Development aid from 29 of the world’s wealthiest countries hit $142.6 billion in 2016, a 9 percent increase from 2015. According to statistics published by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, almost 2 percent of this rise remained in donor countries, including EU states, to deal with the cost of hosting refugees, which has surged by 27.5% since 2015 to reach $15.4 billion. The data also shows that aid to the least developed countries fell by 3.9% from 2015, with aid to Africa down by 0.5 percent.Amy Dudd, director of the UK Aid Network, said that while the group welcomed the rise, the figures masked a worrying trend. “Aid globally might be going up but that is obscuring something quite important – that the increase in aid is not reaching the poorest people. Rather, it is remaining in donor countries, meaning the impact on poverty and sustainability on a global level is not what it might appear from the figures,” said Dudd. (Guardian http://bit.ly/2oppYjU)
Top Stories
Two Turkish men have been kidnapped from a hotel room in southeast Nigeria, police said on Tuesday. (Reuters http://bit.ly/2o1gF6t)
Growing numbers of African migrants passing through Libya are traded in what they call slave markets before being held for ransom, forced labor or sexual exploitation, the IOM said on Tuesday. (Reuters http://bit.ly/2p2mF3a)
Failure to meet the internet-inspired aspirations of people in poor countries runs the risk of creating the conditions for war, terrorism and increased migration, the president of the World Bank has warned. (Guardian http://bit.ly/2op7dgC)
South Sudanese authorities imposed a curfew across the whole northwestern state of Wau on Tuesday, the deputy governor said, a day after at least 16 civilians died in clashes in its main town. (Reuters http://bit.ly/2o1lgW2)
Violations against journalists in Tunisia are on the rise as authorities try to control local media, Tunisia’s journalists Union said on Tuesday, warning this threatened press freedom and the country’s young democracy. (Reuters http://bit.ly/2o1iZKr)
Philippine soldiers clashed with members of a militant group known for beheading foreign hostages, leaving five rebels and four members of the security forces dead at a popular tourist destination in the central Philippines, the police and military said. (NY Times http://nyti.ms/2p2Ifou)
Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has been detained and questioned by police for committing treason, his lawyer said on Tuesday. (Reuters http://bit.ly/2p2FumR)
A recent increase in power outages is taking a heavy toll on Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory’s heavily indebted public power company struggles to modernize decades-old equipment that is crumbling amid a deep economic crisis. (VOA http://bit.ly/2o1mtNj)
Opinion/Blogs
Syria is a Good Reason Why the United States Should Stick With the Human Rights Council (UN Dispatch http://bit.ly/2o1PNTz)
How Trump’s Proposed U.S. Aid Cuts Will Affect Healthcare (The Conversation http://bit.ly/2p2qZQ2)
The Ebola Crisis: Lessons Learned for Developing Nations (IPS http://bit.ly/2o13GBy)
A mother who lost her son in Somalia brings his journals to life in a film (Global Post http://bit.ly/2o1dsnr)
Techno-utopian solutions to Syria’s refugee crisis fall short (IRIN http://bit.ly/2opjrps)
Economic Recovery Crucial to Sustainable Development (IPS http://bit.ly/2o17WkA)
South Sudan war puts neighbour’s tolerance of refugees to the test (Reuters http://bit.ly/2o0VDou)
The Unexpected Cause Of This Awful Disease Lay Right Underfoot (NPR Goats and Soda http://n.pr/2o1ftQv)
As Myanmar Rebuffs International Spotlight, Rohingyas Suffer (VOA http://bit.ly/2o19nzs)
