IRIN Africa English reports, 8/12/2013

Table of contents
1. Severe drought taking heavy toll in northern Namibia
2. Should the UN be doing more to fight organized crime?
3. Can the DRC army stop abusing human rights?

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Severe drought taking heavy toll in northern Namibia OPUWO, 12 August 2013 (IRIN) - The arid hills of Namibia’s northwestern Kunene Region make for a harsh environment at the best of times. With agriculture limited by the region’s dry, sandy soil, most of the local population rely on livestock farming, leading a semi-nomadic existence dictated by the search for fresh pasture for their cattle and goats. But following two years of failed rains, pasture is almost non-existent; where there used to be grass, there is now little more than dust. Read report online

Should the UN be doing more to fight organized crime? NEW YORK, 12 August 2013 (IRIN) - The globalization of organized crime poses a growing threat to fragile states that lack the ability to resist it, putting pressure on the UN to find solutions. Read report online

Can the DRC army stop abusing human rights? KAMPALA, 12 August 2013 (IRIN) - Stamping out human rights abuses by the army in the Democratic Republic of Congo entails more than classroom training sessions, according to analysts, who recommend a wide range of ambitious reforms. Read report online