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Ben Parker

@benparker140.eurosky.social
4.8K followers 1.5K following 286 posts

Online news and social media with Newsmast. Also, humanitarian policy and practice, strategic communications, data and journalism. Previous: CEO at The New Humanitarian, CoS at the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Fedi: @benparker@newsmast.sociall

PostsRepliesMedia
Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 21/09/2026
New: South Sudan reports early signs of resistance to a key malaria medication. South Sudan has a lot of malaria. Over 50,000 cases were reported in a single week in July. More goes unreported. Other East African countries too have signs of resistance. reliefweb.int/report/south... #SouthSudan
Screenshot of report extract:

Malaria - including new drug-resistance signal

Malaria case counts remained below 2025 levels through July: 57,861 cases were reported in Week 31 (-0.8%
week-on-week; -28.7% versus the same week in 2025), with 11 deaths compared with 25 in 2025. LLIN
distribution reached 5.8 million of the 9.5 million campaign nets planned (61%).
Most significantly, the first molecular evidence of artemisinin partial resistance in South Sudan was confirmed:
K13 gene markers (A675V and C469Y) were identified in parasites from Bor and Juba. Both first-line ACTs
(artesunate-amodiaquine and artesunate-lumefantrine) remain effective - the few treatment failures
observed were new infections rather than recrudescence - and RDTs remain reliable, as only single (not dual)
pfhrp2/pfhrp3 gene deletions were found. WHO and partners are calling for scaled-up therapeutic-efficacy
and molecular surveillance and development of a national antimalarial drug-resistance mitigation strategy.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 08/09/2026
Black Sea grain trade c1347. Imports from the Sea of Azov may have averted #famine in Italy but might have imported the Black Death as well… www.nature.com/articles/s43...
Map of Mediterranean grain trading in 14th century
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 21/06/2026
@london.gov.uk is the Mayor endorsing @wsocial.eu ? He’s on the first screen when I download the app. #wsocial
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 01/06/2026
New gender who dis #PrideMonth
Google AI overview (wrongly) says :

"Jerseygender is a xenogender identity for those who strongly identify with communism or the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRJ)."
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 01/06/2026
Once again, does this mean people are betting real money that Abiy Ahmed won’t win the elections in #Ethiopia? #polymarket
A screenshot from Polymarket shows a few thousand dollars have been bet on three candidates to win the elections in Ethiopia but at 1% chances or less.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 11/05/2026
#Sheffield #cathedral
Vaulted cathedral roof from below with square / star shaped decoration.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 04/05/2026
Is this the SNAP/rotisserie thing? @merriam-webster.com #USPol
The current top search on Merriam-Webster's thesaurus is the word "chicken".
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 16/04/2026
Finally scored some merch at the #IFJ26 in Perugia. #EU
An EU-branded pencil and notebook and a printed handout about “Building resilience and protecting democracy”.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 31/03/2026
Cute or cringe?
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 28/02/2026
Jerusalem Post is swamped. #Iran
The jpost.com site shows this error: 429 Too Many Requests
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 20/02/2026
You know who else liked themselves on a banner? 📷: Damascus 2012
A large banner of Syrian President Assad on the side of a building in Damascus in 2012 (with a hole in).
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 16/02/2026
Would you like to bet against Ethiopia’s ruling party winning elections? Amazingly there is $1300 on that. #Polymarket
Graphic from Polymarket shows 96% predict a win for ruling party Prosperity in Ethiopian elections.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 13/02/2026
I ❤️ this form of commentary. The best use of comment boxes.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 04/02/2026
This is pathetic, prejudiced and unfunny.
A tweet from Bluesky on X saying: "Can you imagine how bad the sexual content on X has to be for 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵 to think you’ve crossed a line?"
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 29/01/2026
New US aid rules aim to quash DEI in any grantee’s work worldwide: www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 22/01/2026
@aljazeera.com headline writer having a good day. #boardofpeace
Headline on TV screen says “Trump opens ‘Board of Peace’ by listing countries the US has bombed.”
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 18/01/2026
Meanwhile cost of UN membership looks cheap
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 16/01/2026
Exciting choices in the #Uganda elections
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 13/01/2026
A pro-Russia account has posted this transcript of Ambassador Nebenzia's 12 January statement to the UN Security Council about Ukraine. I'm pretty sure there is no senior #UN official called DICKAROLO. It took me a while to figure it out.
Colleagues, we are no longer surprised by the narrative we heard today in this hall from those who, using their favorite “double standards,” request Security Council meetings on Ukraine while hypocritically turning a blind eye to the ruthless killings carried out on the orders of the #Zelensky regime, which is mired in terrorism, corruption, and lawlessness, seeking to beg as much money and weapons as possible from its European puppeteers for itself and its entourage.

