News

Worth reading

Thought-provoking articles that deal with hunger and the issues involved in meeting the hunger challenge.

12 June 2012

Analysis: Aid work conundrum in unpredictable Yemen

In the sweltering port city of Aden, about 300km south of Yemen’s capital Sana’a, two dozen international NGOs are struggling to meet mounting humanitarian demands caused by a war raging in neighbouring Abyan Governorate where government troops have for a month fought to crush a local Al Qaeda ally, Ansar Al Shariah. Few aid workers have been granted access to the governorate and those in Aden face growing security constraints due to organized criminal groups.

IRIN

11 April 2012

The Other Arab Spring

All these tensions over land, water and food are telling us something: The Arab awakening was driven not only by political and economic stresses, but, less visibly, by environmental, population and climate stresses as well. If we focus only on the former and not the latter, we will never be able to help stabilize these societies.

New York Times

10 February 2012

Lessons Unlearned: Why Another Gigantic Famine Looms in Africa

Last year, around 13 million people in the Horn of Africa needed food aid. Now aid agencies warn failed harvests in the Sahel, the band of desert and scrub that runs south of the Sahara, mean 12 million more people require assistance. (..) The world has more than enough food to feed itself. Redistributing it to those who lack their share is the job of large and well-funded international aid agencies, particularly the World Food Program.

Time

8 February 2012

Will the London conference change Somalia's future?

The upcoming London Conference on Somalia is, potentially, a promising occasion to finally put the country on the road to peace, stability and democracy. Whether this opportunity is realised will be largely contingent upon the willingness and ability of the participants to chart a new course that takes full stock of the genuine and long term needs of the Somali people.

Al Jazeera

2 February 2012

New Gates Foundation tourist attraction in Seattle much more than a ‘museum of philanthropy’

People are already joking it’s a good thing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation isn’t charging admission for its new visitor center, which showcases Bill Gates’ multibillion-dollar philanthropy, not his computers. While it’s not exactly a “museum of philanthropy,” it’s also not just a public promotion of the Gates Foundation’s work. (..) “We know that there’s interest and passion for our work. We haven’t had a way to invite the public in to learn about our history, what we do and how we partner with others, and to think about what they can do,” said Martha Choe, chief administrative officer of the foundation.

The Washington Post / AP