Archive for January, 2013

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02/01/2013

Afghanistan: More Violence, Worsening Humanitarian Outlook for 2013

Dubai, 2 January 2013 ((IRIN*) – More violence and a worsening humanitarian situation are likely in Afghanistan in 2013, say aid agencies.

Photo: Sgt. Jennifer Cohen/US Army | IRIN

Photo: Sgt. Jennifer Cohen/US Army | IRIN

“The worsening conflict trends over the last five years indicate that civilians will continue to suffer because of armed violence and that the humanitarian situation will deteriorate,” says the new Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) for 2013, published by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The report brings together the major humanitarian challenges facing the country in 2013, a year that will see the continued withdrawal of international forces: Afghan security forces will take control of three-quarters of the country by June.

Afghanistan has some of the worst humanitarian indicators in the world – 34 percent of the population are food insecure and 10 percent of children die before they start primary school.

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02/01/2013

New Year, New Problems for Egypt’s Morsi

Human Wrongs Watch

By Shahira Amin for RIA Novosti*, 31 December 2013, Cairo – Six months into his presidency, as a New Year starts, President Mohamed Morsi finds himself facing tough decisions that may cause his declining popularity to diminish further.

**Mohamed Mursi. Photo credit: Marzouk113 | Wikimedia Commons.

**Mohamed Mursi. Photo credit: Marzouk113 | Wikimedia Commons.

A battle over a new Islamist-backed constitution has widened the rift between Morsi’s Islamist supporters and liberal opponents, deepening polarization in a country wracked by political turmoil and intermittent violence.

The Islamist government may have won the “constitutional battle” with the new charter approved by a majority 64 percent yes-vote, but it still faces a defiant opposition, a wave of government defections and a looming economic crisis.

Morsi’s political rivals have refused to accept the result of the popular referendum, vowing to fight until the divisive constitution is annulled.

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01/01/2013

Global Economy at Great Risk – UN

Human Wrongs Watch

New York – Growth of the world economy has weakened considerably during 2012 and is expected to remain subdued in the coming two years, according to the United Nations in its latest issue of the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2013 (WESP)*.

Image: UN

Image: UN

The global economy is expected to grow at 2.4 per cent in 2013 and 3.2 per cent in 2014 a significant downgrade from the UN’s forecast of half a year ago.

This pace of growth will be far from sufficient to overcome the continued jobs crisis that many countries are still facing.

With existing policies and growth trends, it may take at least another five years for Europe and the United States to make up for the job losses caused by the Great Recession of 2008-2009.

Weaknesses in the major developed economies are at the root of the global economic slowdown.

The WESP report stresses that most of them, but particularly those in Europe, are trapped in a vicious cycle of high unemployment, financial sector fragility, heightened sovereign risks, fiscal austerity and low growth.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Market Lords, Middle East, Mother Earth, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | Leave a Comment »

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