EPA Proposes New Rules on Emissions Released by Fracking
another way round the oil industry...
Prohibited from regulating hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act, yesterday the EPA took to the air, proposing federal regulations to reduce smog-forming pollutants released by the fast-spreading approach to gas drilling.
If approved as currently written, the rules would amount to the first national standards for fracking of any kind, the EPA said. The agency sets guidelines when companies inject fluids underground for various purposes, but in 2005 Congress prohibited the EPA from doing so for fracking. Regulation has been left to the states, some of which compel companies to report what chemicals they use and have imposed tougher well-design standards.
The new EPA proposal would limit emissions released during many stages of natural gas production and development, but explicitly targets the volatile organic compounds released in large quantities when wells are fracked. Drillers would have to use equipment that captures these gases, reducing emissions by nearly 95 percent, the EPA said.
Environmentalists said the proposed rules represent an important step by federal regulators amid a growing controversy over fracking's safety. "The EPA has a terrific opportunity here to provide the public with some assurance that the industry has to meet certain performance standards that are protective of public health," said Ramon Alvarez, a senior scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund in Texas.
The American Petroleum Institute, the country's main oil and gas lobbying group, has requested that the EPA delay finalizing the rules for at least six months beyond the current Feb. 2012 deadline. Asked to comment on the proposal's likely effects, API spokesman Reid Porter said only that the organization was reviewing it.
Tuesday
Judge: Tar-sands equipment can’t travel on Montanan backroads
Judge: Tar-sands equipment can’t travel on Montanan backroads (interesting tactic!)
A group of Montanans, Idahoans, Oregonians, and Washingtonians struck a blow against ExxonMobil and its push to extract carbon-soaked oil from Canada's tar sands this week. The Northwesterns weren't upset about the environmental impact of the tar sands, exactly, but they were upset that an Exxon subsidiary wanted to haul oversized loads of oil-extraction equipment from the Port of Vancouver, Wash., over small winding highways in environmentally valuable areas, to the Canadian border.
They asked a judge to stop the company from using those roads. And on Tuesday, he did, finding that Montana government officials working with the company had violated the state's environmental law by not considering other paths the shipments could take.
On a local level, many opponents to the trucking are just happy they won't have to deal with an industrial corridor running through their communities. But on a national level, environmental groups like the National Wildlife Federation see this as another blow against the overall evil of tar-sands oil.
A group of Montanans, Idahoans, Oregonians, and Washingtonians struck a blow against ExxonMobil and its push to extract carbon-soaked oil from Canada's tar sands this week. The Northwesterns weren't upset about the environmental impact of the tar sands, exactly, but they were upset that an Exxon subsidiary wanted to haul oversized loads of oil-extraction equipment from the Port of Vancouver, Wash., over small winding highways in environmentally valuable areas, to the Canadian border.
They asked a judge to stop the company from using those roads. And on Tuesday, he did, finding that Montana government officials working with the company had violated the state's environmental law by not considering other paths the shipments could take.
On a local level, many opponents to the trucking are just happy they won't have to deal with an industrial corridor running through their communities. But on a national level, environmental groups like the National Wildlife Federation see this as another blow against the overall evil of tar-sands oil.
Toronto's libraries are under threat of privatization. Tell city council to keep them public now.
Toronto's libraries are under threat of privatization. Tell city council to keep them public now.
If you love the Toronto Public Library, you need to come to her defense right now!
The cost cutting agenda of Toronto City Council could target the TPL within weeks. Local branches could be closed and some or all of the Library’s operations could be privatized, unless we act now. Please send a message to Mayor Ford telling him our libraries are not for sale. A copy of your message will be sent to members of the Toronto City Council Executive Committee and your own City Councilor.
Please tell City Council that our public libraries are not for sale.
(forward this to Toronto and GTA residents)
If you love the Toronto Public Library, you need to come to her defense right now!
