Since 2004 hundreds of people have been killed and thousands displaced as a result of fighting between Shia rebels and government forces in the northern governorate of Saada. IRIN takes a look at the background to the conflict, and tries to shed light on why it still smoulders today.

According to a statement by President Thabo Mbeki's office on 21 May, "[He] has approved a request from the South African Police Service [SAPS] for the involvement of the South African National Defence Force [SANDF] in stopping ongoing attacks on foreign nationals in Gauteng Province."

At least 23 people have died since xenophobic violence erupted 10 days ago in Gauteng; the International Organisation for Migration believes that about 13,000

The World Bank's Fragile and Conflict-Affected Countries Group recently launched a Database of grants financed by the Post-Conflict Fund and the Low Income Countries Under Stress (LICUS) Trust Fund. These grants range from 1998 to the present, and cover most fragile states and conflict situations. The Database features basic information on each of the projects supported by these two trust funds, including implementing agencies, project themes, objectives and activities, grant amounts, years of i more...