UPDATED 01.02.10 Afghanistan: The London Conference and Yemen meeting

This post will be updated as new news comes in.

• 01.02.10: Final bit of analysis from Daniel Gerstle at Change.org
• 01.02.10: Afghan women urge NATO to remain in Afghanistan long enough to ensure that the Karzai administration will not fall to the Taleban
  
• 01.02.10: Fuller statement from the UK Government now available on Reliefweb.
  
• 28.01.10: Analysis and predictions of a new settlement which will bring the Taleban into government in Afghanistan. Much disquiet from human rights groups and other commentators at the prospect of rehabilitating perpetrators of human rights abuses.
  
• 27.01.10: Reuters reports on the Yemen meeting today, apparently hastily called after a Yemen-based terrorist group claimed responsibility for the failed Christmas US plane bomb. Apparently:

Wednesday's meeting, which brings together the Group of Eight world powers, Yemen's neighbors in the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, is designed to give a strong signal of support to Yemen, while pushing for economic development and reform. The European Union, United Nations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) will also be represented.

Given the attendees and stated focus, this seems a very Washington Consensus approach - no sign that the plight of the displaced in Yemen will be discussed.


• 27.01.10: Seven NGOs reiterate the negative impact of the militarisation of aid in Afghanistan and urge the London Conference to rethink the increasing tendency of international foreign policy to link development and security activities
  
• 27.01.10: ICRC urges all parties to work to minimise the impact of conflict in Afghanistan on civilians
  
• 26.01.10: IRIN: Humanitarian aid is not something the military can do
  
• 26.01.10: ICRC describes Yemen as 'a serious humanitarian crisis in the making'
  
• 25.01.10: Don't forget Yemen - an additional meeting will be held on Wednesday. Alertnet looks at possible outcomes of both conferences.
  
• 25.01.10: Reuters reports on the draft communique on the future of Afghanistan which includes 'a "framework" for turning the country's security over to Afghan forces' beginning this year, commits Afghanistan to setting up 'an organization to "reach out to insurgents," and the international community to ...channeling more of their aid through the Afghan government and providing debt relief to Kabul.'