This terrorist attack is far from an exception, but just one of many examples of the Zelensky regime's inhumane crimes against peaceful Russian citizens. Deputy Secretary-General R. Dickarolo mentioned them today, but, as usual, the UN cannot verify them. In the Belgorod region, 500,000 people were left without electricity, but the UN cannot verify this.

Neither the failed French summit of the “coalition of the willing” nor the advance of NATO forces to the borders of Ukraine will help the Ukrainian clique (we have already spoken repeatedly about the possible consequences of their presence in Ukraine). And yet many recently boasted about this, and the threat of this was largely the trigger for the start of the special military operation, in addition to our desire to end the war started by the Kiev regime against its own people.

[The word DICKAROLO is circled in red by the poster]
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 08/01/2026
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 08/01/2026
More #hipposlop
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 23/12/2025
The #UN faces a critical crisis of funding, legitimacy and relevance. How will its brand identity hold up? Most of the UN family uses blue as the primary colour (with notable exceptions). I have found 23 shades of blue so far, enough to make this festive greeting card. #UN80 #HappyNewYear
A colour wheel showing 23 shades of blue used by various UN entities.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 18/12/2025
After Ukraine announced earlier this week it had sent a sea drone into #Novorossiysk harbour, is today’s US surveillance flight path of interest? www.itamilradar.com/2025/12/18/u...
Map of flight path of US aircraft in the eastern Black Sea
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 05/12/2025
Some might say the UN's inability to stick to a single blue is emblematic of its deeper troubles. UN (#009EDB) UNICEF (#00AEEF) WFP (#0A6EB4) IMO (#004F9E)
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 05/12/2025
The International Maritime Organisation has a new logo, and has adopted its very own shade of UN blue! #unitednations Here are new and old logos:
The new logo of the International Maritime Organisation is based on two anchors and the UN logo
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 02/12/2025
Claiming even more credit now :
Zipline post on X: “Good news of the day: Rwanda made eliminating childhood malnutrition a national priority and with automated logistics they succeeded almost immediately, massively reducing cases of severe malnutrition”
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 01/12/2025
Zipline is claiming some credit for a reduction in child malnutrition in Rwanda. The co-founder notes reduced demand for the transportation of nutritional supplementary food, RUTFs, as indirect evidence.
A Zipline co-founder, Ryan Oksenhorn, posting on X says its technology has made a significant contribution to reducing child malnutrition in Rwanda.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 23/11/2025
This “counter-proposal” incudes this clause on “grain shipments”. Noting the Black Sea Grain Initiative, this is a red flag. Ukraine, like Russia, is entitled to use the Black Sea. There is no need for a special agreement, nor for that to be limited to grain. www.reuters.com/business/fin...
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 09/10/2025
More gloom (mainly) as budget cuts in the humanitarian sector bite. Postings on aid job board ReliefWeb continue to show steep declines in new hiring. The change of government and more permissive aid environment probably explains why there were 1000+ new aid jobs posted for Syria.
A graph showing reduced vacancy postings by country on aid job board ReliefWeb. All are down by 25% or more except Syria.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 24/09/2025
Update: only one major aid agency is posting more job ads this year compared to 2024.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 20/04/2025
Postings are cratering on aid job board ReliefWeb: ⬇️ Q1 2025 has the least new postings since 2014. 📉 In Feb, there were only 29 US-based vacancies. 🌐 Among major locations, only Syria has more jobs in Q1 2025 YOY. Data: @unocha.org’s ReliefWeb Me: posting in a personal capacity
The US and several countries show reduced numbers of jobs ads from 2024-Q1 to 2025-Q1. Only Syria jobs are more than last year. A multiple line graph showing Jan to March 2025 the lowest for 12 years in terms of new job ads on aid job board ReliefWeb. Line graph: New US-based humanitarian jobs used to be hundreds per month. That’s cratered to under 30 in Feb 2025.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 07/04/2025
South Sudan explains the visa ban on X (@SouthSudanGov)
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 09/03/2025
I did some #aidmegeddon #dataviz for development finance analyst Lydia Poole Read more: www.linkedin.com/posts/lydia-...
A bubble graph showing the relative aid spending of major donor countries and their projected budget changes from 2023 to 2027.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 07/03/2025
USAID-themed comedy gig coming soon in Juba.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 04/03/2025
In Kenya’s Kakuma camp, refugees protested reduced rations. Police responded with live fire. This is just the beginning.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 25/01/2025
A ringing op-ed on the brief social media ban in South Sudan: #keepiton
Photo of newspaper headline: “you cannot control diarrhoea by closing the Butthole”
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 24/01/2025
Today’s South Sudan newspapers report the lifting of the ban and objections to it.
Two newspaper front pages with headlines “NCA to lift social media ban in next 72 hours”
and

