· January, 2009

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...

31 January 2009

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....

29 January 2009

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.

28 January 2009

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.

27 January 2009

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.”

27 January 2009

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.

22 January 2009

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.

22 January 2009

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?"

21 January 2009

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...

21 January 2009

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.

19 January 2009

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.

19 January 2009

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.

18 January 2009