Stories of Hope from a Cameroon Refugee Camp

To the world they are known as “refugees”. Nameless, faceless, all the same. But each of them have a different story to tell, of their lives, who they lost, and how they got here. Fleeing from the devastating conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR), today they are rebuilding their lives, one day at a time, in a camp in Cameroon. UN Women supports economic and social rehabilitation to some 6,250 vulnerable women and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence there. These are some of their stories.

Refugees Flee Political Violence in Burundi

A year after political violence erupted in Burundi, nearly 300 000 people have fled to neighboring Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Man-Made Disasters Intensify Vulnerability

As sea levels continue to rise, coastal communities in the province of Sindh, Pakistan, must now move further inland. Whereas uncontaminated, fresh water could be found in abundance up to 20 years before , the villagers must now dig up to 18ft in search of the few sources of clean water. When the cyclone hit District Thatta in 1999, mass destruction followed in its wake. Today, villagers still feel the grave consequence of its aftermath.

Rain as a Source of Fear

In the province of Sindh, Pakistan, rain is no longer a source of happiness, it is rather, a source of fear. "In the past, the climate was not so cruel", Haji Qasim, a local villager explains. As ongoing drought threatens the future of land cultivation and livestock in rural villages in the region, survival is no longer guaranteed to these victims of harsh climate change.

WATCH: Tongi Inferno

At least 24 people were killed and 74 injured, many critically, in a huge fire triggered by a boiler explosion at plastic packaging factory Tampaco Foils Limited in Tongi industrial area of Gazipur today.

Asia, Looking Beyond the Green Revolution

More than 2.2 billion people in Asia rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, but the Asian Development Bank warns that stagnant and declining yields of major crops such as rice and wheat can be ultimately linked to declining investments in agriculture. Public investments in agriculture in India, for instance, have been roughly the same since 2004.

Nurturing African Agriculture

While agriculture could be the driving force to lift millions of Africans out of poverty and alleviate hunger, its full potential remains untapped. For example, only between five and seven percent of the continent’s cultivated land is irrigated, leaving farmers vulnerable to climate shocks like the devastating El Nino-driven drought in southern Africa. That's why international agencies like the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are forging key partnerships to enhance agricultural production, sustainable natural resource management and increased market access.

Rickshaw Painting in Digital Age

With the advent of the digital printing press, Riskshaw painting a previously well known art form is on the verge of extinction. Many painters had to switch their profession to survive the "digital revolution".

The Floating Schools of Chalan Beel

They don't go to schools, schools come to them. Currently, some 2,000 underprivileged children are attending classes in 22 floating schools that move across the Chalan Beel in Pabna, Natore and Sirajganj districts.

100-year-old Boat Market in Pirojpur

The use of traditional boats may be disappearing fast, but there is one place in Nesarabad upazila (formerly Swarupkathi) in Pirojpur, where you can still buy newly made boats for a trifle amount.

India’s Dwindling Tiger Population Face Water Shortages

In 2016 Islamophobia is a Political Tool

When the blasphemous anti Islam cartoons published in 2006 by a Danish newspaper left 205 people dead, the then Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Ekmeleddin Mehmet Ihsaoglu, went to see Javier Solana who was responsible for foreign affairs of the European Union. The position of the EU was that there was no islamophobia at all, and this was an isolated incident. Since then, this has been more or less the position of the European institutions.

Seeking a New Farming Revolution

As the World Farmers' Organization meets for its annual conference in Zambia to promote policies that strengthen this critical sector, IPS looks at how farmers across the globe are tackling the interconnected challenges of climate change, market fluctuations, water and land management, and energy access.

Response to Ethiopia’s Drought: A Story of Success or Anguish?

Inside a health clinic run by the Catholic Daughters of Saint Anne, a nurse wraps a special tape measure around the upper arm of 2-year-old Rodas cradled in her mother’s arms. The tape reads yellow, meaning “moderately” malnourished, according to the attending nurse.

Tourism and Natural Treasures to Pull Ethiopia Out of Poverty and Famine

Despite a cultural, historical and linguistic identity quite distinct from the rest of Africa, Ethiopia never became a major tourist destination on the continent.

Addressing Climate Change On Several Fronts In The Caribbean

Climate change is already affecting the Caribbean. But there is concern that a gap still exists between what the region’s leaders are saying about the issue and what residents believe.

More Challenges For Antigua As Drought Continues

Climate change has brought with it many challenges for the people of Antigua and Barbuda.

Climate Smart Coffee and Banana Set to Boost East African Farmers’ Income

Ugandan farmers are increasingly inter-planting coffee, the country’s primary export, and banana, a staple food, as a way of coping with the effects of climate change.

Ethiopia: The Biggest African Refugee Camp No One Talks About

On a sunny November day in Addis Ababa the courtyard of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) centre is packed with people—some attend a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reception clinic, others get essential supplies, while students attend classes, and many simply play volleyball, table football or dominoes to pass the time.

El Salvador Forges Ahead in Fight Against Hunger

In the last 15 years, El Salvador has managed to reduce the proportion of hungry people living in extreme poverty by four percentage points. But they still represent 12.4 percent of the population, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Bewildering Biodiversity – A Success Story of Food Security for Indigenous Peoples in India

The 2013 National Food Security Act of the Government of India seeks, according to its preamble, to “provide for food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people”. Despite rapid economic growth and gains in reducing poverty, India has with among the highest levels of hunger and malnutrition in the world.