Nouakchott/London, 19 April 2012 – Since late January, some 57,000 Malian refugees have arrived at Mbera refugee camp in Mauritania. Numbers of refugees are increasing, from 200 arrivals daily two weeks ago (5 April) to 1,500 two days ago. In response, Médecins SansFrontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is stepping up its work in this area, where access to medical care is extremely limited. Fighting between the Malian army, the Tuareg movement and other armed groups is forcing thousands to flee to Fassala, Mauritania, 3 kilometers from the Malian border. “The presence of armed groups and political uncertainty in Mali is generating fear and panic among the people,” says Elisabetta Maria Faga, MSF’s field coordinator.... Continue Reading
The Geospatial World Forum will be held on April 23- 27, 2012 in Amsterdam and will bring together the geomatic field’s most influential decision-makers (mapping agencies, institutional decision-makers, image and equipment providers…) and the user community. On this occasion, IGN France International will preside the session dedicated to land administration issues in Africa. The land issue is at the heart of agricultural policies, land use planning in urban or rural areas, management of natural resources and economic development. Africa is increasingly aware of the underlying economic and social issues related to this topic and is beginning to see the need... Continue Reading
By: WASH R&E-Liberia – An international aid agency, “WaterAid” has released a new report in which it says the lives of 3,783 children could be saved in Sierra Leone if it met its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to halve the proportion of people without safe sanitation by 2015. The report, “Saving Lives”, reveals that Sierra Leone is one of 57 countries currently most off-track to meet its sanitation MDG target. On current trends Sierra Leone is due to halve the proportion of people lacking sanitation by 2435, missing the MDG sanitation target by 420 years. According to the latest figures released... Continue Reading
Brussels, 17 April 2012 – The European Commission today launches the “We Mean Business” campaign, which aims to encourage companies to create more trainee placements to boost young people’s skills and employability. At the same time, traineeships can help young people make a smooth transition from education and training to a first good job. Placements can also bring benefits to companies, enabling them to identify potentially excellent future employees who could, with their fresh ideas, be key to future productivity and competitiveness. In 2012-2013, the Commission will provide funding support for a total of 280 000 placements through its Leonardo... Continue Reading
…..for the sustainable development of forest ecosystems – Paris, April 16, 2012 – The partnership established in 2010 between the AFD and Astrium aims, in the long term, to freely distribute SPOT satellite images to governments, public institutions and NGOs that work for the sustainable management of forests in Central Africa. This programme for the provision of SPOT satellite images, which is financed by the AFD for a total sum of 8.5 million Euros, is now entering its second phase. It is piloted by French institutions specialising in the field of spatial observation united as a consortium led by IGN France... Continue Reading
