What is IRIN?
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| IRIN Radio Angola, helping local voices be heard. [Photo IRIN] |
IRIN's principal role is to provide news and analysis about sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia for the humanitarian community.
IRIN offers information through its text and radio services and supports advocacy efforts through the provision of materials – photos, films and reports – that can be used by humanitarian agencies to highlight forgotten crises.
IRIN networks target decision-makers in relief agencies, host and donor governments, human-rights organisations, humanitarian advocacy groups, academic institutions and the media. At the same time, IRIN strives to ensure that affected communities can also access reliable information, so they can take informed decisions about their future.
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, IRIN was founded in 1995 to improve the flow
of vital information to those involved in relief efforts in the Great Lakes region following the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
IRIN is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, but its news service is editorially independent. Its reports do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations and its various agencies.
What does IRIN cover?
The range of subjects covered and the number of services offered have also increased over the years. The core news service is distributed free of charge to subscribers by e-mail, and via the website, www.irinnews.org.
This is now complemented by a range of other multimedia services:
- PlusNews - a specialized news service in English, Portugese and Arabic - on HIV/AIDS
- IRIN Radio - helps develop the programming of radio stations in Africa and Asia
- IRIN Films - produces short documentary films for advocacy purposes, and news footage for international media.
- IRIN Photos - Free print-quality photos from the field.
- In-Depth reports - comprehensive analyses of selected humanitarian issues, offering a detailed resource and advocacy tool for policy-makers, researchers and humanitarian actors.
- A growing array of multimedia features include audio-slides, interactive news map and user-generated content
Who does IRIN serve?
IRIN has a growing worldwide readership that now stands at two million annually while email subscriptions total 65,000. Many more receive IRIN news indirectly through newspapers, websites, radio and TV stations that use the services for free.
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IRIN
IRIN Français
IRIN PlusNews
IRIN In-Depth Reports
IRIN Radio
IRIN Films
IRIN Photos
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