Two years ago, we met Ayman Hirh, a Syrian refugee who had fled to Scotland with his family. Hirh spoke about the heartache of leaving Damascus, and his hopes for his two young sons. Now, the family are settled in Edinburgh, where Hirh volunteers for the British Red Cross and his wife, Iman, works in a hotel. Read how their lives have changed.
One in every 113 people in the world is a refugee, according to the UN. A record 65 million men, women and children were forced from their homes by war and persecution last year, the annual global trends study found.
Elsewhere on the site
The opium bulbs of Myanmar: drug crop or lifeline for poor farmers?
Head of UN Women vows to tackle laws blocking women’s economic progress
Sterilised at 20: the Indian women seeking permanent contraceptive solutions
Madagascar’s vanilla farmers face volatile times after poor harvest
Somalia’s limited polls overshadowed by clan rivalries and al-Shabaab
Opinion
People caught in the midst of humanitarian crises need cash, not commodities, write Erik Johnson and Paula Gil Baizan. They argue that survivors of conflict and disaster prefer to use cash to access what they need more efficiently. The next step, they say, is to work out how best to coordinate cash transfers at scale.
Following news that the Colombian government and Farc guerrillas have agreed a bilateral ceasefire, activists say the country’s future hinges on an inclusive peace deal. “After more than three years of peace negotiations, we welcome the ceasefire as a major step forward. But we need to be realistic,” writes Héctor Fabio Henao, director of Cáritas Colombia.
Multimedia
Why is comprehensive sex education so important? Listen to the latest Global development podcast, featuring young people and experts on combating misconceptions and taboos around sex.
Severe water shortages are affecting about 330 million people in India, as farmers suffer devastating water losses. Photographer Sean Gallagher captured the impact of the drought.
And if you missed it, take a look at our film on the harsh abortion laws in El Salvador, where women can be jailed for suffering miscarriages. The piece recently took the top prize in the short film category at the One World Media awards.
What you said
We asked readers to share their experiences of sex education in the classroom. bzz77 wrote:
Mine was way too technical. We had classes every year, starting when I was about 13 and ending when I was 16. But the teachers used anatomically/medically correct terms for everything and no one could understand what on earth was going on. I have a PhD in engineering and deal with menstruation, but I am still quite confused about the details. One of these days, I need to get on Wikipedia and rectify that.
Highlight from the blogosphere
While the global impact of the UK’s vote to leave the European Union remains unclear, the International Institute for Environment and Development has shared its initial thoughts on navigating uncharted waters.
And finally …
Poverty matters will return in two weeks with another roundup of the latest news and comment. In the meantime, keep up to date on the Global development website. Follow @gdndevelopment and the team – @LizFordGuardian, @clarnic and @CarlaOkai – on Twitter, and join Guardian Global development on Facebook.
