves alcancen a las comunidades en la parte baja del coloso.

Aseguran que el problema que enfrentan por el momento es que cuando llueve de forma continua deben parar los trabajos de construcción o limpieza de las lagunas artificiales, por la vulnerabilidad de los terrenos.

"Esperamos que ya no se presenten lluvias muy fuertes porque el problema de los deslizamientos es permanente ", dijo Canales.

Nicaragua, 10 de Octubre 2014
Fuente: 100% Noticias

La muerte de Alexandra Petrona Castro, de cinco años, que fue arrastrada por una corriente de agua y lodo cuando acompañaba a sus padres a recorrer unos cultivos en la comunidad Santa Teresa, de la Isla de Ometepe, es parte de los daños provocados por las lluvias en el país.

Las autoridades contabilizan hasta ahora 5,888 personas afectadas --correspondientes a 1,207 familias-- y 866 casas anegadas, de las cuales 29 están destruidas y tres semidestruidas. En total, se registran afectaciones en 968 viviendas.

Para atender la emergencia, las autoridades activaron 14 albergues donde trasladaron a 505 familias, aunque las brigadas de rescate aclararon que en la zona de peligro permanecen personas que se resisten a salir del lugar.

De acuerdo con el informe del Gobierno presentado la tarde de ayer, el mayor impacto se registró en Rivas, Granada, Río San Juan y Chinandega. Pero los eventos más graves fueron seis deslaves: cinco en el volcán Concepción y uno en el kilómetro 235 del Empalme Pájaro Negro, departamento de Río San Juan.

Por otra parte, brigadas de rescate fueron enviadas a cinco kilómetros del río Ochomogo, donde se reportó a 24 familias aisladas, producto de las fuertes precipitaciones que provocaron el desborde del río.

Producto de las lluvias, en Ometepe también cayeron árboles que obstruyeron el tráfico en las localidades Urbaite, La Flor y Concepción, donde colapsó el servicio de energía eléctrica.

Hasta ayer a mediodía, el Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales, Ineter, registró 378 milímetros de lluvia caídos en Altagracia durante 24 horas, con lo cual se rompe un récord histórico en la isla.

ACCIONES

El coronel José Alberto Larios, jefe del IV Comando Militar del Ejército, señaló que la Isla de Ometepe y las comunidades asentadas en la ribera del río de Ochomogo comenzaron a ser azotadas por fuertes lluvias desde la noche del miércoles pasado.

Asimismo, dijo que trasladaron a albergues en el municipio de Buenos Aires a 22 familias que viven en las orillas del lago Cocibolca, y a 109 personas del islote El Menco.

Por otra parte, en Río San Juan trabajan para despejar la vía que colapsó producto del deslave; mientras que en El Viejo, Chinandega, se reportan las viviendas de tres familias con daños parciales, como consecuencia de los fuertes vientos.

Según la vocera del Gobierno, Rosario Murillo, ya se enviaron suministros de primera necesidad y brigadas del Ministerio de Salud para que atiendan a los evacuados.

1,207 FAMILIAS afectadas por las inundaciones causadas por las lluvias.

968 VIVIENDAS anegadas por las lluvias en cuatro departamentos del país.

El Ineter pronostica más lluvias para las próximas horas, por lo que el Gobierno recomendó a los pescadores artesanales abstenerse de introducirse a mar abierto mientras persistan las actuales condiciones climáticas.

EL CARIBE TAMBIÉN AFECTADO

Gilberto Ariel Artola

Las lluvias de las últimas horas en el Caribe Norte provocaron el desborde de ríos, lo cual impide la conexión por tierra con Waspam y Puerto Cabezas.

Los daños se concentran en la vía troncal del Caribe Norte, confirmó Alberto González, delegado del Ministerio de Transporte e Infraestructura.

Dijo que en el sector de Tadazna --a 10 kilómetros en la vía Siuna-Mulukukú--, los aguaceros provocaron un enorme cráter que dificulta el tránsito por esta vía que conecta al Caribe Norte con Managua.

También se informa sobre daños en el puente Sisin, que conecta al municipio de Waspam.