The cost cutting agenda of Toronto City Council could target the TPL within weeks. Local branches could be closed and some or all of the Library’s operations could be privatized, unless we act now. Please send a message to Mayor Ford telling him our libraries are not for sale. A copy of your message will be sent to members of the Toronto City Council Executive Committee and your own City Councilor.
Please tell City Council that our public libraries are not for sale.
(forward this to Toronto and GTA residents)
Monday
Vancouver and District Labour Council endorses declaration on Canada-EU trade deal
Vancouver and District Labour Council endorses declaration on Canada-EU trade deal
By Stuart Trew, Friday, July 22nd, 2011
(notice the last pp, on exempting water rights, pharmaceuticals, etc. Mary
By Stuart Trew, Friday, July 22nd, 2011
(notice the last pp, on exempting water rights, pharmaceuticals, etc. Mary
The Vancouver and District Labour Council passed the following resolution on the Canada-EU free trade negotiations during its regular meeting this week. The VDLC committed to: educating its members on CETA; urging the provincial government to exempt municipal governments, water and pharmaceuticals from the agreement, and; endorsing the civil society declaration on CETA which is posted to the Trade Justice Network website. If you’re organization has not yet but but would to endorse the declaration, write to TJN.RCJ@gmail.com.
VDLC RESOLUTION: Canada- EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
BECAUSE the government of Canada and the European Union have been negotiating the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (the “CETA”), with their eighth round of meetings held July 8th - 15th, 2011 in Brussels and Paris; and
BECAUSE the European Union is insisting on full access to procurement by sub-national governments - including municipalities, school boards, universities, hospitals and other provincial agencies - which could significantly reduce or eliminate the right to specify local priorities when public money is invested in goods, services or capital projects; and
BECAUSE unfettered access to Canadian municipal procurement by European corporations may encourage privatization and reduce economic development options for local communities; and
BECAUSE CETA also threatens to give European multi-national corporations access to Canadian water services and supply, override indigenous rights and labour standards, and would allow these corporations to sue the Canadian government for non-compliance similarly to Chapter 11 of NAFTA,
THE VANCOUVER AND DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL WILL
• Take steps to educate its affiliates about CETA’s scope, cost impacts and resulting loss of local discretion;
• Sign onto the “Open Civil Society Declaration on a proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union”;
• Urge the government of Canada exempt water rights, pharmaceuticals and sub-national government procurement from CETA and other trade agreements; and
• Urge the provincial government to negotiate a clear, permanent exemption for local governments from CETA.
Tell City Council to Save our Environmental Programs! | Toronto Environmental Alliance
Take Action - Tell Toronto City Council to Save our Environmental Programs! | Toronto Environmental Alliance
Please sign this petition below to tell City Council and the Mayor that you value the City's environmental programs and services.They will present this petition to Council in September when they vote on the Mayor's proposed service cuts.
Dear Mayor and Toronto City Councillors, We, the undersigned, know the City must deliver environmental services that clean our air and water, reduce energy use, help Torontonians create less garbage, keep our parks and trees healthy, help us respond to global warming and prepare us for severe weather events. These environmental services are essential. They protect the environment and human health, and they help the City avoid the costs of cleaning up a dirty environment. Cutting these services will not save us money. We need our City Council to build a green Toronto for all. That is why we urge you vote against any cuts or reductions to environmental programs and services or do anything that results in unequal access to them.
Please sign this petition below to tell City Council and the Mayor that you value the City's environmental programs and services.They will present this petition to Council in September when they vote on the Mayor's proposed service cuts.
Dear Mayor and Toronto City Councillors, We, the undersigned, know the City must deliver environmental services that clean our air and water, reduce energy use, help Torontonians create less garbage, keep our parks and trees healthy, help us respond to global warming and prepare us for severe weather events. These environmental services are essential. They protect the environment and human health, and they help the City avoid the costs of cleaning up a dirty environment. Cutting these services will not save us money. We need our City Council to build a green Toronto for all. That is why we urge you vote against any cuts or reductions to environmental programs and services or do anything that results in unequal access to them.
