Afghanistan’s Fight to Recover from the Recent Humanitarian Crisis Following the Devastating Earthquakes
The recent series of earthquakes in Afghanistan has left behind a trail of destruction and has also unveiled the nation’s dire need for immediate humanitarian support. The high casualties among women and children are a poignant reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by Afghanistan’s most marginalized populations. While the Afghan Taliban grapples with providing shelter for the affected, their tenuous relationship with international aid organizations poses a complex challenge. The seismic events have underscored the necessity for short-term relief efforts and long-term structural reinforcement to protect against future earthquakes. As the nation navigates through these tumultuous times, international support and the resilience of its people become beacons of hope for recovery and reconstruction.
A family’s vaccine hopes shattered in Brazil
As newly vaccinated people in countries such as the United States and Britain celebrate their freedom from the pandemic, the shots are coming too late for others in the rest of the world. A vicious COVID-19 variant cut through three generations of the large, close-knit Cunha family in Brazil. Within the space of six weeks, several would be intubated and four would die.
When we evaluate development projects, we must ask: What lessons have we learned?
As children, we all remember being told: “‘I hope you’ve learned your lesson”, which had a kind of negative connotation. In my line of work, however, which assesses development activities from the point of view of doing the right things in the right way with the right resources for lasting benefits for people – we learn lessons every day to make better decisions for improving quality of lives.
China announces three-child policy, in major policy shift
China announced on Monday that each couple would be permitted to have up to three children, a major policy shift from the existing limit of two children after recent data showed a dramatic decline in births in the world’s most populous country. The change was approved during a politburo meeting chaired by President Xi Jinping, […]
The pandemic’s impact on government budgets calls for renewed commitment to the SDGs
By Hyun H. Son, Véronique Salze-Lozac’h COVID-19 has brought unprecedented economic and development challenges but it also offers opportunities for financing solutions to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. As countries continue to battle COVID-19, massive fiscal stimulus packages have helped save lives and protect livelihoods in many economies. However, they have come with a hefty price […]
Britain’s Prince William and Kate mark 10th wedding anniversary with video
Britain’s Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, celebrated 10 years of marriage on Thursday with a video of the couple and their children enjoying the countryside. William, the Queen’s grandson and second in line to the throne, married Kate on April 29 2011 in Westminster Abbey in a ceremony watched by […]
Sanitation for generations: It takes a village (to raise a child‘s height)
By Milan Thomas A study in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic indicates that low-cost, village-wide efforts to improve sanitation have powerful benefits that cascade across income and age groups. Hand sanitizer. Face masks. Air filters. Hygiene has taken center stage for the past year as a critical defense against COVID-19. Sanitation and hygiene are critical not […]
Children swap classrooms for beach lessons in Spain
LOS NIETOS, Spain (Reuters) – Does having school at the beach sound like a dream? After a year of remote learning and socially distanced classrooms, one school in the Spanish region of Murcia is doing just that, trying to combine clear air and a new way of teaching.
