London Bombing - Statement by the G8, the Leaders of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa and the Heads of the International Organisations represented here.
1. We condemn utterly these barbaric attacks. We send our profound condolences to the victims and their families. All of our countries have suffered from the impact of terrorism. Those responsible have no respect for human life. We are united in our resolve to confront and defeat this terrorism that is not an attack on one nation, but on all nations and on civilised people everywhere.
2. We will not allow violence to change our societies or our values. Nor will we allow it to stop the work of this Summit. We will continue our deliberations in the interests of a better world. Here at this Summit, the world's leaders are striving to combat world poverty and save and improve human life. The perpetrators of today's attacks are intent on destroying human life.
3. The terrorists will not succeed.
4. Today's bombings will not weaken in any way our resolve to uphold the most deeply held principles of our societies and to defeat those who would impose their fanaticism and extremism on all of us. We shall prevail. They shall not.
number-10.uk
четверг, 29 сентября 2011 г.
понедельник, 26 сентября 2011 г.
First Aid Manual - Ninth Edition - New
The brand new 9th edition of the best-selling First Aid Manual, published by Dorling Kindersley (DK), outlines how to deal with more than 100 medical conditions and injuries, when friends, family or colleagues fall ill or get hurt, whether at home, at work, in the car, in the gym, on holiday or even playing sport.
Publication date: 2nd February 2009 Price: ??12.99
**FIRST AID AWARENESS WEEK: 2nd -9th FEBRUARY 2009**
The First Aid Manual is the only comprehensive, fully illustrated guide to treating casualties in emergency situations on the market, and features up-to-date guidelines and advice on the latest best practice and first aid techniques, including how to treat asthma and severe allergic reactions.
This must-have book is the result of a unique and close collaboration between DK and St John Ambulance, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association, and the British Red Cross, the UK's three leading first-aid societies and, as their official training manual, the book draws on hundreds of years of their combined experience. The 9th edition is still the only guide written and endorsed by all three voluntary organisations and the Health and Safety Executive lists the Manual as the source for first aid protocols to which all workplace first aiders in the UK have to be trained.
The 9th edition First Aid Manual has a fresh new look and has been fully revised, both redesigned and restructured, to ensure that information is more accessible than ever before. Brand new user-friendly, step-by-step photographs, reflecting real-life scenarios, are used throughout the book to show you exactly how to treat casualties.
The book is divided into 13 chapters. The first three new introductory chapters look at the issues around delivering first aid: what it is like to be a first aider, before, during and - critically - after an event; how to stay safe when managing an incident; and how to go about assessing a casualty.
Keep a copy of the First Aid Manual to hand, whether in your home, suitcase, office first aid kit or car glove-box, in case of emergency. This book is not only for first aid trainees, but also for anyone who wants an outstandingly clear, accessible guide showing what to do in any first aid situation at home, work or leisure. Now is the perfect time to make a safe investment: buy a copy of this must-have book and with proper first aid training you could save someone's life.
First Aid Courses
St John Ambulance, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association, and the British Red Cross, are the premier first aid trainers in the UK and offer distinct charitable, voluntary and training services, as well as working together to raise standards in first aid. In addition, their volunteers provide first aid cover at public events such as football matches, concerts, and other large gatherings. Each organisation works with other organisations to provide training and runs regular first aid courses for individuals for use in the home, workplace, and in schools or on holiday.
All of these first aid courses are literally life saving and teach procedures for everyone to follow, as well as giving the confidence to provide effective first aid treatment anywhere, at anytime - whether it's cuts and bruises, a nosebleed or a heart attack.
For further details please visit the relevant organisation's website:
- St John Ambulance - sja.uk
- St. Andrew's Ambulance Association - firstaid.uk
- British Red Cross - redcross.uk/firstaid
Publication date: 2nd February 2009 Price: ??12.99
**FIRST AID AWARENESS WEEK: 2nd -9th FEBRUARY 2009**
The First Aid Manual is the only comprehensive, fully illustrated guide to treating casualties in emergency situations on the market, and features up-to-date guidelines and advice on the latest best practice and first aid techniques, including how to treat asthma and severe allergic reactions.
This must-have book is the result of a unique and close collaboration between DK and St John Ambulance, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association, and the British Red Cross, the UK's three leading first-aid societies and, as their official training manual, the book draws on hundreds of years of their combined experience. The 9th edition is still the only guide written and endorsed by all three voluntary organisations and the Health and Safety Executive lists the Manual as the source for first aid protocols to which all workplace first aiders in the UK have to be trained.
The 9th edition First Aid Manual has a fresh new look and has been fully revised, both redesigned and restructured, to ensure that information is more accessible than ever before. Brand new user-friendly, step-by-step photographs, reflecting real-life scenarios, are used throughout the book to show you exactly how to treat casualties.
The book is divided into 13 chapters. The first three new introductory chapters look at the issues around delivering first aid: what it is like to be a first aider, before, during and - critically - after an event; how to stay safe when managing an incident; and how to go about assessing a casualty.
Keep a copy of the First Aid Manual to hand, whether in your home, suitcase, office first aid kit or car glove-box, in case of emergency. This book is not only for first aid trainees, but also for anyone who wants an outstandingly clear, accessible guide showing what to do in any first aid situation at home, work or leisure. Now is the perfect time to make a safe investment: buy a copy of this must-have book and with proper first aid training you could save someone's life.
