Today's Headlines

05/16/2008 Floods in Bihar, a state in eastern India, have devastating impact on women, children, the landless and dalits. Waters Of Despair, a documentary film dives deep to reveal how administrative negligence is an even bigger culprit. It finds holes in disaster preparedness, relief distribution and beneficiary identification.

05/16/2008 Cyclone Nargis that wrecked Burma brought back horror memories to the villagers of Southkhali in Bangladesh. People here continue to live in makeshift shelters with little protection from wind and rain. Last year’s cyclone Sidr had killed thousands of people and left millions homeless in Bangladesh.

05/16/2008 As part of the Billion Tree Campaign, United Nations Environment Programme has set a new goal of planting 7 billion trees by the end of 2009. The campaign strongly encourages individuals, civil society networks and governments to plant indigenous trees that are appropriate to the local environment.

05/16/2008 Low levels of literacy make it difficult for families in Pakistan to access information on post-natal care, contraception and medical attention. With only two percent of its GDP allocated to education, the country risks achieving the Millennium Development Goals, says UNESCO.

05/15/2008 The clearing of mangroves along Myanmar’s coast exposed communities to greater risks during cyclone Nargis, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Intact and dense coastal vegetation can reduce impacts of stormy waves and act as windbreaks in reducing devastation.

05/15/2008 The European Union’s plan for 'carbon equalisation' by imposing carbon tax on all imported items from countries not bound by Kyoto Protocol has not gone down well with countries like India. They see it as a new tariff barrier that will severely hamper international trade.

05/15/2008 Ever since it was first introduced in 1984 by the Australian government, the concept of gender-sensitive budget has spread far and wide with more than 50 countries embracing it, including India and Bangladesh. Women’s groups now want it to be extended to more countries.

05/15/2008 At a recent review meeting of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights held in Geneva after 17 years, India was adjudged a poor performer. A panel of observers found the progress in critical human development areas such as food, health, housing and education as ‘unsatisfactory’.

05/14/2008 The global food price rise is leading to further malnourishment among Indian children, UNICEF warns, as families reduce the number of meals in a day. India already has the worst indicators of child malnutrition in South Asia, along with 40% of the world’s underweight newborns.

05/14/2008 Recent military operations by US and NATO forces have displaced thousands of families in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan, forcing them to live without shelter, food and medical assistance. UN agencies and other international aid groups have been asked to provide humanitarian relief to the unfortunate victims.