El teniente coronel César Tercero, jefe de la Defensa Civil en el Caribe Norte, afirmó que el río Susun ha aumentado su caudal, lo que no permite el tráfico vehicular y del municipio de Puerto Cabezas hacia el sector del Triángulo Minero y Managua.

Development Cannot Succeed if it Harms Communities

(Washington, DC, October 10, 2014) – Draft World Bank policies under consideration at the bank’s meeting on October 10-12, 2014, would dangerously roll back protection for communities affected by bank projects, independent groups said today.

Foreign ministers and central bankers are meeting in Washington, DC, to discuss key challenges in ending poverty and inequality. For human rights groups and community representatives, a critical issue is the World Bank’s revision of its safeguard policies, which are intended to protect people and the environment from harm. The World Bank and its member countries cannot end poverty and promote shared prosperity without protecting the rights of people affected by development investments.

“While it may appear that the World Bank invests in improving human rights around the world, its current policies do not even mention this word,” said Mohamed Abdel Azim of the Egyptian Center for Civil and Legislative Reform. “Communities need better protection from the damages these projects can cause.”

This a renewed call made in July by the Bank on Human Rights Coalition to World Bank President Jim Kim and World Bank member countries to make an explicit commitment to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights in all of the bank’s activities.

“First of all, the World Bank should listen to the advice and expertise of local people – especially women,” said Moon Nay Li of the Kachin Women’s Association, Thailand. “We want development too – but usually the benefits go somewhere else. The World Bank actually needs to have stronger protections.”

The draft policy includes a highly controversial provision which would allow a government to “opt-out” of applying specific protections for indigenous peoples if it believes requiring the protections would raise ethnic conflict or contravene constitutional law, essentially rendering protections for indigenous peoples optional.

“Indigenous peoples’ recommendations to strengthen World Bank standards and bring them into line with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples have fallen on deaf ears,” said Joji Carino, Forest Peoples Programme director. “World Bank pledges on ‘no-dilution’ of existing policies are being broken with this proposed opt-out, despite advances made in other substantive areas of the new proposals.”

While the World Bank announced that there would be consultations on the draft policy in locations around the world before the end of 2014, many dates and locations, even for October consultations, have not been published. Groups are demanding an extension of the consultation period and an expansion of the consultation plans to make the consultations fully accessible for all marginalized groups in borrower countries.

“The World Bank’s first draft of the new environmental and social framework represents a hazard for the entire international development community,” said Mariana Gonzalez Armijo, researcher at Fundar Centro de Análisis e Investigación, an independent organization in Mexico. “This shift would encourage countries to accelerate investment without clear rules to protect the environment and human rights.”

The groups urged the World Bank to:

• Include local communities’ development priorities and plans when designing development projects; Ensure full and effective participation by all potentially affected communities, particularly indigenous peoples and marginalized groups;

• Make an explicit commitment not to support activities that will cause, contribute to, or exacerbate human rights violations and instead assess how projects will end poverty and advance human rights, including equality;

• Prohibit all forms of discrimination identified in international law within bank-financed projects, including discrimination on the basis of political or other opinion and language, which are left out of the current draft;

• Assess the human rights impacts of all World Bank activities and ensure that safeguards are in line with international human rights standards;

• Protect indigenous peoples’ collective land and resource rights and require their free, prior, and informed consent for projects, in line with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and eliminate the new opt-out clause; and

• Ensure that anyone harmed by World Bank-funded activities has access to effective remedy. The World Bank should take responsibility where harm occurs and take whatever measures are necessary to provide redress.

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on the World Bank, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/topic/business/world-bank-imf

For more information, please contact:
In Washington, DC, for Human Rights Watch, Jessica Evans (English): +1-917-930-7763 (mobile); or evansj@hrw.org. Follow on twitter @evans_jessica.

