Yet another Boko Haram Attack…A bomb in a van carrying charcoal exploded in a busy market in northeast Nigeria on Tuesday, killing at least 20 people in the latest suspected attack by Islamist militants, witnesses said. (Reuters http://bit.ly/1pTsgjl)
Food Aid Cuts for African Refugees…here’s simply not enough money, so the World Food Program and UN Refugee Agency are cutting rations for African Refugees, mostly from South Sudan and CAR. They need a combined $224 million through December. “Supplies have been cut by at least 50 per cent for nearly 450,000 refugees in remote camps and other sites in the Central African Republic, Chad and South Sudan. Another 338,000 refugees in Liberia, Burkina Faso,Mozambique, Ghana, Mauritania and Uganda have seen their rations reduced by between five and 43 per cent. In addition, a series of unexpected, temporary ration reductions has affected camps in several countries since early 2013 and into 2014, including in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon. Some cuts were also due to insecurity that affected deliveries.” (WFP http://bit.ly/1vt33h2)
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Africa
Violence in hospitals and the destruction of health facilities are denying medical care to many of South Sudan’s most vulnerable people. (MSF http://bit.ly/1pTrl2e)
The United States on Tuesday blacklisted a Ugandan Islamic group, the Allied Democratic Forces, for targeting children in armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Reuters http://bit.ly/1pTsjvi)
The United Nations says gender-based violence against Central African Republic refugees in East Cameroon is very high and is calling on the government in Yaounde to do more to protect these vulnerable women. (VOA http://bit.ly/1pTqSgC)
Funding for the Sudan coordinated humanitarian funding is in drastic decline: from USD 80 million in 2012 to USD 56 million in 2013 and down to an expected USD 43 million for 2014. (OCHA http://bit.ly/1pH6JP2)
Cameroon has cut some of its costly fuel subsidies, a move that will please international donors calling for reforms but has in the past been reversed due to the threat of protests against subsequent price rise. (Reuters http://bit.ly/1pTsoiA)
The outlook through the July to August lean season in Djibouti points to worsening household food security, attributed to reduced livestock productivity due to early erosion of key grazing resources, reduced labor opportunities, lowered access to humanitarian assistance, exacerbated by an extended lean season. (FEWS Net http://bit.ly/1pTrPFD)
The streets of Addis Ababa are increasingly turning into water-logged obstacle courses as downpours increase in the run up to Ethiopia’s July to September rainy season. (IPS http://bit.ly/1pH7fwn)
Tobacco is a big earner for many Ugandans, but a bill threatening to restrict the sale of cigarettes has sparked concern. (Guardian http://bit.ly/1pTtUBu)
MENA
Saudi Arabia pledged $500 million in humanitarian aid for Iraq on Tuesday, to be disbursed through the United Nations to those in need regardless of sect or ethnicity, state media reported. (AP http://yhoo.it/1pHbKaa)
The retaliation beings: Israeli aircraft pounded dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday in revenge for the abduction and murder of three teenagers, whose funeral later in the day drew huge crowds of mourners and sparked a nationwide outpouring of grief and anger. (WaPo http://wapo.st/1pHHGv5)
Asia
Hong Kong’s largest ever pro Democracy protest drew hundreds of thousands to the streets in defiance of Beijing. (Bloomberg http://bloom.bg/1vt4rQO)
Cambodian workers are returning to Thailand after a mass exodus in the past six weeks drove an estimated 200,000 to their home country, fearful of a rumored Thai government crackdown on workers. (VOA http://bit.ly/1pTr5jN)
Bangladesh is moving to boost maternal health services in poorly-served rural areas by targeting voice and text messages at expectant and pregnant mothers and their families. (IRIN http://bit.ly/1pTu7Vg)
France has proposed to give India a $1.4 billion credit line to fund sustainable infrastructure and urban development projects, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1pHbwjw)
The Americas
As fans enjoy football’s month-long World Cup, Brazilian authorities are pleased over the boost they say the tournament is giving the country’s economy. However, independent analysts who study such mega-events are less enthusiastic. (VOA http://bit.ly/1pH628d)
Opinion/Blog
Did the Millennium Development Goals accomplish anything? (Humanosphere http://bit.ly/1qvftr4)
Lib Dems’ bid to enshrine UN aid target in UK law is pre-election hand grenade (Guardian http://bit.ly/1pH7U0Q)
Mind the gap: why UN development goals must tackle economic inequality (Guardian http://bit.ly/1pH8Dz4)
Malawi: Peter Mutharika must win back donor support by showing he is more than just Bingu’s brother (African Arguments http://bit.ly/1xc0pil)
Development must be seized, through struggle. It cannot be given. (Chris Blattman http://bit.ly/1qvdZwM)
Forced Migration as a Weapon of War in Iraq and Beyond (UN Dispatch http://bit.ly/1xc9Jmk)
Is South Sudan “the World’s Most Failed State?” (Reinvenventing Peace http://bit.ly/1xcawnu)
Please steal these killer facts: a crib sheet for advocacy on aid, development, inequality etc (From Poverty to Power http://bit.ly/1qveZkC)
Rethinking US Foreign Assistance: Another High-Powered Advisory Group Calls for US Development Finance Bank (CGD http://bit.ly/1qvfo6E)