{UAH} FW: Priti Patel is the new DfID chief: This week in development news

fyi

Ugandan Asian Pritti Patel appointed to UK cabinet as DfID Chief.

---

Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2016 01:13:49 -0500
From: info@devex.com
To: georgeokello_8@hotmail.com
Subject: Priti Patel is the new DfID chief: This week in development news

To view this email as a web page, click here

To ensure delivery to your inbox, please add info@devex.com to your address book. July 14, 2016 THIS WEEK'S MUST-READ DEVELOPMENT STORIES Priti Patel is the new DfID chief: This week in development news By Michael Igoe @AlterIgoe A British cabinet shakeup raises big questions about the future of U.K. aid. Experts weigh the developing world consequences of Brexit, and aid groups ponder the line between acceptable and unacceptable risk amid renewed fighting in South Sudan. This week in development news: Priti Patel, a conservative member of the U.K. parliament, has been appointed secretary of state for international development, replacing Justine Greening as head of the world's second largest bilateral aid agency, after Greening was named minister of education in new Prime Minister Theresa May's administration. Greening has led the Department for International Development since 2012. Greening's new appointment came as a surprise — and prompted immediate speculation about who would take her place. On Twitter, rumors circulated that May might not appoint a new head of DfID at all, opting instead to absorb the department into the country's foreign office, now headed by former London Mayor Boris Johnson. Supporters of an independent DfID aren't breathing easily yet. As Devex reporter Molly Anders pointed out, three years ago Patel argued for "scrapping" the department that she now will lead in favor of a trade-focused body. In other Brexit news, short-term impacts of the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union fall heavily on developing countries, which will suffer an estimated loss of $3.8 billion, according to the British think tank Overseas Development Institute. ODI estimates that the devaluation of the pound — coupled with a decrease in the U.K.'s gross domestic product — will reduce developing countries' exports by $500 million and reduce the value of U.K. foreign aid to developing countries by roughly $1.9 billion. The report cautions that long-term impacts of Brexit remain unpredictable and depend in large part on the type of exit deal the U.K. negotiates with the EU. Aid groups braced against an outburst of violence in South Sudan that saw at least 272 people killed, and which has some organizations shifting from development to humanitarian relief — and many reducing their presence in the world's newest country. Médecins Sans Frontières announced plans to reduce teams in the city of Juba, amid a broader effort inside the medical organization to examine the nature of acceptable and unacceptable risk in humanitarian settings. In South Sudan, a tenuous truce is holding between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and those who side with Vice President Riek Machar. Southern African countries are appealing for $2.7 billion in drought aid to address the impacts of El Niño, which has contributed to the region's worst drought in three decades and has left more than 20 million people in need of emergency food aid. UNICEF is also sounding an alarm that the El Niño-induced food and agricultural impacts could lead to an increase in HIV infections. Women and girls facing food and livelihood stress could be more likely to turn to sex to survive, and HIV patients are more likely to miss their treatments. On Monday — World Population Day — the international community shined a spotlight on the importance of investing in teenage girls. The UNFPA pointed out that with more young people alive in the world today, and with 9 out of 10 of them living in less developed countries, investments in health and education for this segment of the population — and particularly for girls — are more critical than ever. FROM THE EDITOR Top picks this week By Devex @devex This week's top stories on Devex include an assessment of President Barack Obama's development legacy, a look at HIV self-test kits ahead of the International AIDS Conference next week, a rundown of the aid implications of the peace deal between the Colombian government and the guerilla rebel group FARC, and an evaluation of development impact bonds. Devex and partners this week also launched Data Driven, a monthlong discussion, on how the data revolution is changing development goals and reshaping the future of our industry. President Obama and his development legacy Despite all the sturm and drang, President Barack Obama successfully maintained the historic increase of U.S. assistance levels made during the Bush administration, a rather remarkable feat considering a global recession, ongoing turmoil in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and a Republican-led Congress that at times seemed to veer into nihilism. In Africa, HIV self-test success hinges on human interaction Most early iterations of an informational packet — even heavy on images — failed as a way to communicate the HIV self-test process to community members in Malawi. As a result, the importance of community health workers continues to grow as the medium of choice for communicating everything from proper testing technique to what actions the user should take if they test positive. For Colombia, peace brings development imperative and an end to donor funds Donors want a success story, and Colombia is offering — the likely end of a 50-year-old conflict between the government and guerrilla group FARC. Yet a peace deal also raises the bar for development projects, promising vast improvements in the rural areas. Already stretched from global crises, international support is likely to dry up quickly, leaving the Colombian government on its own to secure peace. Is it up to the task? Have development impact bonds moved beyond the hype? Development impact bonds, as a tool, have been around for a few years. While some of the early enthusiasm may still exist, the intervening years and initial experiences of trying to launch DIBs have brought expectations down to earth. Here's a look at what's been learned so far and what's needed to accelerate future DIBs. Solving the data conundrum: How to leverage tech and 'big data' for impact From combing phone subscription records to estimate population density and poverty levels, to analyzing tweets to predict a pending food crisis, emerging technology and the availability of "big data" sources offers global development and humanitarian aid organizations new ways to optimize both their effectiveness and reach. A #DataDriven Week One feature. SPONSORED ANNOUNCEMENT Earn your Master's in Program & Portfolio Management at Georgetown Georgetown University's Executive Master of Professional Studies in Program & Portfolio Management prepares you to lead organizational strategy and change in today's complex business landscape. Featuring a blend of online learning and on-site workshops, the program emphasizes the technical knowledge and advanced managerial insights needed to maximize resources, minimize risks, and drive results. Learn more about our program. SPONSORED ANNOUNCEMENT Building Africa's trade relations between governments and the private sector This unique event will be first of its kind in the U.S to host more than 60 government officials and decision-makers from different sub-Sahara African countries. ATTENDEES WILL INCLUDE: Ongoing collaboration with the Maryland Department of Commerce to connect manufacturers, investors and U.S. businesses to this huge opportunity Fourteen recently appointed governors and six ministers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo The agricultural chamber of Cameroon with a delegate of 18 decision-makers Sixteen agribusiness owners and decision-makers from Benin Five private sector business owners and decision-makers from Togo There will also be many other government officials and private sector business owners from other sub-Sahara African countries including Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Chad, Gabon, Angola, South Africa, Tanzania and the Central Africa Republic Four private sector business owner and decision-makers from Nigeria The African Diplomatic Institution in every discussion panel International African Agribusiness and Trade Conference Joint venture opportunities in buying and/or selling, from and to Africa Date: August 1–5, 2016 Place: Sheraton Hotel, Silver Spring, Maryland Visit us at http://www.futuresagribusiness.com Global Development Briefing - Your inside guide to the week's must-read development stories. Copyright 2016 Unauthorized commercial reapplication, reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is prohibited. Manage your newsletter subscriptions | Read the latest Devex News | RSS Feed Connect with us Devex is the media platform for the global development community. Corporate Headquarters: 1341 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA Main +1.202.249.9222  |  Fax +1.202.318.2456   www.devex.com

To ensure delivery to your inbox, please add info@devex.com to your address book.
Not interested? Unsubscribe now. Manage your subscription to Devex email notifications here.