First Aid Courses
St John Ambulance, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association, and the British Red Cross, are the premier first aid trainers in the UK and offer distinct charitable, voluntary and training services, as well as working together to raise standards in first aid. In addition, their volunteers provide first aid cover at public events such as football matches, concerts, and other large gatherings. Each organisation works with other organisations to provide training and runs regular first aid courses for individuals for use in the home, workplace, and in schools or on holiday.
All of these first aid courses are literally life saving and teach procedures for everyone to follow, as well as giving the confidence to provide effective first aid treatment anywhere, at anytime - whether it's cuts and bruises, a nosebleed or a heart attack.
For further details please visit the relevant organisation's website:
- St John Ambulance - sja.uk
- St. Andrew's Ambulance Association - firstaid.uk
- British Red Cross - redcross.uk/firstaid
пятница, 23 сентября 2011 г.
UNICEF Launches $500,000 Program In Zimbabwe To Train Teachers To Provide HIV Education
UNICEF on Monday launched a weeklong, $500,000 program in Zimbabwe aimed at training 1,500 primary and secondary teachers on how to provide HIV prevention education, UN News Service reports. About 500,000 children will participate in the program, which will focus on teaching life skills for HIV prevention, addressing gender dimensions of HIV, fighting sexual gender-based violence and providing counseling.
The program also will help teachers to understand and handle their vulnerability to HIV and will examine prevention, care, support and treatment, UN News Service reports. The program will be held at seven teaching colleges in Bulawayo, Harare, Masvingo, Mutare and Mutoko. A similar program last year trained 1,200 teachers from 18 districts. The training will be provided by UNICEF; the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture; the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education; and VVOB-ZimPATH, a Flemish HIV/AIDS education project.
About 20% of Zimbabwe's adult population is HIV-positive. A 2005 decrease in HIV prevalence in the country was attributed to delayed sexual activity among young people, faithfulness and increased condom use, according to UNAIDS (UN News Service, 8/28).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
The program also will help teachers to understand and handle their vulnerability to HIV and will examine prevention, care, support and treatment, UN News Service reports. The program will be held at seven teaching colleges in Bulawayo, Harare, Masvingo, Mutare and Mutoko. A similar program last year trained 1,200 teachers from 18 districts. The training will be provided by UNICEF; the Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture; the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education; and VVOB-ZimPATH, a Flemish HIV/AIDS education project.
About 20% of Zimbabwe's adult population is HIV-positive. A 2005 decrease in HIV prevalence in the country was attributed to delayed sexual activity among young people, faithfulness and increased condom use, according to UNAIDS (UN News Service, 8/28).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
вторник, 20 сентября 2011 г.
Six Months After The Quake: WFP Empowers Haiti To Build Food Security System
Six months after the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has moved towards supporting long-term recovery, and building a strong nutritional foundation for the future of all Haitians.
"In the hours immediately after the quake, WFP provided emergency food assistance that prevented this catastrophic event from evolving into a hunger crisis for the people of Haiti and the world," said WFP Executive Director, Josette Sheeran. "Now we are working with the government and other partners on programmes that use a mixture of food and cash for work, school meals and nutritional initiatives to rebuild the food security system in Haiti."
In collaboration with the government and NGO partners, WFP has started temporary job initiatives across Haiti. These vary by region but all are designed to contribute to reconstruction efforts and bolster agriculture. Workers are typically paid with a mix of food and cash. This means that they have money to cover daily expenses such as medicines and clothing, so stimulating the local economy, but also enough food to feed their families.
Some 35,000 women and men are currently employed in WFP food and cash for work programmes which are expected to grow to 140,000 before the end of the year.
"We're supporting huge numbers of people who would otherwise struggle to put food on their tables," said WFP Country Director, Myrta Kaulard, adding that the food and cash packages that are given to individual workers are designed to sustain families of up to 5 people.
In addition, WFP is working with the Haitian Government to provide daily hot meals to 655,000 school-aged children and aims to reach 800 000 children by the end of the year.
"The school meals programme is a cornerstone of our operations in Haiti," said Kaulard. "It is a simple and effective way to guarantee children at least one nutritious meal every day and keep them learning."
WFP is also providing special nutritional food supplements to pregnant and nursing women and children under 5, reaching more than half a million people in June and thereby ensuring that the most vulnerable groups do not slip into malnutrition during this recovery period.
With the hurricane season underway WFP's logistics team has prepositioned enough food to feed 1.1 million people across the country for 6 weeks. WFP has also organized a barge service to link Haiti's main ports to Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo should roads become impassable due to rain and landslides. This service will be available for the entire humanitarian community.
"We need to keep a balance between improving access to food for the most vulnerable Haitians, while taking care not to disrupt local markets or exclude local farmers from selling their produce," Kaulard said, adding that WFP will purchase food locally when possible, as the new harvest brings new products to the market.
Source:
WFP
"In the hours immediately after the quake, WFP provided emergency food assistance that prevented this catastrophic event from evolving into a hunger crisis for the people of Haiti and the world," said WFP Executive Director, Josette Sheeran. "Now we are working with the government and other partners on programmes that use a mixture of food and cash for work, school meals and nutritional initiatives to rebuild the food security system in Haiti."
In collaboration with the government and NGO partners, WFP has started temporary job initiatives across Haiti. These vary by region but all are designed to contribute to reconstruction efforts and bolster agriculture. Workers are typically paid with a mix of food and cash. This means that they have money to cover daily expenses such as medicines and clothing, so stimulating the local economy, but also enough food to feed their families.