Friday
Cast Aside in Kuwait - Nationality and human rights
Cast Aside in Kuwait | Human Rights Watch
International law considers nationality a fundamental human right, as it serves as the gateway to other human rights. Kuwait, like other countries that have signed international human rights conventions, is obliged to avoid creating statelessness through restrictive or discriminatory citizenship laws and to consider whether a person would otherwise be stateless when evaluating citizenship claims.
In May, Kuwait became a member of the UN Human Rights Council, stepping in when it looked like Syria might otherwise gain a seat. As a member, Kuwait should uphold the highest standard of human rights in its own country. Yet current attempts to gloss over the Bidun's situation by pointing to grants and handouts don't change the underlying fact that the government has failed to provide timely and transparent review of their claims to citizenship. If the Bidun need help, it is because the government has forced them into a situation in which they can't help themselves.
Bidun - from the Arabic phrase "bidun jinsiyya," without citizenship - are people, most of them from nomadic origins, who lived in Kuwait for years but didn't register for citizenship before 1960, when the country's major citizenship registration drive ended.
Some were illiterate and nomadic and couldn't provide needed documentation, while others simply did not hear about the citizenship drive or understand the stakes. And the stakes only became clearer later when surging oil wealth created a huge gap between them and citizens, who got state largesse. The Kuwaiti government began calling the Bidun "illegal residents" in the mid-80s after treating them as potential citizens and granting them the same access to social services during the two preceding decades. Their families have been paying the price ever since.
"[Kuwaiti citizenship is like] some sort of club," said Talal, a young Bidun man. "Whoever didn't get in at the right time ... that's all there is to it."
But many Kuwaitis instead consider nationality a privilege, asserting that the Bidun became stateless through their own choices - a mythology that plagues stateless populations around the globe. Kuwaiti citizens told me that the Bidun are nationals of other countries who tore up their passports to take advantage of Kuwaitis' many social benefits, including free education at all levels, virtually guaranteed employment and housing grants.
International law considers nationality a fundamental human right, as it serves as the gateway to other human rights. Kuwait, like other countries that have signed international human rights conventions, is obliged to avoid creating statelessness through restrictive or discriminatory citizenship laws and to consider whether a person would otherwise be stateless when evaluating citizenship claims.
In May, Kuwait became a member of the UN Human Rights Council, stepping in when it looked like Syria might otherwise gain a seat. As a member, Kuwait should uphold the highest standard of human rights in its own country. Yet current attempts to gloss over the Bidun's situation by pointing to grants and handouts don't change the underlying fact that the government has failed to provide timely and transparent review of their claims to citizenship. If the Bidun need help, it is because the government has forced them into a situation in which they can't help themselves.
Bidun - from the Arabic phrase "bidun jinsiyya," without citizenship - are people, most of them from nomadic origins, who lived in Kuwait for years but didn't register for citizenship before 1960, when the country's major citizenship registration drive ended.
Some were illiterate and nomadic and couldn't provide needed documentation, while others simply did not hear about the citizenship drive or understand the stakes. And the stakes only became clearer later when surging oil wealth created a huge gap between them and citizens, who got state largesse. The Kuwaiti government began calling the Bidun "illegal residents" in the mid-80s after treating them as potential citizens and granting them the same access to social services during the two preceding decades. Their families have been paying the price ever since.
"[Kuwaiti citizenship is like] some sort of club," said Talal, a young Bidun man. "Whoever didn't get in at the right time ... that's all there is to it."
But many Kuwaitis instead consider nationality a privilege, asserting that the Bidun became stateless through their own choices - a mythology that plagues stateless populations around the globe. Kuwaiti citizens told me that the Bidun are nationals of other countries who tore up their passports to take advantage of Kuwaitis' many social benefits, including free education at all levels, virtually guaranteed employment and housing grants.