In London, for Forest Peoples Programme, James Harvey (English): +44-0-1608-652-893; or james@forestpeoples.org

In Mexico City, for Fundar Center for Analysis and Research, Mariana Gonzalez Armijo (Spanish, English): +52-55-5554-3001 ext. 123; or mgonzalez@fundar.org.mx

In Cairo, for Egyptian Center for Civil and Legislative Reform, Mohamed Abdel Azim (Arabic, English): +20-1-224-602-087

In Chiang Mai, for Kachin Women’s Association Thailand, Moon Nay Li (Burmese, English): +1-929-261-2647

In Washington, DC, for Bank Information Center, Nezir Sinani (English, Albanian, Serbian, German): +1-202-445-4219 (mobile); nsinani@bicusa.org

WASHINGTON, October 10, 2014—In the wake of a “late, inadequate and slow” global response to the Ebola outbreak, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim today called for the creation of a new pandemic emergency facility that would rapidly respond to future outbreaks by delivering money to countries in crisis.

Speaking before the Annual Meetings plenary, a meeting of the governors of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, Kim said he would like to develop the proposals for a financial instrument with the United Nations, the IMF and regional development banks.

He said even as the focus should now be intensely on doing everything possible to stop Ebola, planning must also begin for the next pandemic, which “could spread much more quickly, kill even more people and potentially devastate the global economy”.

“The world has an IMF to coordinate and work with central banks and ministries to respond to financial crises,” he said. “When it comes to health emergencies, however, our institutional toolbox is empty: There’s no such center of knowledge and skill for response and coordination."

He said the Bank Group’s financial teams have proposed several solutions, including the pandemic emergency facility. “The device would pre-package a response, establishing contingent funding agreements with donors and receipt mechanisms for possible recipients. So when a global health emergency is declared, financial support would be readily available and flow quickly to support an immediate response"

Kim said the Bank’s work on Ebola, including in the innovative use of crisis funding to disburse $105 million over nine days in emergency funding, had been informed by its focus over the past two years on climate change.

He told delegates the World Bank Group was fully engaged in fighting the global threats posed by both Ebola and climate change. He said the actions exemplify that the Bank Group wants to become, defining that as “an indispensable partner for both low and middle income countries in their efforts to solve their most difficult challenges.”

He warned time was running out to find solutions to both the threats posed by climate change and Ebola.

“Also, until very recently, the plans to fight them were either non-existent or inadequate. And, inaction is literally killing people – one because of the rapid spread of a deadly virus, the other from the poisoning of the atmosphere and the oceans. And finally, perhaps most critically from our point of view, resolving these problems is essential to development, whether from the perspective of human suffering, economic growth, or public health. “

He said Bank Group staff from the climate group, plus experts working on urban issues and with the private sector, would meet later today with government officials and corporate CEOs to decide how to turn pledges by governments, companies and investors to put a price on carbon into action.

In his speech, Kim also cited the Bank Group’s work in creating the Global Infrastructure Facility, a global platform to bring together institutional investors, development banks, and public officials to tackle the infrastructure deficit now faced by the developing world, an estimated US$1 trillion to $1.5 trillion.

Kim praised the work of staff across the institution saying in infrastructure, Ebola and climate change, teams had worked collaboratively and displayed an inspiring commitment to innovation.

“Their efforts displayed creativity, knowledge, skill, intensity, passion and selflessness. Their sharing of ideas and best practices is precisely the culture we wanted the reorganization to create,” he said.

“We must maintain this commitment because increasing global fragility and volatility will challenge us more and more every day. In our march to end extreme poverty – conflict, typhoons, floods, droughts, financial shocks and epidemics may, at times, slow us. But they will not stop us. The Bank will be aggressive and creative and apply large-scale solutions to help states manage, prepare for, recover from and conquer these risks, so they can grow and flourish. “

MEDIA CONTACTS

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David Theis

Tel : (202) 458-8626

dtheis@worldbankgroup.org

For Broadcast Requests

Mehreen Sheikh

Tel : (202) 458-7336

msheikh1@worldbankgroup.org

I am extremely concerned about the people who remain trapped in Kobane/Ayn al-Arab on the Syrian border with Turkey. The information is not clear but reports indicate that there may be people in the city who are unable to leave. There are also reported to be several thousand people outside the town along the Turkish border. ISIL has shown no mercy to those in towns they have taken. We need to get to people and give them help now.

I call on those in a position to help to do so immediately. Violations of international human rights and humanitarian law must stop. If we don't act now, this will be another tragedy for the Syrian people and a stain on the conscience of humanity.