Some 35,000 women and men are currently employed in WFP food and cash for work programmes which are expected to grow to 140,000 before the end of the year.
"We're supporting huge numbers of people who would otherwise struggle to put food on their tables," said WFP Country Director, Myrta Kaulard, adding that the food and cash packages that are given to individual workers are designed to sustain families of up to 5 people.
In addition, WFP is working with the Haitian Government to provide daily hot meals to 655,000 school-aged children and aims to reach 800 000 children by the end of the year.
"The school meals programme is a cornerstone of our operations in Haiti," said Kaulard. "It is a simple and effective way to guarantee children at least one nutritious meal every day and keep them learning."
WFP is also providing special nutritional food supplements to pregnant and nursing women and children under 5, reaching more than half a million people in June and thereby ensuring that the most vulnerable groups do not slip into malnutrition during this recovery period.
With the hurricane season underway WFP's logistics team has prepositioned enough food to feed 1.1 million people across the country for 6 weeks. WFP has also organized a barge service to link Haiti's main ports to Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo should roads become impassable due to rain and landslides. This service will be available for the entire humanitarian community.
"We need to keep a balance between improving access to food for the most vulnerable Haitians, while taking care not to disrupt local markets or exclude local farmers from selling their produce," Kaulard said, adding that WFP will purchase food locally when possible, as the new harvest brings new products to the market.
Source:
WFP
суббота, 17 сентября 2011 г.
EARLINET, European Research For Climatic Change Analysis
The prediction of future climate is, undoubtedly, one of the main challenges of our time, marked by the concern about climatic change and its effects, such as drought and natural disasters, poles thaw, rise of the sea level, diseases, etc. Climatic change poses different scientific challenges to researchers from all over the world, which must be tackled with new ideas, reliable data and advanced instruments.
Science must provide conclusive answers, for example, about the climatic effects of human pollution, the deforestation of wide regions of the globe or forest fires. Rigorous, fast and conclusive answers are not possible when scientific challenges have planetary dimensions.
As regards atmospheric physics's knowedge ans its possible effects on climatic change, research groups from all Europe have developed the project EARLINET-ASOS (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network: Advanced Sustainable Observation System). 25 laboratories, located in 12 European countries, carry out weekly measures simultaneously to obtain indispensable data for the carrying out of climatic studies: the analysis of the presence in the atmosphere of aerosol's particles and the determination of its origin.
One of these stations is located in Granada (Andalusian Centre for the Environment), directed by Prof Lucas Alados Arboledas.
"Atmospheric aerosol represents one of the main uncertainties in the estimation of the radiative forcing of climate and, therefore, for the prediction of climatic change,"says Alados. "Aerosols disturb solar radiation in the atmosphere and influence the properties of clouds and rainfall in a way we are still ignorant of."
A few years ago, research works were focused on getting to know the distribution of aerosol particles on a worldwide scale, as well as the properties of the different types of aerosol. The advances were very relevant, but measurements from land, planes or satellite could only measure the quantity, but not its vertical distribution at different heights, a key question, for example, to get to know its effect on climate, which is generally opposite due to the increase of greenhouse gases. This is, whereas global warming is associated with greenhouse gases increase, atmospheric aerosol can contribute to a cooling of the earth's system.
Lidar Network and CALIPSO
"EARLINET (2000) and EARLINET-ASOS (2006) are allowing an improvement in the preparation of a wide quantitative and statistically significant database on aerosol's vertical structure and its temporal development in Europe," says Alados. Satellite CALIPSO was launched to the space in April 2006, which contained the first space lidar station, able to offer a global vision of the vertical structure of aerosol and the clouds over our planet, necessary to express climatic forecasts.
However, if the 25 European lidar stations allow to offer data on a continental scale, they are also essential to validate CALIPSO's global data. The mission will take place all through three years, and will provide essential information on aerosol's properties. Together with other satellites of the "A-Train" constellation, CALIPSO will help to increase our knowledge about climatic system and the possible climatic change.
While CALIPSO is being validated, the observations of EARLINET all over Europe are collecting and processing essential data to get to know and assess the climatic impact of the masses of air with mineral dust arriving from Sahara to Europe, of European forest fires, the differences between the pollution produced in highly industrialized regions of Eastern Europe, the anthropogenic pollution in underdeveloped areas, the anthropogenic pollution which reaches Europe from North America, etc.
12 countries, 25 scientific groups
Thousands of yearly observaciones have turned EARLINET into an essential information source for the future of meteorological science, the assessment of climtic change and a better knowledge of our environment. The stations of the EARLINET consortium can be found from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Polar Circle, from the marine environments of mild climates to Arctic weather, from continental climate to semiarid regions, clean airs of sparsely populated areas to regions highly polluted due to urban concentrations and industry.
References
Prof. Lucas Alados Arboledas
Source: Lucas Alados Arboledas
Universidad de Granada
Science must provide conclusive answers, for example, about the climatic effects of human pollution, the deforestation of wide regions of the globe or forest fires. Rigorous, fast and conclusive answers are not possible when scientific challenges have planetary dimensions.
As regards atmospheric physics's knowedge ans its possible effects on climatic change, research groups from all Europe have developed the project EARLINET-ASOS (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network: Advanced Sustainable Observation System). 25 laboratories, located in 12 European countries, carry out weekly measures simultaneously to obtain indispensable data for the carrying out of climatic studies: the analysis of the presence in the atmosphere of aerosol's particles and the determination of its origin.
