Top stories from DAWNS Digest
A Troubled Rollout for Nigeria’s Polio Vaccine Campaign
Nigeria is one of three countries where polio is still endemic. “Fear and secrecy have cloaked the roll-out of a polio campaign currently underway in northern Nigeria. Vaccinators are concealing their identities, hiding vaccinations under their veils and visiting some areas only with undercover armed guards…Resistance to polio immunization has long hindered efforts to eradicate the disease in Nigeria. But vaccinators are now afraid to engage in dialogue with parents who refuse to vaccinate their children, as they do not want to create a scene that might attract the attention of would-be attackers.” (IRIN http://bit.ly/1ibMhwr)
Syria Peace Conference Watch: Will It Even Happen?
A big conference of like minded countries on Syria this week failed to produce any real momentum toward “Geneva 2” peace conference. “The United States and 10 Arab and European nations expressed support on Tuesday for the convening of a peace conference next month in Geneva to begin negotiations on a political settlement to end the bloody civil war in Syria. But Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged that the moderate Syrian opposition had not yet decided whether it would attend.” (NYT http://nyti.ms/1gDaOyV)