Strategic Assessment

The global terrorist threat continued to evolve rapidly in 2015, becoming increasingly decentralized and diffuse. Terrorist groups continued to exploit an absence of credible and effective state institutions, where avenues for free and peaceful expression of opinion were blocked, justice systems lacked credibility, and where security force abuses and government corruption went unchecked.

• As of 1 June 2016, 60 countries and territories report continuing mosquito-borne transmission (Fig. 1) of which:

• 46 countries are experiencing a first outbreak of Zika virus since 2015, with no previous evidence of circulation, and with ongoing transmission by mosquitos (Table 1).

• 14 countries reported evidence of Zika virus transmission between 2007 and 2014, with ongoing transmission.

The month saw Venezuela’s political, economic and humanitarian crisis worsen amid heightened tensions between the government and opposition, a situation which could lead to state collapse and regional destabilisation. Another major setback in electing a new president in Haiti prompted fears of further civil unrest. In West Africa, deadly violence in central Mali and south-east Nigeria spiked, while a power struggle in Guinea-Bissau led to a dangerous standoff.

I. Introduction

Shock at the Scale of Grave Violations Committed Against Children in 2015

New York – In his Annual report on children and armed conflict covering the year 2015, the UN Secretary-General expressed his shock at the scale of grave violations committed against children in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

While farmers pray that rainfall will return to normal this year, consumers brace for higher food prices and reduced quality resulting from the worst drought in decades.

This depleted water retrenchment pond in Wiset Chai Chan district of Ang Thong was one of the many casualties of Thailand's protracted dry season.

Key messages

• The Rohingya crisis is a human rights crisis with serious humanitarian consequences. In Myanmar/Burma, the Rohingya have very limited access to basic services and viable livelihood opportunities due to strict movement restrictions. The legal status and the discrimination that these stateless people face must be addressed.

This issue reports on

Summary

Following the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, Col. Taksada Sangkhachan, Deputy Government Spokesperson, revealed that tomorrow (May 25), the Prime Minister, together with Minister of Interior and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, are scheduled to have a field visit in Nakhon Ratchasima province to follow up on drought disaster relief, and progress on implementation of Government’s water management project for 2015-2016 at Lamprapleng Operation and Maintenance Project in Pak Thong Chai district.

By Denis McClean

ISTANBUL, Turkey, 25 May 2016 - The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction has peppered the speeches of government representatives making commitments at the World Humanitarian Summit which closed yesterday.

In particular, the ten ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) countries which have been at the centre of some of the world’s worst recent disasters led a debate yesterday on how building resilience to disasters can help reduce the humanitarian burden.

The United States and 47 other UN member states have endorsed the joint statement below affirming the importance of and adherence to international humanitarian law at the World Humanitarian Summit, Istanbul, May 23–24.

The army has admitted it is struggling to repatriate more than 100,000 Myanmar refugees along the border, and is pinning its hopes on the new government in Nay Pyi Taw being able to guarantee safety and security.

Thammanoon Withee, commander of the 9th Infantry Division, said on Saturday the army had encountered several problems in its efforts to resolve the border situation after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered the refugee situation be resolved.

19/05/2016 Bangkok, Thailand

The Asia-Pacific regional office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has offered to assist countries in the region as they implement a new international agreement to address illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU).

IUU fishing is about to become much more difficult once the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), a ground-breaking international accord championed by FAO, enters into force early next month.

• As of 18 May 2016, 60 countries and territories report continuing mosquito-borne transmission (Fig. 1) of which:

• 46 countries are experiencing a first outbreak of Zika virus since 2015, with no previous evidence of circulation, and with ongoing transmission by mosquitos (Table 1).

• 14 countries reported evidence of Zika virus transmission between 2007 and 2014, with ongoing transmission.

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Preliminary forecasts point to partial recovery in 2016 paddy output
• Rice production sharply down in 2015 for second consecutive year due to drought
• Domestic prices of rice increased in April

Preliminary forecasts point to partial recovery in 2016 paddy output

New Delhi, 19 May 2016 – In a major public health feat, WHO South-East Asia Region has eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus with all districts across the 11 countries having reduced the cases to less one than per 1 000 live births.

Maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination (MNTE) for the Region became official after a team of experts today successfully validated the remaining four provinces of Indonesia, the last pocket in the Region to achieve the target; after India reached the MNTE goal last year.

The Asia Pacific is the most disaster-prone region in the world. Each year, the region experiences a full range of disasters, from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to extreme weather events such as typhoons, floods and drought.