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Is rivalry among relief and media groups hampering aid flow to Haiti?
25 Jan 2010 16:47:00 GMT
Author: Olesya Dmitracova

LONDON (AlertNet) - Many experts have berated a lack of coordination between numerous providers of aid in Haiti since a massive earthquake struck two weeks ago.

Most of the reasons for this - such as severe damage to Haiti's government and aid agencies, its chronic poverty and enormous logistical problems - have been discussed widely in the press and are largely understandable.

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Cell phones and radios help save lives after Haiti earthquake
24 Jan 2010 11:28:00 GMT
Author: Tim Large

Tim Large, editor of the Thomson Reuters Foundations Emergency Information Service and of AlertNet, sent in this report from Port-au-Prince

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Jan 24 (AlertNet) In a tiny general store in the northern suburb of Croix-des-Bouquets, Jacques Pierre jams the choke of his Honda generator and cranks it into life. Half a dozen Haitians wait in line to pay 40 gourdes (75 cents) to recharge their cell phones for a quarter of an hour.

Twelve days after the earthquake, Port-au-Prince has no power grid and no landlines. At night, the only illumination comes from the fires of burning trash and a smattering of lights on the hills of Laboule and Boutilier where the wealthy have generators.

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Why the media prefer natural disasters
21 Jan 2010 10:06:00 GMT
Author: Andrew Stroehlein

If only Sri Lanka last year could have got a tenth of the media attention Haiti's now getting, lamented my friend who was working in Colombo at the time, the public pressure might have saved so many lives. While no one would ever argue with the amount of press Haiti is deservedly receiving right now, it's easy to see his point. The international media respond very differently to the victims of natural disasters and the victims of wars.

Last year's brutal end to the long-running conflict in Sri Lanka produced tens of thousands of innocent dead and injured in its final few months, as government forces shelled areas with trapped civilians, and Tamil Tiger rebels prevented them from fleeing. Hundreds of thousands of survivors were then put into appalling government-run internment camps, from which they were not allowed to leave. This all garnered significant media attention at the very end of the fighting, but it never at any point had anything near the scale of media interest Haiti's earthquake is getting today.

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Ten Humanitarian Headlines for 2010
06 Jan 2010 20:18:00 GMT
Author: Joel Charny

Its now standard to wrap up the year with lists of ten: best films; greatest sporting moments; most influential people. In the spirit of a hopeful start to the New Year and decade, I propose a different sort of list: ten events wed like to see in the world of humanitarian action in 2010. None of the mock headlines below herald an era of global peace and harmony. But each of these headlines could plausibly appear in the coming year, and Refugees International will be doing everything in its power to make them happen.

1) Kenyan Government Agrees to Dadaab Expansion

For almost two years UNHCR and government officials have been urging the Kenyan government to expand Dadaab refugee camp in northeast Kenya, a camp built for 90,000 Somali refugees that now houses more than 300,000. A site has been identified and negotiations have neared conclusion, but the weak and divided Kenyan government hasnt ratified the deal. Making this happen in 2010 is essential, as Somalis continue to cross the border due to conflict and drought.

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Turning concern about climate into policy remains a challenge
10 Dec 2009 13:26:00 GMT
Author: Laurie Goering

COPENHAGEN (AlertNet) - Atiq Rahman has been going to international climate conferences for more than 20 years and he's seen a lot of change over that time.

Early meetings were about tallying carbon emissions, he says. Today, the main focus is mankind's responsibility for climate change.

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