Global Issues
News headlines for “Natural Disasters”, page 4
Defending Democracy in a “Topsy-Turvy” World
- Inter Press Service
BANGKOK, November 1 (IPS) - It is a bleak global moment—with civil society actors battling assassinations, imprisonment, fabricated charges, and funding cuts to pro-democracy movements in a world gripped by inequality, climate chaos, and rising authoritarianism. Yet, the mood at Bangkok’s Thammasat University was anything but defeated.
Guatemalan Peasants Overcome Drought in the Dry Corridor
- Inter Press Service
SAN LUIS JILOTEPEQUE, Guatemala, October 30 (IPS) - Water scarcity that relentlessly hits the rural communities in eastern Guatemala, located in the so-called Central American Dry Corridor, is a constant threat due to the challenges in producing food, year after year. But it is also an incentive to strive to overcome adversities.
Adaptation Finance Shortfalls Leave Developing World Exposed
- Inter Press Service
NAIROBI & JOHANNESBURG, October 29 (IPS) - Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica yesterday—the strongest hurricane to impact the island on record since 1851—with expectations of tens of thousands of people being displaced and devastating damage to infrastructure. The tropical storm, slightly downgraded but nevertheless devastating, made landfall in Cuba today as UNEP’s newly released Adaptation Gap Report 2025: Running on Empty shows that the finance needed for developing countries to adapt to the climate crisis is falling far behind their needs.
Tanzania’s Pandemic Fund Ushers in a New Era of Health Preparedness
- Inter Press Service
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, October 28 (IPS) - When COVID-19 hit Tanzania in 2020, Alfred Kisena’s life was torn apart. The 51-year-old teacher still remembers the night he learned that his wife, Maria, had succumbed to the virus at a hospital in Dar es Salaam. He wasn’t allowed to see her in her final moments.
UN Agencies Calls for Urgent Action as Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis Reaches Breaking Point
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, October 28 (IPS) - In recent weeks, Sudan’s humanitarian crisis has deteriorated considerably, as escalating hostilities, mass displacement, disease outbreaks, and a widespread lack of access to basic, essential services continue to endanger civilians across the country. The situation has been further compounded by a sharp increase in attacks on healthcare facilities throughout October, which has severely weakened the country’s already fragile health system and deprived thousands of people of lifesaving care.
The Only Remaining Colony in Africa Continues its Struggle for Independence
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, October 27 (IPS) - The African continent has long been monopolized by European colonial rulers, with France having the largest number of colonies, ruling over 35 territories followed by Britain with 32. A bygone era of colonial rule on the continent, “once carved up and ruled by European powers hungry for imperial glory,” has virtually ended– almost.
Gaza Shows Subtle Signs of Recovery as UN Agencies Work to Meet Aid Needs
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, October 23 (IPS) - Since the declaration of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on October 10, families in the Gaza Strip have begun returning to previously inaccessible areas, as humanitarian organizations work to scale up aid operations to meet growing needs on the ground even amid security risks, including unexploded ordnance.
World Food Programme Warns of Emergency Levels of Hunger Amid Severe Funding Cuts
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, October 20 (IPS) - In 2025, unprecedented cuts to foreign aid and humanitarian funding have exacerbated global hunger crises, leaving millions without access to food or basic services. Funding shortfalls have forced aid agencies to scale back or suspend lifesaving programs in some of the world’s most food-insecure regions, particularly across the Global South—exacerbating already dire conditions caused by conflict, displacement, economic instability, and climate shocks.
XDR-TB Drug Trial Participants Continue to Celebrate its Success
- Inter Press Service
BRATISLAVA, October 20 (IPS) - When Tsholofelo Msimango joined a small trial of a new drug regimen for tuberculosis (TB) treatment a decade ago, she had no idea whether the medicines she was about to be given would help her.
They Have Known Nothing but War—The Plight of Syria’s Out-of-School Children
- Inter Press Service
IDLIB, Syria, October 16 (IPS) - The war has deprived thousands of Syrian children of their right to education, especially displaced children in makeshift camps. Amidst difficult economic conditions and the inability of many families to afford educational costs, the future of these children is under threat.
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