US: Remove ‘Global Gag Rule’ From House Bill | Human Rights Watch
US: Remove ‘Global Gag Rule’ From House Bill | Human Rights Watch
(Washington, DC,) - The House Foreign Affairs Committee should remove language that would reinstate the so-called "Global Gag Rule" from the draft Foreign Affairs Authorization Act for fiscal year 2012, Human Rights Watch said today. The "Gag Rule" would outlaw US funding to international groups that provide abortions, counsel women about abortion, or engage in advocacy for abortion rights, even if no US funds would be used for those purposes.
This policy, also known as the Mexico City Policy, existed as an executive order under the Bush and Reagan administrations. President Barack Obama repealed it his first week in office. The damaging policy restricted women's choices and promoted censorship in health clinics around the world - factors known to contribute to unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal mortality. The committee began debating the bill on July 20, 2011.
"The Global Gag Rule has exacted a terrible cost in damage to the health of millions of women and the free speech rights of people around the world," said Meghan Rhoad, women's rights researcher at Human rights Watch. "It should be considered a shameful piece of past foreign policy, not a model for the future."
It is expected that an amendment may also be introduced to withdraw funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which provides life-saving maternal health care and basic reproductive health services to women around the world. In the past, funds have been withdrawn from the agency over rumors linking the organization to coercive abortions and involuntary sterilization in China.
A US State Department panel investigated the rumors in 2002 and found "no evidence that UNFPA has knowingly supported or participated in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization in the PRC." When UNFPA lost funding in the past, it estimated that the US contribution would have prevented 2 million unwanted pregnancies, nearly 800,000 induced abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths, nearly 60,000 cases of serious maternal illness, and over 77,000 infant and child deaths each year.
(Washington, DC,) - The House Foreign Affairs Committee should remove language that would reinstate the so-called "Global Gag Rule" from the draft Foreign Affairs Authorization Act for fiscal year 2012, Human Rights Watch said today. The "Gag Rule" would outlaw US funding to international groups that provide abortions, counsel women about abortion, or engage in advocacy for abortion rights, even if no US funds would be used for those purposes.
This policy, also known as the Mexico City Policy, existed as an executive order under the Bush and Reagan administrations. President Barack Obama repealed it his first week in office. The damaging policy restricted women's choices and promoted censorship in health clinics around the world - factors known to contribute to unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal mortality. The committee began debating the bill on July 20, 2011.
"The Global Gag Rule has exacted a terrible cost in damage to the health of millions of women and the free speech rights of people around the world," said Meghan Rhoad, women's rights researcher at Human rights Watch. "It should be considered a shameful piece of past foreign policy, not a model for the future."
It is expected that an amendment may also be introduced to withdraw funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which provides life-saving maternal health care and basic reproductive health services to women around the world. In the past, funds have been withdrawn from the agency over rumors linking the organization to coercive abortions and involuntary sterilization in China.
A US State Department panel investigated the rumors in 2002 and found "no evidence that UNFPA has knowingly supported or participated in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization in the PRC." When UNFPA lost funding in the past, it estimated that the US contribution would have prevented 2 million unwanted pregnancies, nearly 800,000 induced abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths, nearly 60,000 cases of serious maternal illness, and over 77,000 infant and child deaths each year.
Global: Schools No Havens in War Zones | Human Rights Watch
Global: Schools No Havens in War Zones | Human Rights Watch
(New York) - Governments should improve protections for students and teachers during wartime by explicitly outlawing attacks on schools and curtailing their use by the military, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
The 162-page report, "Schools and Armed Conflict: A Global Survey of Domestic Laws and State Practice Protecting Schools from Attack and Military Use," examines domestic laws and military policies in 56 countries around the world. Governments have been slow to update and align their domestic legislation with the explicit prohibitions on attacks on schools under international criminal law, Human Rights Watch said. They are also failing to account for the negative consequences for children's right to education when armed forces convert schools into bases and barracks.
