Humanitarian Emergencies

Myanmar’s ‘Forgotten War’ Lurches Deeper into Horror

By Guy Dinmore
Food is passed around a campfire, and a guitar strums as cool night air tumbles down mountain cliffs, relieving the jungle of its heat. A dozen or so young Myanmar activists – some having just travelled long distances evading military checkpoints, others already living in exile – have come together in a jungle camp for a training course with a difference. Instead of armed combat, their chosen role is enabling the overthrow of the military junta through non-violent means.

Vulnerable Countries Need Action on Loss and Damage Today and Not at COPs To Come

By Busani Bafana
In March 2023, more than 600 people died in Malawi after Tropical Cyclone Freddy dumped heavy rain, flooding the southern part of the country, displacing over half a million people, and damaging property and livelihoods.

Afghan Tailors Flee to Pakistan After Ban on Stitching Women’s Clothing

By Ashfaq Yusufzai
"I had my shop in Afghanistan but came here after the Taliban's warning against stitching women's clothes. Now, I am working on daily wages in a shop owned by a local tailor master," Noor Wali, 32, told IPS.

India’s Bihar Leads Efforts to Strengthen Global Poverty Alleviation Through South-South Knowledge Exchange

By IPS Correspondent
Under the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society, Bihar’s government announced the development of a new Program for Immersion and Learning Exchange (ILE) to be headquartered in Patna.

Food Shortages Deepen in Cyclone-Devastated Vanuatu

By Catherine Wilson
One month after the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu was hit by two Category 4 cyclones within three days, food scarcity and prices are rising in the country following widespread devastation of the agriculture sector.

CIVICUS Report Exposes a Civil Society Under Attack

By Joyce Chimbi
As conflict and crises escalate to create human emergencies that have displaced over 100 million people worldwide, civil society’s vital role of advocating for victims and monitoring human rights cannot be over-emphasised.

The Need for a Strong Legal Treaty on Business & Human Rights

By Simone Galimberti
The ongoing discussions on an internationally treaty, described as a “legally binding instrument” on business and human rights, remains one of the most neglected issues that should instead command the attention of the public.

The LGBTIQ+ Community Still Oppressed in Venezuela

By Humberto Márquez
The vulnerability and struggles of the LGBTIQ+ community in Venezuela were once again highlighted when the Supreme Court finally annulled the military code statute that punished, with one to three years in prison, members of the military who committed " acts against nature.”

The Fight for Yemen’s Future Is a Global Responsibility

By Ferran Puig
As Yemen enters its ninth year of war, its people are facing a humanitarian crisis of horrifying proportions. In my role as Oxfam's Yemen Country Director, I have witnessed firsthand the effects of the humanitarian catastrophe, worsened by economic collapse and sharp increases in the cost of food and other essential commodities.

Uganda: UN Experts Condemn Egregious anti-LGBT Legislation

By an IPS Correspondent
A group of UN experts* on human rights has blasted the Government of Uganda for making homosexuality punishable by death. “It is an egregious violation of human rights, the experts said, urging Uganda’s president not to promulgate laws that take aim at and further criminalise people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT), and those who support and defend their human rights.

Stampedes as Destitute Throng Pakistan’s Free Flour Distribution Points

By Ashfaq Yusufzai
The free Atta (flour) distribution scheme launched by the government to assist the inflation-hit communities during the holy month of Ramzan has left at least ten dead and over 100 injured as would-be beneficiaries rush to claim their 10-kilogram bags.

Climate Resilient Indigenous Crops Underutilised even as Climate Change Threatens to Cripple Food Systems

By Joyce Chimbi
Elizabeth Njoroge recounts her poverty-stricken upbringing in Ting’ang’a village in the Central part of Kenya, growing up on a diet heavy on Amaranth and pumpkin.

Africa’s Dark Road to Democracy

By Gabriel Odima
The dark road to democracy began with the manner in which the Kenyan Presidential election of August 2022 was handled. Today, the Church in Kenya is calling for dialogue between the ruling regime and the opposition. The issue here is not about dialogue, but the legitimacy of the President William Ruto. The situation in Kenya reminds me of a similar situation in Rwanda in early 90s.

Burkina Faso Home to Almost Half of Closed Schools in Central & West Africa

By Marine Olivesi
Over a million children in Burkina Faso are currently affected by school closures with 6,134 academic institutions shut as of February 2023, an increase of over 40 per cent since the end of the last school year.

Black Sea Grain Initiative: Russia Reluctantly Agrees to a Two-Month Extension

By Alexander Kozul-Wright
Given the complex interplay between geopolitics and financial markets, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sent shockwaves across the global economy. Admittedly, the implications both within and between countries have varied. However, there were some common denominators, including higher commodity prices.

Keep Moving …

By Yasmine Sherif
Only forty-five days into our new Strategic Plan 2023-2026, Education Cannot Wait secured 55 percent of its total requirement for the coming four years, reaching $826 million at #HLFC2023. This is a significant milestone for education in emergencies and protracted crises, and ECW will continue to pursue fund-raising year-round in the coming four years. The goal is to reach the target of 20 million children and adolescents affected by armed conflicts, climate-induced disasters and forced displacement.

Championing Sustainability Despite Adversities in Asia & the Pacific

By Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
As we reach the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is an opportune moment to reflect on the Asia-Pacific region’s progress and accelerate efforts to achieve our goals.

Solar Powered Freezer Improving Immunization Coverage in Hard-to-Reach Rural Villages

By Joyce Chimbi
Up until 2019, nurses in three health facilities located in the semi-arid south-eastern Kenya region of Makueni County struggled to bring critical health services closer to a hard-to-reach population scattered across three remote, far-flung villages.

Excluded Afghan Girls Forced to Seek Education in Pakistan

By Ashfaq Yusufzai
Hundreds of young women and girls are moving to Pakistan to continue their studies after the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s education in Afghanistan.

Hate Attacks Against LGBTQI People Increase in Europe – Report

By Ed Holt
When D.A.* first heard about the fatal attack on a gay bar in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, last October, their first reaction was a mix of grief, shock and anger. But then, soon after, the university student and member of the country’s LGBTQI community immediately began to worry.

Most African Govts (3 in 4) Spend More on Arms, Less on Farms

By Baher Kamal
The data is shocking: three-quarters of African Governments have already reduced their agricultural budgets while paying almost double that on arms.
« Previous Page — Next Page »