DAWNS Morning Headlines: State of Emergency in Nigeria, Cyclone Mahasen Headed for Southeast Asia

State of Emergency Declared in Nigeria

President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency in three northern states amid a rising Boko Haram insurgency. Key question: can the Nigerian military fight this battle without violating human rights of civilians in those states? “‘What we are facing is not just militancy or criminality, but a rebellion, an insurgency by terrorists groups who pose a very serious threat to national unity and territorial integrity,’ he said. Jonathan said attacks have amounted to a ‘declaration of war’ against Nigeria and ordered the military to deploy more troops to stop the insurgency using ‘all necessary actions.’ Extraordinary measures, he said, include authorizing soldiers to seize any building or area they believe to be associated with militants. The military will also conduct searches and arrest people found with illegal weapons.” (Voice of America http://bit.ly/10onpMl)

Cyclone Mahasen Bears Down on Bangladesh, Myanmar

As many as 8.2 million people are potentially in the path of the storm and landfall is expected on Friday. Rohingya refugee populations are at particular risk. “The trajectory of this cyclone is particularly worrisome. Cox’s Bazar is province of Bangladesh that buttresses Myanmar’s restive Rakhine state. Many thousands of ethnic Rohingya refugees from Rakhine have fled ethnic violence and discrimination in Myanmar to refugee camps and informal settlements across the border…A massive humanitarian crisis could befall this region should a cyclone hit. And there is little chance that authorities in Dhaka would respond with appropriate urgency; nor would authorities make things easy for NGOs who want to provide emergency relief. After all, they’d rather these people just go away.” (UN Dispatch http://bit.ly/10oq9JN)

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DAWNS Morning Headlines: Bangladeshi Garment Factories Shut Down, Displacement from Natural Disasters

Bangladeshi Garment Factories Shut Down Amid Unrest

The consequences of the factory fire are still reverberating. “One report said as many as 300 factories had closed in the Ashulia industrial area near Dhaka. ‘Owners decided to close their factories on safety grounds after workers went on a rampage almost every day after the collapse of Rana Plaza,’ Mohammad Atiqul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said on Monday. Workers in 80% of the factories in Ashulia staged a walkout demanding a salary increase, as well as the execution of the owner of the Rana Plaza, local police chief Badrul Ala said.” (BBC http://bbc.in/16vG90B)

Guess How Many People Were Displaced by Natural Disasters in 2012?

A massive number, at least compared to previous years. “‘In 2012, we saw twice as many people being displaced by natural disasters as compared to the year before. So that was 32.4 million who were newly displaced in 2012. And this is by rapid onset disasters, such as floods, storms, wildfires and earthquakes,’ said Clare Spurrell, chief spokesperson for the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center.” (Voice of America http://bit.ly/16vGsc2)

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These are the top stories from DAWNS Digest, a subscription-based news clipping service and mobile app that delivers a daily snapshot of global humanitarian news. The following are the top stories from the digest. To learn more about the subscription service and what else DAWNS does, visit our website.

DAWNS Morning Headlines: Pakistan Election Results, Kidnapped UN Peacekeepers Released

Pakistan Election Results: Nawaz Sharif, FTW

Despite the horrific violence, this is the first time in Pakistani history that power has been transferred peacefully from one civilian government to another. “The conservative party of former Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif has taken a commanding lead as votes continued to be tallied Sunday for crucial parliamentary elections marred by Taliban intimidation. As unofficial results continued to pour in, state television estimates showed Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League having easily secured enough seats to form a government and close to the majority needed to rule outright. In a dramatic showing, former cricket player Imran Khan’s Tehrik-i-Insaf, or PTI, holds second place overall and will likely control the important provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along the Afghan border.” (Voice of America http://bit.ly/13chhEG)

Kidnapped UN Peacekeepers Released in Golan

The second abduction of peacekeepers by Syrian rebels in two months finally comes to an end. “Syrian rebels on Sunday released four Filipino U.N. peacekeepers they abducted last week in a dramatic incident that prompted warnings from the Philippines that the nation might pull out its contingent from the Golan Heights. A statement by the rebel group holding the peacekeepers — the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade — said the four were handed over to a U.N. delegation in the border area on Sunday, but provided no other details.” (Yahoo! http://yhoo.it/13chzvc)

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These are the top stories from DAWNS Digest, a subscription-based news clipping service and mobile app that delivers a daily snapshot of global humanitarian news. The following are the top stories from the digest. To learn more about the subscription service and what else DAWNS does, visit our website.

DAWNS Morning Headlines: Big Pharma Cuts Costs for HPV Vaccine, Pakistanis Go to the Polls

Pharma Companies Sharply Cut HPV Vaccine Costs for Developing World

Excellent news in the fight against cervical cancer. “The lower prices — $4.50 for Merck’s Gardasil vaccine and $4.60 for GlaxoSmithKline’s Cervarix — were negotiated through the Gavi Alliance, which was created in 1999 with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to deliver more vaccines to the world’s poor. The low price will initially apply to a few million doses for demonstration projects in Kenya, Ghana, Laos, Madagascar and elsewhere, but Dr. Seth Berkley, the alliance’s chief executive officer, said he hoped that by 2020, 30 million girls in 40 countries would get the vaccine at that price or less.” (NYTimes http://nyti.ms/13km8Hk)

Pakistanis Go to the Polls in Bloody Election Season

There have been dozens of terrorist attacks, assassinations, and other forms of violence, killing hundreds of people in the lead up to tomorrows parliamentary elections. “Pakistanis head to the polls to vote on a new government Saturday, marking the first handover from one civilian government to another in the country’s history. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is seen as the likely winner in the parliament elections. He has apparently been able to capitalize on failures of the outgoing coalition government to tackle the power crisis, economic challenges and the Taliban insurgency.” (Voice of America http://bit.ly/13kntxJ)

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These are the top stories from DAWNS Digest, a subscription-based news clipping service and mobile app that delivers a daily snapshot of global humanitarian news. The following are the top stories from the digest. To learn more about the subscription service and what else DAWNS does, visit our website.

