| |  | |  UN: Improved disaster preparedness is reducing deaths Fewer people are at risk of dying from natural disasters because governments, over the past 20 years, have become more capable of responding to, and preparing for, devastating storms, floods, landslides and earthquakes, according to a UN report released Monday. The deadly floods last year in Pakistan, for instance, killed an estimated 1,750 people, but might have killed between 15,000 and 20,000 some two decades ago. AlertNet (5/24)     
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|  | "For every 100,000 live births in the Philippines, 94 Filipino women die in child birth. This makes the Philippines one of the more dangerous places in the world to be a mother." UN Dispatch | |
- Showdown is imminent at UN over Syria resolution
Western powers on the UN Security Council are poised for a showdown with Russia and China over a proposed resolution condemning Syria for its bloody nine-week crackdown on anti-government protesters, calling for the regime not only to show restraint, but to permit UN humanitarian aid workers into the country. Russia has threatened to veto the resolution, which is being pushed by Britain and France. ForeignPolicy.com/Turtle Bay blog (5/24) - UN plan for South Sudan mission is jeopardized by fighting
Fighting and looting in the disputed region of Abyei, along the border between northern and southern Sudan, has placed at risk a proposal by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a new, 7,000-strong UN mission in South Sudan after independence on July 9. Ban has asked both sides, as well as the world body's Security Council, to extend the current 10,400-strong UN mission through Oct. 9. Yahoo!/The Associated Press (5/25) - India's alternative to Chinese investment in Africa
India has pledged some $5 billion in development aid to African countries over the next three years in what observers say is a challenge to Chinese investment on the continent. While China pursues access to raw materials, and funds large infrastructure projects built primarily by Chinese labor, India will be helping African countries meet their development goals in a more equal partnership. The Christian Science Monitor (5/25) - UNODC: Western African drug trade is rising
West African drug traffic has doubled since 2006 and traffickers are working alongside al-Qaida cells in the region, officials from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime say. Drug cartels are bringing product in from South America and transiting it through to the Middle East and Europe. Bloomberg (5/25) - China seeks drought relief for Yangtze region
Chinese authorities have ordered the release of 5 billion cubic feet of water from the Three Gorges Dam in a bid to provide relief to drought-stricken communities alongside the Yangtze River. The Yangtze Delta region, which supports 400 million people, is in the midst of the worst drought in 50 years. The Guardian (London) (5/25), Bloomberg (5/24) - Report: Syria "very likely" was building nuclear reactor
A report by the International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded that the Syrian site bombed by Israeli warplanes in 2007 was "very likely" a secret nuclear reactor, a claim the regime denies. The findings -- which could lead to a vote declaring Syria to be in violation of the UN nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty -- also pave the way for referral to the UN Security Council for sanctions. BBC (5/24) - Somali war aids animal smugglers
Black-market traders are capitalizing on chaos in war-torn Somalia to use the country as a transshipment point for animal smugglers. Animals are brought in from across Africa and smuggled out through Mogadishu's sea port to wealthy collectors around the world. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (5/24) - Africa is developing more mHealth services
Regulatory reforms are helping to make Africa a more appealing investment destination for telecommunications firms and contributing to the rise of mHealth solutions on the continent. Service providers and their partners are focusing particularly on the delivery of mHealth applications related to tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria and diabetes. ITWeb.co.za (South Africa) (5/20) - Israeli barrier hampers West Bank growth, UN says
The barrier of walls and fences Israel has been erecting around the perimeter of the West Bank has had a devastating impact on the occupied territory, said the UN emergency relief coordinator, restricting not only economic growth, but access to education and medical care. "Freedom of movement is imperative for Palestinians to develop their economy and reduce their dependence on humanitarian assistance," Valerie Amos said Tuesday. Bloomberg (5/24)  | |  | | | | |  |  Project Coordinator | Invisible Children | Dungu, Congo (Dem. Rep. of) | | Senior Associate, Private Sector Engagement | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | Program Administrator - Project on Justice in Times of Transition, Institute for Global Leadership | Tufts University | Medford, MA | | Regional Leader, East Asia | World Vision International | Bangkok, Thailand | | Senior Associate, Planning and Learning | United Nations Foundations | Washington, DC | | Senior Communications Officer, Global Health | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | Communications Officer, (UNA) | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | Associate, Online Communications (UNA) | United Nations Foundation | Washington, DC | | | |  | |  |
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Wealthier, better-educated families in India have been aborting girls at an increasing rate over the past two decades, a study shows. Government efforts to slow sex-selective abortions have been insufficient, according to the study, as 2011 marked the lowest ratio of girls to boys since independence in 1947. 
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