One of these stations is located in Granada (Andalusian Centre for the Environment), directed by Prof Lucas Alados Arboledas.
"Atmospheric aerosol represents one of the main uncertainties in the estimation of the radiative forcing of climate and, therefore, for the prediction of climatic change,"says Alados. "Aerosols disturb solar radiation in the atmosphere and influence the properties of clouds and rainfall in a way we are still ignorant of."
A few years ago, research works were focused on getting to know the distribution of aerosol particles on a worldwide scale, as well as the properties of the different types of aerosol. The advances were very relevant, but measurements from land, planes or satellite could only measure the quantity, but not its vertical distribution at different heights, a key question, for example, to get to know its effect on climate, which is generally opposite due to the increase of greenhouse gases. This is, whereas global warming is associated with greenhouse gases increase, atmospheric aerosol can contribute to a cooling of the earth's system.
Lidar Network and CALIPSO
"EARLINET (2000) and EARLINET-ASOS (2006) are allowing an improvement in the preparation of a wide quantitative and statistically significant database on aerosol's vertical structure and its temporal development in Europe," says Alados. Satellite CALIPSO was launched to the space in April 2006, which contained the first space lidar station, able to offer a global vision of the vertical structure of aerosol and the clouds over our planet, necessary to express climatic forecasts.
However, if the 25 European lidar stations allow to offer data on a continental scale, they are also essential to validate CALIPSO's global data. The mission will take place all through three years, and will provide essential information on aerosol's properties. Together with other satellites of the "A-Train" constellation, CALIPSO will help to increase our knowledge about climatic system and the possible climatic change.
While CALIPSO is being validated, the observations of EARLINET all over Europe are collecting and processing essential data to get to know and assess the climatic impact of the masses of air with mineral dust arriving from Sahara to Europe, of European forest fires, the differences between the pollution produced in highly industrialized regions of Eastern Europe, the anthropogenic pollution in underdeveloped areas, the anthropogenic pollution which reaches Europe from North America, etc.
12 countries, 25 scientific groups
Thousands of yearly observaciones have turned EARLINET into an essential information source for the future of meteorological science, the assessment of climtic change and a better knowledge of our environment. The stations of the EARLINET consortium can be found from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Polar Circle, from the marine environments of mild climates to Arctic weather, from continental climate to semiarid regions, clean airs of sparsely populated areas to regions highly polluted due to urban concentrations and industry.
References
Prof. Lucas Alados Arboledas
Source: Lucas Alados Arboledas
Universidad de Granada
среда, 14 сентября 2011 г.
UN Launches $92 Million Food Appeal For Sahel Countries
The United Nations launched a funding appeal today in Dakar for Sahelian countries for approximately $92 million for 2006. The funds are required to cover the food and nutrition needs of one of the poorest regions in the world.
The appeal targets 4 Sahelian countries - Burkina-Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Niger - and covers 22 humanitarian projects created by various humanitarian organizations, including: FAO, UNDP, WFP, WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF and Afrique Verte. The 22 projects cover the areas of agriculture, food aid, nutrition and health.
"We cannot wait until thousands of people, the majority of them women and children, die of hunger or of under-nutrition before we act," said the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Ambassador Ahmedou Ould Abdallah.
"So many lives - notably the lives of thousands of young children - can be saved through the collective efforts of the international community," said the Head of the Regional Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for West Africa, Herve Ludovic de Lys.
The Sahelian countries, which went through a food crisis in 2004/2005, are preparing to go through yet another difficult 'hunger' period despite good, recent harvests. Past crises have considerably weakened family coping capacities and many families are still trying to pay off debts incurred during last year's crisis. Studies by UNICEF show that young children less than 3 years of age are the most vulnerable.
"2005 was one of the worst years that the Sahelian countries have ever seen," said the Deputy Director of the World Food Programme's Regional Office for West Africa, Christine Van Nieuwenhuyse.
"In the Sahelian countries, the first victims of under-nutrition are children," said the Deputy Director of UNICEF's West & Central Africa Regional Office, Theophane Nikyema. "This year, under-nutrition will be responsible for the deaths of more than 300,000 children in the Sahel if measures are not put in place in time. We know what needs to be done, what we need are the means to do so - today."
The Sahel funding appeal completes the West Africa Consolidated Appeal Process for West Africa, which was launched in November 2005.
unicef
The appeal targets 4 Sahelian countries - Burkina-Faso, Mali, Mauritania and Niger - and covers 22 humanitarian projects created by various humanitarian organizations, including: FAO, UNDP, WFP, WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF and Afrique Verte. The 22 projects cover the areas of agriculture, food aid, nutrition and health.
"We cannot wait until thousands of people, the majority of them women and children, die of hunger or of under-nutrition before we act," said the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Ambassador Ahmedou Ould Abdallah.
"So many lives - notably the lives of thousands of young children - can be saved through the collective efforts of the international community," said the Head of the Regional Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for West Africa, Herve Ludovic de Lys.
The Sahelian countries, which went through a food crisis in 2004/2005, are preparing to go through yet another difficult 'hunger' period despite good, recent harvests. Past crises have considerably weakened family coping capacities and many families are still trying to pay off debts incurred during last year's crisis. Studies by UNICEF show that young children less than 3 years of age are the most vulnerable.
"2005 was one of the worst years that the Sahelian countries have ever seen," said the Deputy Director of the World Food Programme's Regional Office for West Africa, Christine Van Nieuwenhuyse.
