Conflicts in Middle East, Africa are top ten crises of 2009

  Doctors Without Borders has released a new report highlighting the 10 worst humanitarian crises of 2009. The group said that one of the crises is the dwindling funding used for fighting HIV/AIDS in the developing world.  

Humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders says in a new report that ongoing conflicts in parts of the Near East and Central and Eastern Africa are among the ten worst global crises of 2009.

The list includes crises which are being caused by government efforts to block assistance to civilians in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Sudan, as well as a lack of civilian safety and aid in Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Peter Bouckartof Human Rights Watch notes  that yearly reports are important not only because they alert governments to conflicts and disasters, but they are also valuable for the humanitarian community itself.

"I think it's an important reminder that there are many crises out there, and they are effectively ignored because the humanitarian community does sometimes have a bit of a herd mentality," he said. "They read the newspapers and watch the news, and respond to the crises that get a lot of attention, and there are always crises that fall off the agenda."