Stories about Disaster from January, 2009
China: netizens regret donations to Sichuan
Beichuan County, the hardest hit area in 5.12 Sichuan earthquake, has spent RMB 1.1 million (USD160, 854) on one Land Cruiser, an imported luxury car, which has triggered explosive critique among the Chinese netizens. Blogger 心寒 (Chilling Heart) writes he could not help bursting into rage while many others, including...
Jordan: The BBC and Gaza
“The BBC says the risk of compromising confidence in its fairness, coupled with ‘question marks’ about aid getting through, had led to its decision not to broadcast the Gaza appeal. Because of this decision Sky and ITV are not allowed to make the appeal either,” reports Ali Dahmash, from Jordan.
Jamaica, Zimbabwe: Hunger Strike
“Do people in Jamaica and the Caribbean care enough about events in Zimbabwe to lend their help to this call for moral action?”: Annie Paul has a friend who is on a hunger strike to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe and tells us how we can help.
Ukraine: Medical Center for Street Children
Scenes from the Sidewalk posts pictures and writes about the only medical center in Kyiv “where street children can get medical attention without documents”: “Many At-Risk Children or street children do not have these documents and will be turned away at the door if they try to get medical attention....
Guyana: Going High-Tech
Guyana 360 maintains that the former First Lady is not the only one who has suffered “high-tech abuse” at the hands of the country's President.
Brunei after the floods: A time of loss and prayers
Two persons died in Brunei due to the recent flooding that swept the Asia-Pacific region. Brunei has experienced the worst flooding in the past few weeks. More Bruneians are using the power of prayers and reflections to survive in these troubled times.
Ukraine: Travel to the Exclusion Zone
Chernobyl and Eastern Europe Blog writes about “Photos of Your Home” at Pripyat.com, the project “developed as an opportunity for former Pripyat residents to see pictures of their former homes/apartments.”
Madagascar: Devastating tropical storm makes way for a political one
A few days after passing Madagascar, the official toll from the damages caused by Cyclone Fanele have finally come in. President Ravalomanana president flew to one of the affected areas to assess the extent of the devastation. Cyclone citizen media initiative While the BGNRC (department of risk and disaster management)...
Afghanistan: Human Rights Watch and The Azizabad Massacre
Colla reports that Human Rights Watch has sent a letter to outgoing US Secretary of Defense Robert M Gates to remind of the US night air attack on Azizabad, Afghanistan, that took place on 21-22 August last year and resulted in tens of dead civilians, while the US authroties were...
Philippines: The root cause of the flooding
In the Philippines, media reports have cited weeks of heavy rain brought by a cold front as the immediate cause of the massive flooding and landslides. Some Filipino bloggers have started asking more questions. What was the root cause of the flooding? What is really happening? Here are some efforts of Filipino bloggers to make sense of the disaster.
Madagascar: Major Damages from Tropical Storm Eric & Cyclone Fanele
In the past days, Madagascar has been sandwiched between both Tropical Storm Eric and Cyclone Fanele. Considering that last year's cyclone season was particularly deadly, bloggers in Madagascar are weary of the consequences of such natural disasters. Despite growing political tension, many of them reacted promptly to share their thoughts on what seems to be another series of damaging catastrophes.
Palestine: “In Gaza, only the dead have seen the end of this war”
The people of Gaza are discovering the extent of the destruction inflicted during three weeks of Israeli attacks, and are slowly starting to rebuild their lives. Some bloggers are wondering about the less visible psychological and emotional damage. One asks, "What will be the reward for getting up and going on, one more time?"
Myanmar: Cyclone recovery will take four years
According to a UN agency, recovery and reconstruction efforts in the cyclone-ravaged areas of Myanmar will take four years. Last May 2008, a deadly cyclone hit Myanmar.
Madagascar: Tropical cyclone Fanele makes landfall in the Southwest Region
Blogger Pierre Maury is thinking of the Southwest region of Madagascar as Tropical Cyclone Fanele has made land fall at 4:17 am on January 21st 2009 (fr). The city of Belo-sur-Mer is threatended by gust of wind as fast as 281 km/h.
China: victims of Sichuan earthquake
The victims of the Sichuan 5.12 earthquake are suffering from the chilly winter. A local official says the lowest temperature in the earthquake zone can be 21.1 degrees below zero centigrade. Now how to help the victims pull through the bitter winter remains an urgent and tough task. Last month,...
Malaysia: Lessons from the flooding disaster
Last week, flooding hit several areas in the Sarawak State of Malaysia. Bloggers recount their experience and the lessons to be culled from the flood disaster. The flooding was the worst in years in Malaysia.
Queen Rania of Jordan on Gaza: “Hell on Earth”
Jordanian blogger Ali Dahmash links to this video featuring Queen Rania appealing for aid towards the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) operating in war torn Gaza.
Guyana: Flooding Controversy
Guyana has been experiencing severe bouts of flooding recently, causing damage to crops and livestock and outrage among bloggers.
Palestine: Assessing the Aftermath in Gaza
On Sunday evening the Israel Defense Forces began a troop withdrawal from Gaza, following three straight weeks of attacks. Israel's unilateral ceasefire was announced earlier in the day, and met with an offer for a one-week ceasefire from Hamas. Ayesha Saldanha shares blog reactions from Gaza.
Israel: IDF Operating a Moral War in Gaza?
Bloggers have been defending the IDF which has been highly criticized for operating an unjust war in Gaza. Many choose to highlight facts which are not necessarily presented in mainstream news on its fighting techniques - minimizing civilian casualties by using precise missile technology, calling homes and dropping warning leaflets, while focusing on the target: weakening Hamas, destroying their artillery and ability to fire missiles into Israeli territory.
Philippines: Helping flood victims through Plurk and blogs
Filipino bloggers have organized a feeding program for the benefit of flood victims in south Philippines. They announced their project through Plurk and other social networking sites.