"In the Sahelian countries, the first victims of under-nutrition are children," said the Deputy Director of UNICEF's West & Central Africa Regional Office, Theophane Nikyema. "This year, under-nutrition will be responsible for the deaths of more than 300,000 children in the Sahel if measures are not put in place in time. We know what needs to be done, what we need are the means to do so - today."
The Sahel funding appeal completes the West Africa Consolidated Appeal Process for West Africa, which was launched in November 2005.
unicef
воскресенье, 11 сентября 2011 г.
Bollywood Actress Priyanka Chopra Becomes UNICEF National Ambassador
UNICEF is delighted to announce the appointment of the Indian cinema's leading lady, Priyanka Chopra as its newest National Ambassador promoting child rights and adolescence.
Ms. Chopra will join Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Sharmila Tagore in supporting UNICEF's work for children in India and around the world.
"I am very honored to formalise my association with UNICEF as their National Ambassador to help bring awareness for Child Rights and adolescence." said Priyanka Chopra at today's signing ceremony in Delhi. "Over the past few years, I have worked very closely with the team at UNICEF to bring awareness to a number of causes related to India's young and I realised that there is so much more to be done. I hope that by lending my voice I can make a difference to their lives."
Ministry of Women and Child Development Secretary D. K. Sikri and UNICEF Representative Karin Hulshof both welcomed the appointment.
"You all know Priyanka Chopra as a shining star of Indian cinema. Now I tell you that she is equally passionate about her work on behalf of children and adolescents," Ms. Hulshof said. "We are proud of the work she has done with us so far on child rights and we are thrilled about all what we will be doing together so that no child gets left behind. Priyanka with her unwavering commitment to child rights will help to create a world fit for children."
Ms. Chopra was 2000's winner of the Miss World competition. She made her entry into the Hindi Film industry in 2002 and since then has taken on acclaimed roles in many groundbreaking films. In 2009, she earned the Best Actress title at the National Film Awards, the most prominent film award ceremony in India.
Ms. Chopra started her collaboration with UNICEF in 2008. Since then, she has recorded a series of public service announcements championing girls' education and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. She has also participated in a media panel discussion to promote child rights.
UNICEF Ambassadors are celebrities with a demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of children. Highly talented in their individual right, they all share an ability to bring children's issues to attention, to galvanize support from the public and lead decision makers and to raise
urgently needed funds for vital UNICEF programmes.
Source:
UNICEF
Ms. Chopra will join Bollywood superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Sharmila Tagore in supporting UNICEF's work for children in India and around the world.
"I am very honored to formalise my association with UNICEF as their National Ambassador to help bring awareness for Child Rights and adolescence." said Priyanka Chopra at today's signing ceremony in Delhi. "Over the past few years, I have worked very closely with the team at UNICEF to bring awareness to a number of causes related to India's young and I realised that there is so much more to be done. I hope that by lending my voice I can make a difference to their lives."
Ministry of Women and Child Development Secretary D. K. Sikri and UNICEF Representative Karin Hulshof both welcomed the appointment.
"You all know Priyanka Chopra as a shining star of Indian cinema. Now I tell you that she is equally passionate about her work on behalf of children and adolescents," Ms. Hulshof said. "We are proud of the work she has done with us so far on child rights and we are thrilled about all what we will be doing together so that no child gets left behind. Priyanka with her unwavering commitment to child rights will help to create a world fit for children."
Ms. Chopra was 2000's winner of the Miss World competition. She made her entry into the Hindi Film industry in 2002 and since then has taken on acclaimed roles in many groundbreaking films. In 2009, she earned the Best Actress title at the National Film Awards, the most prominent film award ceremony in India.
Ms. Chopra started her collaboration with UNICEF in 2008. Since then, she has recorded a series of public service announcements championing girls' education and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. She has also participated in a media panel discussion to promote child rights.
UNICEF Ambassadors are celebrities with a demonstrated commitment to improving the lives of children. Highly talented in their individual right, they all share an ability to bring children's issues to attention, to galvanize support from the public and lead decision makers and to raise
urgently needed funds for vital UNICEF programmes.
Source:
UNICEF
четверг, 8 сентября 2011 г.
Statement Of The World Food Programme Executive Director Josette Sheeran From The Libyan Border
On the border of Libya and Tunisia, yesterday, I was surrounded by tens of thousands of people fleeing violence. It is clear the world must increase humanitarian action to prevent a disaster inside Libya. We call for safe humanitarian access, especially to western Libya. Cutting off food supplies must not be used as a weapon.
There are two immediate crises WFP is acting on:
- The urgent need for food for those fleeing Libya and crossing the borders into Tunisia and Egypt;
- The threat to food distribution systems, especially in Libya, where stocks are being depleted, and supply chains are disrupted.
I have pledged WFP's support to partner with the Red Crescent and others to help provide food assistance to those fleeing violence and to prepare for what may be needed in the days and weeks ahead inside Libya.
In response to this regional crisis, we are launching a USD$ 38.7 million emergency operation to provide food assistance to 2.7 million people in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. We are planning for a three month emergency operation that will help shore up Egypt and Tunisian food safety nets and will also purchase food from the region to help ensure that recovery from the disruption can begin immediately.
As I visited the border area, the first airlift of 80 metric tons of high energy biscuits, flown in by WFP on Monday, were being distributed at the crossing points. As part of our contingency planning we have also re-routed shipments of wheat and wheat flour to the Tunisian border and the Libyan port of Benghazi where it will be pre-positioned to meet immediate humanitarian needs that may arise.
