Cobertura total: Asia y el Pacífico

17.05.2008 WASHINGTON, May 16 (OneWorld) - Antiwar veterans of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan took their case to Capitol Hill Thursday, baring their souls with stories of killings of innocent civilians, torture, and wrongful detentions.

16.05.2008 Both humanitarian aid and political aid is needed in Myanmar (formerly Burma) now, says a board member of a U.S. group active on Burmese issues.
From: U.S. Campaign for Burma

16.05.2008 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.

16.05.2008 South Asia has been a hotspot of the most stubborn conflicts. While many other societies have managed to resolve their discords, the conflicts in this region remain unresolved because of the inflexibility and dogmatism of the contending parties, says historian and columnist Ramachandra Guha.

16.05.2008 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.

16.05.2008 Lacking support from the government, a group of tribal women from a remote district in Orissa in eastern India, devised a unique way to get rid of water scarcity. By using bamboo pipes to carry stream water to the villages, these women have benefited hundreds of people.

16.05.2008 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.

15.05.2008 WASHINGTON, May 15 (OneWorld) - As UN estimates of the number of Burmese affected by Cyclone Nargis rose from 1.5 to 2.5 million and the United States and United Nations continued to wrangle with Myanmar's rulers over visas for aid workers, Atlanta-based CARE received a $1 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to deliver humanitarian relief in Myanmar.

15.05.2008 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.

15.05.2008 A number of international aid organizations and foreign governments are helping Chinese authorities respond to the Monday earthquake that claimed over tens of thousands of lives and destroyed 3.5 million homes.

15.05.2008 Selling excess rice held in Japan and imported from the United States would incite a rapid drop in the global price of rice but requires immediate action from Tokyo and Washington, write former editor of The Rice Trader, Tom Slayton, and policy analyst, Peter Timmer.

15.05.2008 An ICT project in Sri Lanka is enabling people with disabilities to avail opportunities and live in an inclusive society. The eNABLE project – with Braille-equipped computers, a software to convert text into speech, a group hearing system and host of other facilities – links them with others at global and national levels.

15.05.2008 Indian Committee of Youth Organisations will be holding a national convention in partnership with UNICEF from May 28-30, 2008 in Bangalore, India. The event will provide a platform for various youth groups and networks across the country to take up issues concerning the fight against AIDS.

15.05.2008 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.

15.05.2008 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.

15.05.2008 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’.

14.05.2008 This month marks the 60th anniversary of Israel's existence, but the organization Jewish Voice for Peace says it will not celebrate the establishment of a Jewish state until Palestinians are granted their fundamental human rights.

14.05.2008 Asian governments -- seen to have greater leverage with Myanmar authorities -- are being asked to increase the pressure on the military junta to effectively address the humanitarian crisis caused by Cyclone Nargis.

14.05.2008 A photoessay including award-winning photographs depicts the lives of girls in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Nepal who marry as children.

14.05.2008 Lack of jobs and unpaid debts have led to a spate of suicides among traditional goldsmiths in southern India. The mechanised jewellery making industry has ruined practitioners of this traditional craft, leading to hundreds of thousands living in penury.