humanitarian organizations

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WCK Chief Puts Israel on Blast: Convoy 'Systematically' Targeted

Israel says misidentification to blame; aid group founder doesn't buy it

(Newser) - Celebrity chef Jose Andres, founder of the World Central Kitchen humanitarian aid nonprofit, says the seven WCK aid workers who were killed in Gaza Monday night were targeted "systematically, car by car." In what Reuters describes as an emotional interview, Andres claimed that the Israeli military knew about...

Celebrity Chef's Aid Group in Spotlight After Fatal Strike

Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen was delivering food in Gaza when hit by Israeli forces

(Newser) - The Israeli airstrike that killed seven workers with the charity World Central Kitchen in Gaza has focused attention not just on WCK but on its high-profile founder, chef and restaurateur Jose Andres.
  • About him: The 54-year-old is a native of Spain who moved to the US at age 21 and
...

Founder of Syria's White Helmets Group Dies

James Le Mesurier helped start the volunteer rescue organization

(Newser) - A former British army officer who helped found the White Helmets volunteer organization in Syria was found dead in Istanbul early Monday, Turkish officials and the group said. James Le Mesurier's body was found near his home in the Beyoglu district, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. The Istanbul...

Celebs Who Are Surprisingly Charitable

Taylor Swift donates $4M to Country Music Hall of Fame

(Newser) - Taylor Swift is donating a sizable $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the largest gift ever donated to the museum by an artist. It will fund the Taylor Swift Education Center, a new classroom and exhibit space opening in 2014, the AP reports. Swift proves...

Sudan Invites Aid Groups Back to Darfur

After getting the boot in March, NGOs to return to troubled region

(Newser) - The Sudanese government says it will invite new aid groups to work in Darfur and let the UN and other agencies expand their operations in the region. The announcement comes two months after Sudan expelled 13 NGOs, including Doctors Without Borders, in the aftermath of the International Criminal Court's indictment...

Darfur Crisis Will Worsen in Weeks: US Envoy

(Newser) - The humanitarian situation in Darfur will worsen significantly in just a few weeks if aid organizations do not move quickly, says the new American envoy. Scott Gration said groups expelled by President Omar Bashir last month for allegedly colluding with the International Criminal Court to indict him on war crimes...

Chernobyl Exchange Teen Demands to Stay in US

Furious Belarus officials call California host family 'kidnappers'

(Newser) - A Chernobyl exchange teen who doesn’t want to leave her host California family has infuriated Belarus officials, who are demanding her return. Tanya Kazyra, 16, has spent the last nine summers with a Petaluma family as part of a humanitarian exchange health program for children suffering the effects of...

Megapastor Aims to Save Not Only Souls, but Lives

Critics blast megapastor's worldwide efforts as more hype

(Newser) - Megapastor Rick Warren, he of The Purpose Driven Life, has moved from organizing churches to save souls to organizing churches to save lives, Time reports. At the forefront of the new wave of Evangelicals, the hyper-energetic Warren launched a worldwide initiative, called PEACE, to use churches to fight poverty and...

Darfur Sinking Into Chaos of Warring Rebel Groups

Rebel factions endanger massive relief effort

(Newser) - The civil war in Darfur has degenerated into a tangled mess of militias and warlords battling each other, a development that threatens efforts to bring relief to the 2.5 million people affected by the fighting. Dozens of rebel groups are at war with each other, not just the government,...

Helping Hands Often Hurt: Study
Helping Hands Often Hurt: Study

Helping Hands Often Hurt: Study

Harvard researchers recommend steps to improve impact of global aid

(Newser) - Disaster response can be a damaging force when aid isn't applied intelligently and in an organized fashion, a Harvard researcher tells LiveScience. A study by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative found incidences of spoiled food, haphazardly administered medicine, and donated clothes appropriate for neither culture nor climate. The study calls on...

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