“Lawyers condemn social media ban, threatening legal action”
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 23/01/2025
It’s starting: OONI shows some degradation on some social media sites: explorer.ooni.org/chart/mat?pr... @giuliowolfe.bsky.social
Graph from OONI showing mixed results today for availability of social media sites.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 23/01/2025
So of course searches for VPNs are spiking according to Google Trends: trends.google.com/trends/explo...
A 90-day graph from Google Trends showing a rapid increase in searches for Virtual Private Network in the last day from South Sudan.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 30/12/2024
So far in 2024 there have been 6 confirmed human cases of Guinea Worm in South Sudan. #carter www.who.int/news-room/fa...
WHO South Sudan report extract : “4.4 Guinea worm: …In Week 48, a total of 708 suspected cases of Guinea Worm Disease (GWD)
were reported, comprising 653 suspected human cases and 50 suspected animal infections. This increases the cumulative suspected
cases for the year to 22,864. During this reporting period, 3 new human cases were confirmed, along with 3 domestic animal infections
(2 cats and 1 dog) and 4 uncontained GWD infections in wild animals. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 6 confirmed
human cases, 3 confirmed domestic animal infections, and 14 confirmed uncontained infections in wild animals. The majority of
human cases and animal infections have been reported from Tonj East, followed by Rumbek Centre, Rumbek North, Lapo Lafon,
Nyirol, Yirol West, and Uror counties.
4.5 Key intervention: The South Sudan Guinea Worm Eradication Program (SSGWEP) is intensifying its efforts to combat Guinea Worm
Disease (GWD) through targeted interventions in surveillance, community education, and vector control. Notable achievements
include screening 7,553 animals—94% of which were domestic, primarily dogs—for GWD, sensitizing 8,440 hunters and 21,532
fishermen on GWD prevention and the cash reward program for reporting cases, and treating 4,432 water sources with Abate to
eliminate intermediate hosts in high-risk areas. Additionally, 6,140 cloth filters and 3,322 pipe filters were distributed or replaced to
improve access to safe drinking water. These interventions are essential for addressing key transmission pathways, reducing
infections, and fostering community engagement.”
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 27/12/2024
New survey: “51% of respondents earned less than 30,000 South Sudanese Pounds (approx. USD$6) a month, 25% between 30,000 and 60,000, and 17% made more than that.” unmiss.unmissions.org/sites/defaul...
A pie chart of survey responses on monthly household income: 
51% less than 30,000 SSP
13% 30-60,000 SSP
12% 60-180,000 SSP
[Remainder is higher or don’t know]
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 21/12/2024
Get on board!
A photo of the Nile river from a low altitude aircraft.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 21/12/2024
Statement from Sudan Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
The Press Statement extends condolences, rejects and condemns targeting of humanitarian workers and says there will be an investigation.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 13/12/2024
The border between Sudan and South Sudan:
Photo of border crossing with arrival of people and donkey cart.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 13/12/2024
The WorldBank made an infographic #SouthSudan
An infographic by the World Bank about South Sudan’s poverty. Bad.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 07/12/2024
This is about $10:
A large block of South Sudanese pounds fastened with rubber bands.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 05/12/2024
The ranking of social media in South Sudan:
A news article on succession rumours about the president of South Sudan says they have travelled “even” on X.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 01/12/2024
Kayak and Expedia don’t present the capital of South Sudan, Juba as a bookable flight location. Kayak’s popup says it’s for “regulatory reasons”. Expedia help desk suggests an airport in the Caribbean. Is this a shadow ban because of US sanctions on Sudan from which South Sudan seceded 13 years ago?
Transcript of help chat with Expedia:
Me: Juba has plenty of flights including Turkish Airlines
Rep: I understand. Yes I’m checking and there are options close to Juba  the PLS airport.
Me: That
 is very very far away. Juba is in Africa.
Rep: I understand
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 28/11/2024
Stick around for more macroeconomic commentary:
A Juba street corner with graffiti saying “fuck”.
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Ben Parker @benparker140.eurosky.social · 28/11/2024
I saw a price of 5,100 South Sudanese pounds for one dollar at an exchange kiosk yesterday. The currency continues to slide. Data from WFP: dataviz.vam.wfp.org/eastern-afri...
A line graph showing the exchange rate between the dollar and the South Sudanese pound from August 2023 (about 1,000) to November 2024 (nearly 5,000).
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