"Children are entitled to go to school in a safe environment, even during times of conflict," said Bede Sheppard, senior children's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Attacks on schools and the military use of schools jeopardize children's safety and education."
(New York) - Governments should improve protections for students and teachers during wartime by explicitly outlawing attacks on schools and curtailing their use by the military, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
The 162-page report, "Schools and Armed Conflict: A Global Survey of Domestic Laws and State Practice Protecting Schools from Attack and Military Use," examines domestic laws and military policies in 56 countries around the world. Governments have been slow to update and align their domestic legislation with the explicit prohibitions on attacks on schools under international criminal law, Human Rights Watch said. They are also failing to account for the negative consequences for children's right to education when armed forces convert schools into bases and barracks.
"Children are entitled to go to school in a safe environment, even during times of conflict," said Bede Sheppard, senior children's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Attacks on schools and the military use of schools jeopardize children's safety and education."
Thursday
House panel backs Canadian oil pipeline
House panel backs Canadian oil pipeline |WASHINGTON — A US congressional committee on Wednesday voiced support for an extension of a Canadian oil pipeline, saying it offered a stable source of energy despite concern by environmentalists.
The Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 30 to 14 to approve a text saying that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "should promptly authorize" the 1,661-mile (2,673-kilometer) Keystone XL project.
"Canada, as a democratic ally, offers a stable source of energy for the United States," said the amendment sponsored by Representative Connie Mack, a Republican from Florida. "We could help a friend and ally in Canada and strengthen our relations with Canada instead of continuing to buy oil from Hugo Chavez in Venezuela," said Mack, a staunch critic of the leftist president.
The vote enjoyed support from a number of lawmakers from President Barack Obama's Democratic Party. But the practical impact was likely limited as it came during a debate on an overall spending bill, which will likely face opposition in the Democratic-led Senate.
Calgary-based TransCanada wants to build Keystone XL as an extension to its existing 2,154-mile (3,467-kilometer) pipeline that now terminates both in Oklahoma and Illinois. The expansion would go through the Great Plains and to the Gulf of Mexico. The proposal is fiercely opposed by many environmental groups as the oil would come from mining in Alberta tar sands, a process that produces far greater emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. The year-old Keystone pipeline has also suffered leaks, leading US regulators to shut it briefly last month.
Seven Democratic senators recently sent a letter to Clinton urging a thorough review of the Keystone XL project before any decision, calling for assurances of "sufficient safety measures."
Canada has strongly advocated approval of the pipeline, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper saying in February that he raised the issue with Obama.
(yes, but it's not the Senate...)
The Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 30 to 14 to approve a text saying that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "should promptly authorize" the 1,661-mile (2,673-kilometer) Keystone XL project.
"Canada, as a democratic ally, offers a stable source of energy for the United States," said the amendment sponsored by Representative Connie Mack, a Republican from Florida. "We could help a friend and ally in Canada and strengthen our relations with Canada instead of continuing to buy oil from Hugo Chavez in Venezuela," said Mack, a staunch critic of the leftist president.
The vote enjoyed support from a number of lawmakers from President Barack Obama's Democratic Party. But the practical impact was likely limited as it came during a debate on an overall spending bill, which will likely face opposition in the Democratic-led Senate.
Calgary-based TransCanada wants to build Keystone XL as an extension to its existing 2,154-mile (3,467-kilometer) pipeline that now terminates both in Oklahoma and Illinois. The expansion would go through the Great Plains and to the Gulf of Mexico. The proposal is fiercely opposed by many environmental groups as the oil would come from mining in Alberta tar sands, a process that produces far greater emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. The year-old Keystone pipeline has also suffered leaks, leading US regulators to shut it briefly last month.
Seven Democratic senators recently sent a letter to Clinton urging a thorough review of the Keystone XL project before any decision, calling for assurances of "sufficient safety measures."
Canada has strongly advocated approval of the pipeline, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper saying in February that he raised the issue with Obama.
(yes, but it's not the Senate...)