DAWNS Morning Headlines: US Aid for Syria, Bangladesh Factory Deaths Pass 800

US to Boost Aid for Syrian Relief

Expect the announcement today. “The Obama administration is providing $100 million in new Syria aid, U.S. officials said Wednesday, but the money is for humanitarian purposes only and not linked to any decision on arming Syrian rebels. The announcement will be made by Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday in Rome, where his diplomacy includes a meeting with Jordan’s foreign minister, the officials said. The new funds will help support 1.4 million Syrian refugees, including many in U.S. ally Jordan, and hundreds of thousands of other civilians still trapped by the violence inside Syria’s border. Total U.S. humanitarian assistance in the two-year war will climb to $510 million.” (Yahoo! http://yhoo.it/ZQta5I)

Bangladesh Garment Factory Death Toll Exceeds 800

The grim total keeps climbing higher. In the meantime, the government is cracking down on unsafe factories. “Bangladesh has shut down 18 garment plants for safety reasons since the Rana Plaza disaster, the Bangladeshi textile minister has confirmed. ‘We’ll ensure ILO standards in terms of compliance,’ Abdul Latif Siddique told AFP news agency. We have seen that those who claim to be the best compliant factories in Bangladesh have not fully abided by building regulations,’ he added.” (BBC http://bbc.in/ZQrkSv)

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These are the top stories from DAWNS Digest, a subscription-based news clipping service and mobile app that delivers a daily snapshot of global humanitarian news. The following are the top stories from the digest. To learn more about the subscription service and what else DAWNS does, visit our website.

DAWNS Morning Headlines: US and Russia Push on Syria, New Report on Infant Mortality, Syrian Rebels Kidnap UN Peacekeepers

US and Russia Announce New Diplomatic Push on Syria

This is key because the road to a political solution in Damascus passes through Moscow. “Russia and the United States have pledged to convene an international conference aimed at ending the civil war in Syria, hoping to give the situation a new diplomatic push following two years of bloodshed. John Kerry, the US secretary of state, and Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, announced the move at a midnight press conference in the Russian capital. Kerry also met Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow. The announcement of the joint initiative comes after months of stalled co-operation on Syria.” (Guardian http://bit.ly/12bEtVS)

Report: One Million Newborns Die on the Day They are Born

Save the Children released its flagship “State of the World’s Mothers” report, and this year’s paper included for the first time a new Birth Day Risk index, which ranks countries by the chances that a baby will die on the first day of life. Ten countries in the developing world account for two thirds of the deaths, but the US also ranks alarmingly high. “According to the new report, themed ‘Surviving the First Day,’ every year more than 1 million babies die on the day they are born, making a baby’s birth day the most dangerous day of life—in the United States and almost every country in the world.” (Save the Children http://bit.ly/12bzZyw)

Four Peacekeepers Kidnapped By Syrian Rebels in Golan Heights

Just a few months after a rebel group detained 20 peacekeepers, it seems they are at it again. “Syrian rebels said on Tuesday they were holding four Filipino U.N. peacekeepers on the ceasefire line between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights after clashes in the area had put them in danger. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned the detention and called for the peacekeepers’ immediate release. They were detained as they patrolled close to an area where 21 Filipino observers were held for three days in March.” (Yahoo! http://yhoo.it/141ixN0)

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These are the top stories from DAWNS Digest, a subscription-based news clipping service and mobile app that delivers a daily snapshot of global humanitarian news. The following are the top stories from the digest. To learn more about the subscription service and what else DAWNS does, visit our website.

DAWNS Morning Headlines: Syrian Civil War May Spread, London Conference on Somalia

Syria ‘Civil War’ Risks Turning into Regional Conflict

The Israeli strikes signal a new international phase of this conflict. “Concerns flared about whether Hezbollah might attack Israel in retaliation, possibly drawing Lebanon into the conflict. Israel deployed two of its Iron Dome missile-defense batteries in its northern cities. Iran’s IRNA news agency said Israel could expect a ‘crushing’ retaliation from Syria or ‘the resistance,’ meaning Hezbollah. An
alysts said Syria, weakened by the conflict, and Hezbollah, overstretched as it commits more forces to support the Syrian government, were unlikely to act, but they cautioned that a miscalculation by either side that set off an escalation could not be ruled out.” (NYTimes http://nyti.ms/10eU3ff)

London Conference on Somalia Kicks Off

After 20 years of strife, Somalia is just getting back on its feet and needs some help from the international community. That’s what this conference is all about. “The British Foreign Office says more than 50 international partner countries and organizations have been invited to Tuesday’s conference, co-hosted by the British and Somali governments. Participants are slated to discuss the Somali government’s plans for developing the armed forces, the justice sector and other institutions weakened during more than 20 years of chaos that followed the ousting of President Siad Barre in 1991.” (Voice of America http://bit.ly/11Ovk3F)

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These are the top stories from DAWNS Digest, a subscription-based news clipping service and mobile app that delivers a daily snapshot of global humanitarian news. The following are the top stories from the digest. To learn more about the subscription service and what else DAWNS does, visit our website.