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NGOs are stuck cleaning up the mess a certain U.S. president left when he ordered American troops to withdraw from northeast Syria. Medicins Sans Frontieres reports that they have had to adjust to the dangerous humanitarian conditions created by Kurds fleeing the Turkish army’s invasion of the area. According to their website, “Our teams are now running two mobile clinics providing basic healthcare, psychological first aid and screening for whether people are malnourished at one reception site. Teams also assessed mental health needs in Bardarash camp while continuing to prepare for a potential surge in the number of people arriving. http://bit.ly/2ByvpCZ
Some good news on the Ebola front. According to the World Health Organization, a major step forward has been made as a result of the “European Medicines Agency (EMA) announcement recommending a conditional marketing authorization for the rVSV-ZEBOV-GP vaccine, which has been shown to be effective in protecting people from the Ebola virus.” It is a key step before the European Commission decision on licensing. In parallel, WHO will move towards prequalification of the vaccine. http://bit.ly/32KVTNH
A peace robot has been sent to the United Nations in New York City in order to call for a halt on the production of so-called killer robots. According to the Guardian, “The robot will drop a letter to UN diplomats demanding that robots not guided by human remote control which could accidentally start wars or cause mass atrocities should be outlawed by the same type of international treaty that bans chemical weapons.” The robot’s name? David Wreckham. http://bit.ly/31BVSKe
With Lebron James’ activist reputation taking a serious knee-capping of late, it’s nice to focus on someone he’s criticized in the past for being apolitical and whom he’s set himself in opposition to. The Epoch Times reports that Michael Jordan has opened the first of two clinics in North Carolina for people without health insurance. Well done. http://bit.ly/2P9fcMq
IMAGE CREDIT: Creative Commons