Petition: Subaru: Stop Selling Cars Where Women Can't Drive
Human Rights Petition: Subaru: Stop Selling Cars Where Women Can't Drive
We are leading Saudi Women’s rights activists and we write this open letter to you as a company that has made a name for itself among women drivers and which has built up a progressive brand image.
Subaru sponsors women’s surf festivals, the U.S. Women’s Triathlon Series, “Subaru Women’s Week” packages for skiers and even the Outstanding Woman in Science Award for the Geological Society of America. But while Subaru is marketed heavily at women, your company is simultaneously making millions selling cars in the only country on earth where women aren't allowed to drive – much less ride a bike or go surf, run a triathlon, or ski on their own.
Subaru takes corporate citizenship seriously. On your web site, Subaru Chairman Yoshio Hasunuma writes, “We are dedicated to support and improve the communities in which we live and work.”
But Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that bans women — both Saudi and foreign — from driving. As Saudi women our lack of freedom of movement places an extreme burden on our lives. We lack a public transportation system and the most basic errands and medical appointments are missed due to the difficulty and expenses of arranging transportation, notwithstanding educational and work opportunities. Our lack of this basic right to drive our own cars creates many safety risks for women on the roads, and relying on strangers as drivers has jeopardized the safety of women and children in many documents cases.
We write to you with a simple request: that Subaru publicly pledge to pull out of Saudi Arabia until such time as women are allowed to drive. It is our hope that this will put huge pressure on the Saudi royal family and shine a bright light on the "gender apartheid" in our country. It's a chance for your company to live up to your brand, and make a huge difference for nearly 13 million of us Saudi women
We are leading Saudi Women’s rights activists and we write this open letter to you as a company that has made a name for itself among women drivers and which has built up a progressive brand image.
Subaru sponsors women’s surf festivals, the U.S. Women’s Triathlon Series, “Subaru Women’s Week” packages for skiers and even the Outstanding Woman in Science Award for the Geological Society of America. But while Subaru is marketed heavily at women, your company is simultaneously making millions selling cars in the only country on earth where women aren't allowed to drive – much less ride a bike or go surf, run a triathlon, or ski on their own.
Subaru takes corporate citizenship seriously. On your web site, Subaru Chairman Yoshio Hasunuma writes, “We are dedicated to support and improve the communities in which we live and work.”
But Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that bans women — both Saudi and foreign — from driving. As Saudi women our lack of freedom of movement places an extreme burden on our lives. We lack a public transportation system and the most basic errands and medical appointments are missed due to the difficulty and expenses of arranging transportation, notwithstanding educational and work opportunities. Our lack of this basic right to drive our own cars creates many safety risks for women on the roads, and relying on strangers as drivers has jeopardized the safety of women and children in many documents cases.
We write to you with a simple request: that Subaru publicly pledge to pull out of Saudi Arabia until such time as women are allowed to drive. It is our hope that this will put huge pressure on the Saudi royal family and shine a bright light on the "gender apartheid" in our country. It's a chance for your company to live up to your brand, and make a huge difference for nearly 13 million of us Saudi women
Wednesday
U.N. declares famine in two regions of south Somalia
U.N. declares famine in two regions of south Somalia - AlertNet
Not news, sadly - but an official declaration.
AIROBI, July 20 (AlertNet) - The United Nations declared famine in two regions of southern Somalia on Wednesday and said it could quickly spread unless donors took action.
Mark Bowden, humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle had been hit by the worst famine in the region for 20 years.
The U.N. is proposing "exceptional measures" of providing "cash relief" while it finds ways of getting larger volumes of food aid into southern Somalia, Bowden said. The U.N. is also appealing for $300 million over the next two months for Somalia. "If we don't act now, famine will spread to all eight regions of southern Somalia within two months, due to poor harvests and infectious disease outbreaks," Bowden said.
"Every day of delay in assistance is literally a matter of life or death for children and their families in the famine-affected areas."