WFP has a strong presence inside Libya and we are currently making assessments that will allow us to quickly direct life saving food assistance towards those who are most vulnerable. We call upon the world for immediate support for this appeal.
Source:
WFP
There are two immediate crises WFP is acting on:
- The urgent need for food for those fleeing Libya and crossing the borders into Tunisia and Egypt;
- The threat to food distribution systems, especially in Libya, where stocks are being depleted, and supply chains are disrupted.
I have pledged WFP's support to partner with the Red Crescent and others to help provide food assistance to those fleeing violence and to prepare for what may be needed in the days and weeks ahead inside Libya.
In response to this regional crisis, we are launching a USD$ 38.7 million emergency operation to provide food assistance to 2.7 million people in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia. We are planning for a three month emergency operation that will help shore up Egypt and Tunisian food safety nets and will also purchase food from the region to help ensure that recovery from the disruption can begin immediately.
As I visited the border area, the first airlift of 80 metric tons of high energy biscuits, flown in by WFP on Monday, were being distributed at the crossing points. As part of our contingency planning we have also re-routed shipments of wheat and wheat flour to the Tunisian border and the Libyan port of Benghazi where it will be pre-positioned to meet immediate humanitarian needs that may arise.
WFP has a strong presence inside Libya and we are currently making assessments that will allow us to quickly direct life saving food assistance towards those who are most vulnerable. We call upon the world for immediate support for this appeal.
Source:
WFP
понедельник, 5 сентября 2011 г.
World Food Program Reports 165,347 dead in Tsunami disaster - Operational Update
Total WFP Food Aid Delivered to Date, 7,854 metric tons - Total People Receiving Food Aid, 1,032,500 - Total Dead,
165,347 - Total Displaced, 1,775,264 -
INDONESIA
• Shooting erupted at 3:00 a.m. near the main UN camp for humanitarian aid workers in the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh.
Staff were awoken and dressed but the shooting quickly stopped. No casualties were reported.
• The UN was apparently not the target of the shots. Local security said the shooting was in the air by a policeman or
member of the military.
• The total amount of WFP food dispatched from the port of Medan in North Sumatra from 1-9 January stands at 2,192 metric
tons of mixed commodities including rice, biscuits and noodles. A total of 44 tons was sent from Jakarta to Banda Aceh in the
same period and another 32 tons went to the port of Singkil on the west coast of Aceh province.
SRI LANKA
• After reaching its target yesterday of giving a 15-day supply of food aid to 750,000 people, WFP will begin the next
phase of dispatching enough food for a second 15-day period.
• In the first phase of distribution, WFP distributed more than 5,000 metric tons of food, using nearly 500
trucks, to feed the three-quarters of a million people needing food aid because of the tsunami.
• In the next stage of the operation, WFP will dispatch more than 50 trucks a day, seven days a week.
• In addition to new sub-offices in Galle, Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa, WFP will establish a sub-office in
the northernmost city of Jaffna to support operations in the LTTE-controlled north, currently handled by field offices
in Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu.
• An Airbus A300 cargo jet belonging to WFP's corporate partner TNT arrived in Sri Lanka today carrying seven
temporary warehouses. The massive warehouses, measuring 32 by 10 meters and weighing over 35 tons, will be used to
store food and non-food items, and will complement four other temporary warehouses currently in use.
THE MALDIVES
• UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in the Maldives today and met with Maldives President President Maumoon
Abdul Gayoom. The Secretary-General is scheduled to travel by seaplane tomorrow to visit two of the most affected
islands, Kolhufushi and Vilufushi in Meemu Atoll.
• A third shipment of 38 metric tons of fortified biscuits arrived at Male International Airport today. WFP and
UNICEF are looking into using the biscuits to help feed 25,000 schoolchildren in the Maldives over the next eight weeks.
• At a meeting chaired by the Deputy Finance Minister last night, the Government of the Maldives told WFP that
although they do not need further immediate food assistance, they anticipate possible food shortages in March or April.
• WFP is now planning operations in the Maldives based on an estimate of 50,000 people affected by the tsunami, of whom
12,500 are displaced.
THAILAND
• The WFP assessment mission to southern Thailand wrapped up its work today after meeting with the governors of Phuket
and Ranong provinces.
• The team also met with the Directors of Education in Phuket, Phang-nga, Ranong and Krabi provinces to discuss
assistance to school food programs in the affected areas.
• The assessment team will deliver its report on food needs this week; meanwhile provincial officals will provide WFP
with their assessment of school feeding requirements in the three provinces.
REGIONAL
• Operations continue at the new WFP Humanitarian Air Hub at Subang Air Base in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Two C-130
transports left Subang yesterday with shipments of fortified biscuits, bound for Banda Aceh.
For more information please contact:
Greg Barrow, WFP London. Tel: + 44 20 7592 9292, Mob: + 44 7968 008474
gregory.barrowwfp
Heather Hill, WFP Thailand Mob: +66 1701 9208, Mobile + 662659 8690
email: heather.hillwfp
Michael Huggins, WFP Indonesia Mob: +62 811 864383, Thuraya: +881 6315
53604;
email: Jakarta.guest5wfp
Jordan Dey, WFP Sri Lanka. Tel: + 9411 2586244.
email: jordan.deywfp
Jonathan Dumont, WFP Sri Lanka Mob: +39 340 224 9140; Thuraya: +882 165
4203516.
email: jonathan.dumontwfp
Peter Smerdon, WFP/Indonesia Tel: + 6221 5734332, Mob: + 62 811 186923.
