Top stories from DAWNS Digest
UN: Worst Refugee Crisis in Nearly 20 Years
New report from UNHCR for World Refugee Day today. “The world is in the throes of its most serious refugee crisis for almost 20 years, as conflicts in Syria, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mali have forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes, the UN’s refugee agency has said. In its global trends report (pdf), UNHCR said more than 45.2 million people were displaced last year, the largest number since 1994. This includes 15.4 million refugees, 937,000 asylum seekers, and 28.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs) – those forced to find refuge within the borders of their own countries.” (Guardian http://bit.ly/1bWTL3f)
Climate Change to Hurt Poor Most
New Analysis from the World Bank: “Millions of people around the world are likely to be pushed back into poverty because climate change is undermining economic development in poor countries, the World Bank has warned. Droughts, floods, heatwaves, sea-level rises and fiercer storms are likely to accompany increasing global warming and will cause severe hardship in areas that are already poor or were emerging from poverty, the bank said in a report. Food shortages will be among the first consequences within just two decades, along with damage to cities from fiercer storms and migration as people try to escape the effects.” (Guardian http://bit.ly/1bWTAES)
Details Emerge from Deadly Attack on UN Compound in Mogadishu
Fifteen people are confirmed dead, including four international staff, on an attack on the UN’s new office in Somalia yesterday. “The assault began when Shabab militants blew up a pickup truck rigged with explosives outside the compound, witnesses said. Militants armed with rifles and wearing explosive vests then stormed it on foot. Somali and African Union troops responded, and the ensuing firefight lasted more than an hour, punctuated by a series of blasts.” (NYTimes http://nyti.ms/14KSbky)