A new report shows only a small fraction of official development assistance goes toward ending violence against children. For the first time, a review of official development assistance (ODA) to end violence against children has been done. The report Counting Pennies found that in 2015, total ODA spending was $174 billion and of that, less than 0.6 per cent was allocated to ending violence against children. Civil society partners that collaborated on this report were World Vision International, SOS Children’s Villages, Save the Children and ChildFund Alliance.

There are thousands of Nigerian farmers who suffered similar fates — displaced by the Boko Haram terrorist organization — who are cultivating again. [...] USAID partners, including state and local government agencies, helped ensure distribution occurred ahead of this year’s planting season.

India remains an integral part of Afghanistan’s steady progress in institutionalizing peace, pluralism, and prosperity. Ties between Afghanistan and India go beyond the traditionally strong relations at the government level. [...] Moreover, in an effort to further solidify ties between Afghans and Indians, the Afghan Embassy in Delhi has initiated the creation of sister-city relations between major Indian cities and states and their Afghan counterparts. 

There's a reason Americans are confused about the value of overseas development assistance. And there's also a fix -- if the State Department gets serious about the next QDDR.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that he will give $19bn in financial aid, for job creation and infrastructure, to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine earlier this year.  He was speaking during a visit to the region in front of members of Russian parliament who called out from their vacation in Moscow and asked to assemble in Crimean city of Yalta.

President Obama said Monday that the U.S. would help construct a major solar power plant in Chile.  The power plant will help diversify Chile's energy sources while supporting Obama's national export agenda by facilitating roughly $97 million in U.S. exports, according to the White House.