As Syria's civil war grinds on with little prospect for reprieve, one issue that is getting lost is the sheer scale of human suffering caused by this conflict. Syria is already the worst humanitarian crisis in the world--and it is only getting worse.
The wealthiest city in the most powerful country on the planet is poised to get hit by an epic storm. Things will be bad, but the city of New York and the federal government of the United States has the capacity and wherewithall to manage this crisis. But what happens when a storm or natural disaster of equally destructive magnitude hits a place that does not have that same ability to deal with a natural disaster?
Coordinating and delivering humanitarian relief is what the UN does best. It is also one of the most chronically under-funded aspects of the UN's work. Beyonce is leading a day of action, on social media and in the real world, to raise the profile of global humanitarians.
The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, better known as OCHA, released its 2012 Consolidated Appeal Process today, and with it a list of the 15 humanitarian emergencies that it expects will continue through 2012.
$1.1 billion dollars has been committee so far for the Horn of Africa food crisis, but there is still a gap of $1 billion to fulfill basic humanitarian needs caused by the worst drought in 60 years. A list of the top donors to the food crisis in the Horn of Africa.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has published a new update on the aftermath and response to the the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.