Experts warn of a humanitarian tragedy in Myanmar, but the country's government continues to block widespread access for aid workers.

CFR's Laurie Garrett says if Myanmar's regime continues to restrict access to aid workers, the carnage from the cyclone will exceed that of the tsunami.

In response to the devastating typhoon that has ravaged Burma, Ivo Daalder and Paul Stares argue that the UN must invoke its “responsibility to protect” clause and intervene.

Myanmar's disaster is compounded by its government, which appears to be restricting aid for political reasons.

Michael Gerson explains how “at least five former high-level Bush administration officials are deeply disillusioned with the current policy on North Korea.”

An increasingly chaotic political situation in Darfur may require a more inclusive round of negotiations than currently envisioned.

An expanded role for the UN in Iraq could aid efforts to reach political consensus, but some UN officials and American policymakers remain skeptical.

Listen to Princeton N. Lyman, the Council's adjunct senior fellow for Africa policy studies, read from the newest CFR book, Beyond Humanitarianism, a compilation of Council work on Africa.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour discusses the functioning of her office within the United Nations and how it is working to prevent mass atrocities.

Sudan’s U.S. ambassador says Western states need to give the National Unity Government space to solve the Darfur crisis.

President Bush ups pressure on the Sudanese government with new economic sanctions but it remains unclear how much leverage the United States has on its own.

Listen to Jan Egeland, special adviser to the secretary-general of the United Nations, discuss the current state of international humanitarian affairs and how world leaders can be more involved in solving related crises.

Watch Jan Egeland, special adviser to the secretary-general of the United Nations, discuss the current state of international humanitarian affairs and how world leaders can be more involved in solving related crises.

Lee Seymour, of the German Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, argues that events in Darfur may weaken the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and lead to a collapse of Sudan's tenuous peace settlement.

International efforts have focused on getting UN peacekeepers into Darfur. But what about a peace agreement?

This report from UK development charity Oxfam says that UK foreign policy is at a crossroads, as one prime minister hands over the reins to another. It cautions that as foreign-policy discussions remain dominated by the debacle in Iraq, the danger is that UK foreign policy could lurch to a much more cautious approach, turning away from trying to solve the world’s worst crises, with potentially catastrophic consequences for people in them.

A Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report for Congress (PDF)entitled "Somalia: Current Conditions and Prospects for a Lasting Peace."

This paper from Oxfam reviews the performance of the United Nation’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in its first year. The Fund is designed provide a rapid response to sudden-onset disasters, and to bridge the funding gaps in under-funded emergencies.