Aid Efforts in the Wake of the Cyclone in Myanmar

On May 3, a massive category 3 cyclone struck the low-lying Irrawady delta in Myanmar. Nearly 100,000 people are feared dead while 1.5 million are in need of food, clean drinking water and shelter. Aid efforts have been very slow in the wake of the disaster. Myanmar’s military government has been sluggish in responding to offers of international assistance and many aid workers are still awaiting permission to travel affected areas. International donors, led by the UN, are exerting pressure on the Myanmar authorities to open up to a full-scale international relief operations. Further delays could lead to widespread hunger and disease. Food and fuel prices have soared in the wake of the disaster.

So far India, China, Bangladesh, Laos, Japan, Thailand and Singapore have flown in emergency supplies to Myanmar. The European Commission and the US have each pledged USD $3 million for humanitarian aid. UN organizations like the World Food Program (WFP), UNHCR and UNICEF are distributing high-energy biscuits, tents and water purifying solutions. Civil society organizations including the Red Cross and Save the Children have mobilized their local staff to assist with relief efforts. Several countries including France and the US, as well as, many humanitarian organizations are waiting for permission from the Myanmar authorities to fly in supplies and aid workers. Human rights group Amnesty International reported that some donors were holding off due to fears that the military government with siphon off aid supplies.

(Photo Credit: AP)

Aid to basic education stagnating, says UNESCO’s EFA Global Monitoring Report

In spite of promises to support basic education, aid commitments are stagnating and remain far short of what is required to achieve universal primary education, according to a recent analysis by the Education for All Global Monitoring Report team. Several trends are reason for concern. First, while aid to basic education increased in 2006 over the . . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 1, 2008
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The Paris Declaration and gender: the need to strengthen women’s rights in aid effectiveness

Authors: C. Alemany; N. Craviotto; F. Hopenhaym. Publisher: Canadian Council for International Co-operation , 2008. This paper analyses the implications for the promotion of women’s rights and gender equality in respect of the Paris Declaration (PD). It analyses the Five Principles of the Paris Declaration, looks at new aid modalities in the PD fra. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 1, 2008
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An Impact Evaluation on the Development of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia and their Dissemination in Selected Countries

This study evaluates an international research and development effort on the genetic improvement of farmed tilapia in order to increase productivity, with environmental safeguards. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) contributed to this effort over the decade 1988–1997 through two regional technical assistance projects, supporting the research and the. . .

Added by  Njoman George Bestari  May 1, 2008
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Global Monitoring Report 2008

This 2008 World Bank-IMF report warns that most countries will fall short on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight globally agreed development goals with a due date of 2015. Though much of the world is set to cut extreme poverty in half by then, prospects are gravest for the goals of reducing child and maternal mortality. Serious . . .

Added by  John Daly  May 1, 2008
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German Foundation for World Population calls for improved malaria aid effectiveness

Brussels, April 24th 2008. The German Foundation for World Population (DSW) as part of the European Alliance Against Malaria (EAAM) calls upon the European Commission to improve the effectiveness of its aid for malaria. Two-thirds of international funding for malaria control is now channelled via the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Mala. . .

Added by  Anuradha Bhattacharjee  May 1, 2008
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Turning the Tables: Aid and accountability under the Paris framework

A major new civil society report launched by EURODAD “Turning the Tables: Aid and accountability under the Paris framework” shows that the world’s rich countries have only made patchy progress in making aid more effective for helping the poor, despite high-profile commitments to reform aid. The report, by Eurodad in collaboration with nine other Af. . .

Added by  Assistant Eurodad  May 1, 2008
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Alternatives for Projecting MDG Indicators

Many countries ask the question: will my country reach all or some of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015? The answer to this question requires some kind of projection. However, scarcities of data and technical skills make this exercise difficult. In this paper, the author introduces simple techniques to project the behaviour of indicators, es. . .

Added by  International Poverty Centre (IPC/UNDP)  May 1, 2008
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International Initiative for Impact Evaluation

3ie is supported by governments, NGOs, official development agencies and private foundations.

Added by  John Daly  April 30, 2008
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CFR: Interview with Kiva Cofounder Matt Flannery

Matt Flannery, cofounder of Kiva.org, a website that partners with microfinance institutions to allow people to loan money to entrepreneurs in the developing world, discusses the microfinance industry and its growing popularity among large financial institutions and the development community. He says the practice of providing financial services to . . .

Added by  Carmen Villegas Caballero  April 25, 2008
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  Buying Power: Aid, Governance and Public Procurement

In this 2008 report Christian Aid assesses donor support for procurement reform and finds it is reliant on imposing a standard procurement model that emphasises market opening over increasing accountability to poor men and women.

Added by  Denise Senmartin  April 24, 2008
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