News headlines for “Causes of Poverty”
Sudanese Civil War Escalates as Drone Strikes Deepen Civilian Toll and Regional Risks
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, March 20 (IPS) - The past two weeks have marked a significantly violent escalation in the Sudanese Civil War, with drone strikes and artillery shelling between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) causing widespread destruction, casualties, and displacement. With humanitarian responses critically underfunded and the scale of needs, including the hunger crisis, continuing to grow, experts warn that millions in Sudan could be affected by famine, violence, or prolonged displacement.
Running on Sunshine: Pakistan’s Solar Boom to Tide Over Middle East Energy Crisis
- Inter Press Service

KARACHI, Pakistan, March 20 (IPS) - Energy expert Vaqar Zakaria believes solar power makes “excellent economic sense” – and he lives by it. For over five years, his rooftop panels have slashed his bills, sometimes to zero, even allowing him to sell surplus electricity back through net metering.
Geospatial Innovations Addressing Critical Water Data Gaps in Asia
- Inter Press Service

BANGKOK, Thailand, March 20 (IPS) - Across Asia, new initiatives are showing how satellite Earth observation data and AI-powered technologies can turn fragmented water-related data into actionable insights for managers and policymakers in line ministries and local governments.
Where Water Doesn’t Flow, Equality Doesn’t Grow – Challenging Global Patriarchy this World Water Day
- Inter Press Service

BRIGHTON, UK, March 19 (IPS) - The 2026 campaign on World Water Day’s focuses on Water and Gender – ‘where water flows, equality grows’ . While substantial progress has been achieved across a range of gender indicators spanning education, health and public participation, the situation around WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) is still marked by deep inequalities with women and girls disproportionately affected – and this reflects the persistence of global patriarchy.
80 Percent of Rural Households Without Direct Water Access – World Water Report
- Inter Press Service

NEW YORK & SRINAGAR, India, March 19 (IPS) - A new United Nations report has warned that global water inequality remains one of the most pressing development challenges of the decade, with billions still lacking safe drinking water and sanitation – while women and girls continue to bear the heaviest burden of water insecurity.
Middle East war shockwaves ripple through Asia-Pacific fuel and supply chains
- UN News

The fallout from the war in the Middle East is rippling far beyond the Gulf, disrupting fuel supplies, shipping routes and supply chains across Asia and the Pacific, with some of the region’s most vulnerable economies already feeling the strain through rising prices, rationing and threats to jobs, food security and remittances.
Africa’s Minerals Boon, Cautious Optimism Amid Geopolitical Disruptions
- Inter Press Service

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, March 18 (IPS) - Africa’s eye on minerals as the be-all-and-cure-all for the continent’s development agenda is being tested by geopolitical gamesmanship as global superpowers jostle to carve new spheres of influence.
CHINA: ‘The State Is Using Generative AI to Engineer Reality Through Informational Gaslighting’
- Inter Press Service

CIVICUS discusses China’s tech-enabled repression with Fergus Ryan, a Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), where he specialises in how the Chinese Communist Party shapes global information environments through censorship, propaganda and platform governance. His research includes a major study on China’s AI ecosystem and its human rights impacts, as well as investigations into China’s use of foreign influencers.
Rapid Rise of Smart City Surveillance Tech Across Africa to Spy on Citizens
- Inter Press Service

BRIGHTON, UK, March 17 (IPS) - A massive expansion of AI-enabled surveillance of public spaces across Africa is violating citizens’ freedoms and the fundamental human right to privacy, warns a new report by the Institute of Development Studies.
Nearly 5 million children are still dying annually before their fifth birthday: Here’s why
- UN News

An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to new United Nations estimates released on Tuesday – highlighting a worrying slowdown in global progress on child survival.

