Jun212017

As crises multiply, UN revises annual aid appeal to assist over 100 million around the world

United Nations
image_pdfimage_print

21 June 2017 – As the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance around the world reach record levels, United Nations and relief partners have revised their global aid appeal to $23.5 billion &#8211 up nearly 6 per cent from the original $22.2 billion announced late last year.

According to a news release issued by the UN Office for Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), new natural and man-made disasters as well as deteriorating protracted emergencies have resulted in an additional 8 million people around the world needing assistance.

Since its launch on 5 December 2017, donors have provided about $6.2 billion for the 2017 global appeal. However, with more than half of the year still remaining and needs rising, more is needed.

&#8220With generous donor support, humanitarian partners have swiftly scaled up to deliver record levels of life-saving assistance in challenging and often dangerous environments,&#8221 Stephen O’Brien, the UN Emergency Relief Coordination and head of OCHA, said on the first day of the annual Economic and Social Council Humanitarian Affairs Segment in Geneva.

&#8220[But] we are in a race against time. People’s lives and well-being depend on increasing our collective support,&#8221 he added.

Some of the crises that pushed up the requirements include the rapid escalation of violence in Kasai province in the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as a drought in Kenya, tropical cyclones in Madagascar and Mozambique, and flooding in Peru, as well as looming famines across north-eastern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

The revised appeal aims to reach over 101 million highly vulnerable people among the estimated 141 million people across 37 countries in need of humanitarian assistance.

&#8220Funding to response plans is a high-impact investment as they are prioritized on the basis of thorough needs assessment and analysis. Supporting the plans also provides the most neutral and impartial aid,&#8221 Mr. O’Brien noted, calling on the international community to step up assistance: &#8220We now need donors to set the bar higher and increase their support.&#8221

The Humanitarian Affairs Segment, being held from 21-23 June is a major global platform to discuss activities and issues related to strengthening UN’s humanitarian response around the globe.

The forum also provides a key opportunity for UN Member States, Organizational entities, humanitarian and development partners and the affected communities to discuss emerging and pressing humanitarian issues.

Coinciding with the Humanitarian Affairs Segment, OCHA today also launched the Global Humanitarian Overview 2017 Status Report, which documents evidence humanitarians efforts to assist the world’s most vulnerable people.

According to the Status Report, UN and partners have provided life-saving assistance to 5.8 million people in Yemen and over 3 million people in South Sudan. Also 2.7 million people in Somalia and 2.2 million affected by the Syria crisis have received food. In north-eastern Nigeria, over 2.3 million people have received both emergency food assistance and livelihood support through UN-coordinated plans.

Jun212017

The Queen’s speech is a ‘weak, vague and mean-spirited programme from a government in meltdown’

Scottish Labour
image_pdfimage_print


Shadow Scottish Secretary Lesley Laird said the proposals from the Tories fail to reflect the message that voters sent Theresa May in this month’s General Election.


The Prime Minister has no mandate for her pro-austerity policies or her plan for a Brexit that will leave people worse off.


Some Tory manifesto pledges have been abandoned as a result of the General Election, while Theresa May struggles to stitch together a deal with the DUP to stay in office.

Speaking about today's Queen's speech, Shadow Scottish Secretary Lesley Laird said “This was a weak, vague and mean-spirited programme from a Tory government in meltdown.


“Theresa May has no political authority, and while she struggles to stitch together a deal with the DUP to stay in office, she has been forced to ditch policies from her wildly unpopular manifesto.


“But it is deeply disappointing that this government appears determined to press ahead with deep cuts to public services and a failed austerity programme that has lost public support.


“The Queen’s Speech offers very little for Scotland, with nothing for our vital oil and gas industry, no measures to protect the 250,000 WASPI women in Scotland affected by the botched acceleration of the state pension age, and no attempt to apply a VAT exemption to our stretched fire and police services.


“While Brexit will undoubtedly dominate parliamentary proceedings, Theresa May must revisit her reckless plan for a Brexit that will leave people worse off.


“Labour is ready to take up the reins when this chaotic Tory administration implodes.”

Jun212017

News story: Crime news: change to how you receive correspondence

HM Government
image_pdfimage_print

All criminal legal aid correspondence to be sent by email starting on 23 June 2017.

Providers are to receive all criminal legal aid correspondence by email from Friday 23 June.

This follows the change introduced on 30 August 2016 to allow legal aid providers to receive representation orders or refusal notices by email.

What correspondence is affected?

Where appropriate you will be emailed the following documents as attachments in addition to representation orders or refusal notices:

  • contribution notice
  • contribution order
  • income evidence requests
  • capital evidence requests
  • failed means assessment information

Copies of all correspondence will also continue to be sent via post to the client, unless indicated otherwise as with the current process.

Where will the email go?

Correspondence will be sent automatically to the email address associated with your eForms user account.

Additional copies can also be sent to any appropriate administration email address in the ‘firm administrator’ field of the CRM form.

Further information

Representation orders to be emailed – August 2016 news story with details of original change

Jun212017

China to compile historical data about South China Sea

East Asia
image_pdfimage_print

Photo taken aboard the U.S. drilling ship JOIDES Resolution shows the sunset scenery of the South China Sea on March 31, 2017. Scientists from China, the United States, France and other countries were on the U.S. drilling ship JOIDES Resolution to conduct an expedition to the South China Sea. As part of the International Ocean Discovery Program, they will explore the lithosphere extension during the continental breakup, by drilling at four sites in the northern area of the South China Sea to a depth of up to 4,000 meters. The study will contribute to understanding of how marginal basins grow. [Photo/Xinhua]

A project was launched Wednesday in China that will see researchers compile historical data obtained during expeditions to the South China Sea since the late 1950s.

Researchers will collect and compile valuable data and materials obtained during China’s major ocean expeditions to the South China Sea and its affiliated islands and reefs, said Long Lijuan, deputy head of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The project is one of the 14 resource investigation programs approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology this year.

A comparative analysis and research into the data will provide insight into the resources, environment and changes related to the South China Sea and its affiliated islands and reefs.

The project has the participation of 193 scholars from 10 domestic research institutions and universities, who specialize in fields such as marine life, ecology, fishery and geology.

Retired expedition members have been invited to assist the program to ensure the reliability and precision of the data.