E-mail: peter.smerdonwfp
Caroline Hurford, WFP Rome. Tel: + 3906 65132330. Mob: + 393481325018
Trevor Rowe, WFP New York. Mob: +1 646 8241112, office: +1 212 963 5196
email:roweun
Visit our website: wfp. To access WFP's detailed,
up-to-the-minute
maps on the tsunami crisis, go to hewsweb.
165,347 - Total Displaced, 1,775,264 -
INDONESIA
• Shooting erupted at 3:00 a.m. near the main UN camp for humanitarian aid workers in the Aceh capital of Banda Aceh.
Staff were awoken and dressed but the shooting quickly stopped. No casualties were reported.
• The UN was apparently not the target of the shots. Local security said the shooting was in the air by a policeman or
member of the military.
• The total amount of WFP food dispatched from the port of Medan in North Sumatra from 1-9 January stands at 2,192 metric
tons of mixed commodities including rice, biscuits and noodles. A total of 44 tons was sent from Jakarta to Banda Aceh in the
same period and another 32 tons went to the port of Singkil on the west coast of Aceh province.
SRI LANKA
• After reaching its target yesterday of giving a 15-day supply of food aid to 750,000 people, WFP will begin the next
phase of dispatching enough food for a second 15-day period.
• In the first phase of distribution, WFP distributed more than 5,000 metric tons of food, using nearly 500
trucks, to feed the three-quarters of a million people needing food aid because of the tsunami.
• In the next stage of the operation, WFP will dispatch more than 50 trucks a day, seven days a week.
• In addition to new sub-offices in Galle, Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa, WFP will establish a sub-office in
the northernmost city of Jaffna to support operations in the LTTE-controlled north, currently handled by field offices
in Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu.
• An Airbus A300 cargo jet belonging to WFP's corporate partner TNT arrived in Sri Lanka today carrying seven
temporary warehouses. The massive warehouses, measuring 32 by 10 meters and weighing over 35 tons, will be used to
store food and non-food items, and will complement four other temporary warehouses currently in use.
THE MALDIVES
• UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in the Maldives today and met with Maldives President President Maumoon
Abdul Gayoom. The Secretary-General is scheduled to travel by seaplane tomorrow to visit two of the most affected
islands, Kolhufushi and Vilufushi in Meemu Atoll.
• A third shipment of 38 metric tons of fortified biscuits arrived at Male International Airport today. WFP and
UNICEF are looking into using the biscuits to help feed 25,000 schoolchildren in the Maldives over the next eight weeks.
• At a meeting chaired by the Deputy Finance Minister last night, the Government of the Maldives told WFP that
although they do not need further immediate food assistance, they anticipate possible food shortages in March or April.
• WFP is now planning operations in the Maldives based on an estimate of 50,000 people affected by the tsunami, of whom
12,500 are displaced.
THAILAND
• The WFP assessment mission to southern Thailand wrapped up its work today after meeting with the governors of Phuket
and Ranong provinces.
• The team also met with the Directors of Education in Phuket, Phang-nga, Ranong and Krabi provinces to discuss
assistance to school food programs in the affected areas.
• The assessment team will deliver its report on food needs this week; meanwhile provincial officals will provide WFP
with their assessment of school feeding requirements in the three provinces.
REGIONAL
• Operations continue at the new WFP Humanitarian Air Hub at Subang Air Base in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Two C-130
transports left Subang yesterday with shipments of fortified biscuits, bound for Banda Aceh.
For more information please contact:
Greg Barrow, WFP London. Tel: + 44 20 7592 9292, Mob: + 44 7968 008474
gregory.barrowwfp
Heather Hill, WFP Thailand Mob: +66 1701 9208, Mobile + 662659 8690
email: heather.hillwfp
Michael Huggins, WFP Indonesia Mob: +62 811 864383, Thuraya: +881 6315
53604;
email: Jakarta.guest5wfp
Jordan Dey, WFP Sri Lanka. Tel: + 9411 2586244.
email: jordan.deywfp
Jonathan Dumont, WFP Sri Lanka Mob: +39 340 224 9140; Thuraya: +882 165
4203516.
email: jonathan.dumontwfp
Peter Smerdon, WFP/Indonesia Tel: + 6221 5734332, Mob: + 62 811 186923.
E-mail: peter.smerdonwfp
Caroline Hurford, WFP Rome. Tel: + 3906 65132330. Mob: + 393481325018
Trevor Rowe, WFP New York. Mob: +1 646 8241112, office: +1 212 963 5196
email:roweun
Visit our website: wfp. To access WFP's detailed,
up-to-the-minute
maps on the tsunami crisis, go to hewsweb.
пятница, 2 сентября 2011 г.
'Revolutionary' Water Treatment Units On Their Way To Afghanistan
The United States Army has taken delivery of the first two units of a "revolutionary" waste-water treatment system that will clean putrid water within 24 hours and leave no toxic by-products, according to scientists at Sam Houston State University.
"The system is based on a proprietary consortium of bacteria - you can find them in a common handful of dirt," said lead scientist Sabin Holland.
"In the right combination and in the right medium, they have the capability to clean polluted water with a very high efficiency very quickly. It truly is a revolutionary solution."
