News headlines for “Natural Disasters”, page 224
Africa’s Bumpy Road to Sustainable Energy
- Inter Press Service

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 26 (IPS) - Eleni Mourdoukoutas, Africa Renewal*
For years, Kenyans freely used and disposed of plastic bags. The bags were ubiquitous—in the markets, in the gutters and in the guts out of 3 out of every 10 animals taken to slaughter.
With Poor Human Rights Record, Repatriation Not Possible
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 26 (IPS) - Policies that allow for impunity, genocide, and apartheid are "intolerable" and make repatriation of Rohingya refugees impossible, say United Nations investigators.
The value of a health scheme
- Inter Press Service

PHILADELPHIA, Oct 26 (IPS) - The challenges for the success of Ayushman Bharat are more than just at the financial and infrastructural level
On September 24, the government launched the grand government-funded healthcare scheme, the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). While some see its ambitious goals as its main strength, others are sceptical given the inadequate funding for the scheme, the weak infrastructure of primary health care centres, and the time required for the goals to be accomplished. However, nobody disputes the imperative of an insurance scheme as vast as the PMJAY, since every year about 36 million families, or 14% of households, face a medical bill that is equal to the entire annual living expenses of one member of the family. This frequently pushes many families into penury.
Rich in Agriculture, Madagascar Suffers from Extreme Malnutrition
- Inter Press Service

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, Oct 24 (IPS) - Hanitranirina Rarison is an agronomist specializing in food sciences in Fanilon'I Madagasikara. She is also a Girl Guide and actively involved in its nutrition advocacy program.As much as 80 percent of Madagascar's population of 24 million people is involved in agriculture and the country's economy largely depends on the sector, yet 48 percent of households are faced with food insecurity according to the National Nutrition Office (NNO). Over 70 percent of households live below the national poverty line of 535,603 Malagasy ariary per year (1 U.S. dollar equals 3,447.50 ariary).
Solar Power Lights up the World’s Fastest-Growing Refugee Camp
- Inter Press Service

DHAKA, Bangladesh, Oct 22 (IPS) - Dr Iftikher Mahmood is Founder and President, HOPE Foundation for Women and Children of BangladeshSolar energy has long powered homes, businesses and portable electronics. Now, it's powering a field hospital in the middle of the world's fastest-growing refugee camp.
Africa Remains Resolute Heading to COP 24
- Inter Press Service

NAIROBI, Oct 18 (IPS) - In December 2015, nations of the world took a giant step to combat climate change through the landmark Paris Agreement. But African experts who met in Nairobi, Kenya at last week's Seventh Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA VII) say the rise of far-right wing and nationalist movements in the West are threatening the collapse of the agreement.
For the Survival of the Nile and its People
- Inter Press Service

ROME, Oct 17 (IPS) - Running through eleven countries for 6,853 kilometres, the Nile is a lifeline for nearly half a billion people. But the river itself has been a source of tension and even conflict for countries and territories that lie along it and there have been rumours of "possible war for the Nile" for years now. While to date there has been no outbreak of irreversible tension, experts say that because of increasing changes in the climate a shared agreement needs to be reached on the redistribution of water soon.
Q&A: Using Data to Predict Internal Displacement Trends
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 16 (IPS) - This year the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) noted that 2017 saw the highest number of displacements associated with conflict in a decade—11.8 million people. But this is not a situation that is going to be resolved any time soon, says the organisation which has been reporting on displacements since 1998.
Water: a Private Privilege, not a Community Resource
- Inter Press Service

MUMBAI, India, Oct 16 (IPS) - Shekhar Kapur* is director, actor and producer, who rose to international prominence with the 1998 Bollywood movie, Bandit Queen. Water is becoming a private privilege rather than a community resource. It is also one of the world's most precious resources. As vital to the survival of the human species as the air that we breathe.
The Earthquake in Indonesia: How Collaboration Impacts the Global Water Crisis
- Inter Press Service

SOUTH CAROLINA, USA, Oct 16 (IPS) - George C. Greene, IV is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Water Mission*, a nonprofit Christian engineering organization that designs, builds, and implements safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) solutions for people in developing countries and disaster areasOn Friday, September 28, the world first heard the devastating news out of Indonesia that a 7.5 magnitude earthquake had struck the island of Sulawesi. The quake caused substantial soil liquefaction — where the earth literally turned to liquid and started to flow — with entire homes sinking into the ground. It also triggered a tsunami, confirmed to be as high as 23 feet, that devastated the coastal areas.