The U.N. said 3.7 million people across the war-ravaged Horn of Africa country, or almost half the population, were now in danger. Of them 2.8 million are in the south.
In the worst - affected areas, half the children are malnourished. "It is likely that tens of thousands will already have died, the majority of those being children," Bowden said. Years of drought, that have also affected Kenya and Ethiopia, have hit harvests and conflict has made it extremely difficult for agencies to operate and access communities in the south of the country.
The south is controlled by al Shabaab Islamist insurgents, affiliated to al Qaeda, who are fighting to topple the Western-backed government. The group also controls parts of the capital Mogadishu and central Somalia.
You can help: Oxfam in Somalia
Not news, sadly - but an official declaration.
AIROBI, July 20 (AlertNet) - The United Nations declared famine in two regions of southern Somalia on Wednesday and said it could quickly spread unless donors took action.
Mark Bowden, humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said southern Bakool and Lower Shabelle had been hit by the worst famine in the region for 20 years.
The U.N. is proposing "exceptional measures" of providing "cash relief" while it finds ways of getting larger volumes of food aid into southern Somalia, Bowden said. The U.N. is also appealing for $300 million over the next two months for Somalia. "If we don't act now, famine will spread to all eight regions of southern Somalia within two months, due to poor harvests and infectious disease outbreaks," Bowden said.
"Every day of delay in assistance is literally a matter of life or death for children and their families in the famine-affected areas."
The U.N. said 3.7 million people across the war-ravaged Horn of Africa country, or almost half the population, were now in danger. Of them 2.8 million are in the south.
In the worst - affected areas, half the children are malnourished. "It is likely that tens of thousands will already have died, the majority of those being children," Bowden said. Years of drought, that have also affected Kenya and Ethiopia, have hit harvests and conflict has made it extremely difficult for agencies to operate and access communities in the south of the country.
The south is controlled by al Shabaab Islamist insurgents, affiliated to al Qaeda, who are fighting to topple the Western-backed government. The group also controls parts of the capital Mogadishu and central Somalia.
You can help: Oxfam in Somalia
Tuesday
Take Action Now on Syria: Amnesty International USA
Amnesty International US: Take Action Now on Syria
Urge Brazil, South Africa and India to stop the bloodshed in Syria
To date, the UN Security Council has remained silent on the situation in Syria. Three critical members of the UN Security Council need to join other members to call on the Syrian government to stop the use of tanks, snipers and torture to suppress peaceful dissent. Members of the UN Security Council have an increased responsibility to work on an end to the violent crackdown in Syria. By supporting the current draft resolution, Brazil, South Africa and India can help to end in the bloodshed and ensure accountability for the crimes committed. ..
Amnesty International knows that a number of people arrested during the security operation in Tell Kalakh still remain in detention, including a 17-year-old boy. The organization called on the Syrian authorities to release all those arbitrarily arrested and those detained for taking part in peaceful demonstrations or expressing views of dissent, including children.
Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director:
“Most of the crimes described in this report would fall within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. But the UN Security Council must first refer the situation in Syria to the Court’s Prosecutor.”
Urge Brazil, South Africa and India to stop the bloodshed in Syria
To date, the UN Security Council has remained silent on the situation in Syria. Three critical members of the UN Security Council need to join other members to call on the Syrian government to stop the use of tanks, snipers and torture to suppress peaceful dissent. Members of the UN Security Council have an increased responsibility to work on an end to the violent crackdown in Syria. By supporting the current draft resolution, Brazil, South Africa and India can help to end in the bloodshed and ensure accountability for the crimes committed. ..
Amnesty International knows that a number of people arrested during the security operation in Tell Kalakh still remain in detention, including a 17-year-old boy. The organization called on the Syrian authorities to release all those arbitrarily arrested and those detained for taking part in peaceful demonstrations or expressing views of dissent, including children.
Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director:
“Most of the crimes described in this report would fall within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. But the UN Security Council must first refer the situation in Syria to the Court’s Prosecutor.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)