By Leonam dos Santos Guimarâes* RIO DE JANEIRO | 31 March 2024 (IDN)—The wars in Ukraine and Gaza can be seen as manifestations of intensified geopolitical tensions that resemble the Cold War period, although the contexts and circumstances are different. During the Cold War, the world was divided into two main blocs, led by the […]
Mekong Delta Adopts Water-Saving Irrigation
By Le Thanh Binh HO CHI MINH CITY | 28 March 2024 (IDN)—The Mekong Delta region in South Vietnam is a major food production base for the country. Approximately two million hectares of land are allocated for rice and fruit farming, and about a third of this land is regularly affected by drought and salinity […]
There Is More to Write About Africa’s Agriculture Than Famines
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 26 March 2024 (IDN) — Once again, the media is presenting us with images of the mother of all famines — stretching from Yemen to Somalia, to Sudan and South Sudan, to the Central African Republic, to northern Nigeria and, most recently, to Gaza. It’s a bad famine, but […]
UNDP Report Warns of Emerging ‘Democracy Paradox’
By J Nastranis NEW YORK | 24 March 2024 (IDN) — A new UN report has warned of an emerging ‘democracy paradox’, aggravating inequality, substantial economic concentration in the hands of the rich few, coupled with protectionism taking the upper hand over multilateralism, and rampant political polarization protection’democracy paradox’ and protectionism coupled with political polarization […]
A Growing Water Crisis Risks Military Conflicts & Undermines UN’s Development Goals
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 23 March 2024 (IDN) — The volatile politics of the Middle East have long been dominated by the fluctuating fortunes of a single treasured commodity: Oil. “Whenever we dig for water in our parched deserts”, a diplomat from the Middle East once confessed, “we end up striking oil”. But […]
UN Greets the Adoption of Robust Blueprint to End Women’s Poverty
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK | 23 March 2024 (IDN) — UN Member States have pledged to boost financing and institutions to eradicate women’s and girls’ poverty. The outcome document (or Agreed Conclusions) of the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) points out that women and girls living in poverty […]
Human Rights Groups Call for Suspension of US Arms Supplies to Israel
By Thalif Deen NEW YORK | 21 March 2024 (IDN) — As the disproportionate death toll of Palestinian civilians reach over an estimated 30,000—in retaliation for the October 7 killings of 1,200 Israelis by Hamas—there is a continued growing demand for the suspension or restriction of US arms to Israel. The US, which is the […]
Sudan Will Soon Be the World’s Worst Hunger Crisis
By Edem Wosornu The author is Director of Operations and Advocacy of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Following are extensive excerpts from his Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Sudan. NEW YORK | 21 March 2024 (IDN) — In resolution 2417, you asked the Secretary-General […]
Is Violence in the Blood of Muslims?
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 19 March 2024 (IDN) — Is Islam violent? ISIS in Syria and Iraq. In Pakistan, there is Lashkar-e-Taiba and the attempted murderer of the schoolgirl, Malala Yousafzai. Immigrant Moroccan men roughly pushing women and fondling them in the crowd in Cologne. Murderous bombs in Paris. Right now, much of […]
UN Health Agency Warns of Imminent Famine in Gaza
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA | 18 March 2024 (IDN) — The situation in Gaza is catastrophic, and northern Gaza faces imminent famine. According to the latest analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) partnership released today, the rest of the Strip is also at risk. Over a million people are expected to face […]