Holland said the physical systems themselves - called "bio-reactors" - use little energy, are transportable, scalable, simple to set-up, simple to operate, come on-line in record time and can be monitored remotely.
The first two units, about the size of standard shipping containers, will be deployed by the Army to Afghanistan.
"The science and engineering technology behind this process have both military and civilian applications," said Holland.
"The technology was developed for remote applications where little infrastructure exists, such as remote military operations, disaster relief and nation-building situations."
"These systems would be immensely useful right now in Haiti," Holland said. "One of the most pressing threats to public health in the aftermath of the recent earthquake is contaminated water and the lack of infrastructure to clean it up."
Holland has managed the research and development of the systems and directs the Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies at Sam Houston State.
"We have gone from basic research into the bacteria to actual construction and deployment of the systems in seven years. The typical time from discovery to commercialization is 14 years," Holland said.
"The bacteria, the 'bugs,' we are working with are naturally occurring. We have isolated a small subset of them - each bacterium has a specific function - and we have engineered a biofilm that is self-regulating and highly efficient at cleaning wastewater."
Holland and his colleagues have tested and demonstrated the systems' capabilities and effectiveness at several municipal and military sites - to the satisfaction of the Army - by cleaning influent wastewater within 24 hours after set-up to discharge levels that exceed the standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency for municipal wastewater, "leaving less than ten percent of sludge, in most cases less than one percent."
"The typical septic system or traditional waste treatment process can take as long as 30 days and leave 40 to 50 percent sludge," he said.
Part of the recent engineering and component testing were done in partnership with Lamar University and Sul Ross University, Sam Houston State's sister institutions within the Texas State University System.
"The technology is scalable," Sabin said. "We can make the units as large as required for large scale treatment applications, or as small as a single home unit."
The research has been funded over the last three years by U.S. Department of Defense. The first deployable systems have been purchased by the United States Army for use in Afghanistan. The Army's systems will be deployed in rugged terrain and transported by the Army's standard heavy trucks using a standard pallet loading system.
After an extended search for a business partner, Sam Houston State selected a private firm, PCD Inc, of Palestine Texas, to form a limited liability corporation company named Active Water Sciences (AWS), to market, manufacture, sell and further develop the systems.
The University owns a majority interest in the corporation and has licensed the technology to AWS for three years.
"This technology is an elegant, simple system," said Dan Davis, SHSU's associate vice president for research administration and technology commercialization. "We are at a very exciting point in its commercialization."
Sam Houston State University received three patents to protect the technology and engineering associated with a system and has three more patent applications pending.
Source:
Bruce Erickson
Sam Houston State University
"The system is based on a proprietary consortium of bacteria - you can find them in a common handful of dirt," said lead scientist Sabin Holland.
"In the right combination and in the right medium, they have the capability to clean polluted water with a very high efficiency very quickly. It truly is a revolutionary solution."
Holland said the physical systems themselves - called "bio-reactors" - use little energy, are transportable, scalable, simple to set-up, simple to operate, come on-line in record time and can be monitored remotely.
The first two units, about the size of standard shipping containers, will be deployed by the Army to Afghanistan.
"The science and engineering technology behind this process have both military and civilian applications," said Holland.
"The technology was developed for remote applications where little infrastructure exists, such as remote military operations, disaster relief and nation-building situations."
"These systems would be immensely useful right now in Haiti," Holland said. "One of the most pressing threats to public health in the aftermath of the recent earthquake is contaminated water and the lack of infrastructure to clean it up."
Holland has managed the research and development of the systems and directs the Texas Research Institute for Environmental Studies at Sam Houston State.
"We have gone from basic research into the bacteria to actual construction and deployment of the systems in seven years. The typical time from discovery to commercialization is 14 years," Holland said.
"The bacteria, the 'bugs,' we are working with are naturally occurring. We have isolated a small subset of them - each bacterium has a specific function - and we have engineered a biofilm that is self-regulating and highly efficient at cleaning wastewater."
Holland and his colleagues have tested and demonstrated the systems' capabilities and effectiveness at several municipal and military sites - to the satisfaction of the Army - by cleaning influent wastewater within 24 hours after set-up to discharge levels that exceed the standards established by the Environmental Protection Agency for municipal wastewater, "leaving less than ten percent of sludge, in most cases less than one percent."
"The typical septic system or traditional waste treatment process can take as long as 30 days and leave 40 to 50 percent sludge," he said.
Part of the recent engineering and component testing were done in partnership with Lamar University and Sul Ross University, Sam Houston State's sister institutions within the Texas State University System.
"The technology is scalable," Sabin said. "We can make the units as large as required for large scale treatment applications, or as small as a single home unit."
The research has been funded over the last three years by U.S. Department of Defense. The first deployable systems have been purchased by the United States Army for use in Afghanistan. The Army's systems will be deployed in rugged terrain and transported by the Army's standard heavy trucks using a standard pallet loading system.
After an extended search for a business partner, Sam Houston State selected a private firm, PCD Inc, of Palestine Texas, to form a limited liability corporation company named Active Water Sciences (AWS), to market, manufacture, sell and further develop the systems.
The University owns a majority interest in the corporation and has licensed the technology to AWS for three years.
"This technology is an elegant, simple system," said Dan Davis, SHSU's associate vice president for research administration and technology commercialization. "We are at a very exciting point in its commercialization."
Sam Houston State University received three patents to protect the technology and engineering associated with a system and has three more patent applications pending.
Source:
Bruce Erickson
Sam Houston State University
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