Top stories from DAWNS Digest
Extreme Drought in Haiti
Poor rains are forcing an extreme drought that is threatening livelihoods and causing food insecurity. “A drought is causing an extreme emergency in northeast Haiti, wiping out sorely needed crops and livestock, an official said Tuesday. Pierre Gary Mathieu of the government’s National Coordination of Food Security told The Associated Press that the eight-month-long drought in the region has caused the loss of two harvest seasons. It will take the area six months to recover.” (AP http://yhoo.it/1fZSCxQ)
UN Aid Convoy Set to Enter Syria Via Turkey For First Time
Some NGOs have been using this route, but this is the first time that UN convoy, and one this large, will access Syria via Turkey. “A U.N. convoy of about 80 trucks is ready to cross the Turkish border into Syria for the first time, aid officials said Wednesday, in a step they hope will pave the way for humanitarian access to the country’s most desperate areas. The convoy became possible after the U.N. Security Council last month unanimously called on Syrian authorities and rebels to allow prompt access for humanitarian supplies across front lines and borders by the most direct routes. Last week, Syria granted its approval to the opening of the border crossing and sources said Turkey had also now given the delivery the go-ahead.” (Daily Star http://bit.ly/PRftlC)