Stories about Disaster from November, 2012
40,000 Syrian Lives Lost in 20 Months
According to human rights organizations, more than 40,000 Syrians have been killed during the 20 months conflict in Syria. The violence in Syria has caused rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation, where 4 million people expected to require assistance in Syria by early 2013, writes Rami Alhames
Iran: Flood Kills Four People
Iranian authorities announced on Tuesday, 27th of November, flood in Brozjan killed at least four people. Watch the video here.
Photos From Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
A freelance photographer Takashi Ozaki published photos from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The plant was the scene of a nuclear disaster following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. More photos are available on fotgazet.com [ja], an online magazine by Japan Visual Journalists Association.
Deadly Factory Fire in Bangladesh Raises Questions of Worker Exploitation
The recent tragic fire at a clothing factory building in Ashulia, near Bangladesh Capital Dhaka, that killed more than 110 garments workers, has raised many questions. Bangladeshis are expressing their anger on poor working conditions and exploitation of workers.
“8 out of 10 Earthquakes Prefer Chile”
Whenever I feel a quake in Chile, one of the first things I do is go on twitter … mainly to laugh. Yes, that is how used to them we are. Rob from the blog South America writes about the recent “swarm of quakes” in Chile and how netizens react...
Bangladesh Protests Against Open Pit Coal Mining in Phulbari
In Phulbari, 350 kilometers northwest of the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, local communities have come together to raise their voices against the proposed Phulbari open pit coal mining project. If implemented, it will evict almost 100000 inhabitants from more than 100 villages within a 59 sq. km radius and will create a long term impact on the environment.
Coming out of the Water Closet: Haiti on World Toilet Day
Today is World Toilet Day. Of a global population of 7 billion, a staggering 2.5 billion people have no access to clean toilet facilities - that's about 1 in 3 people. Some of them live in the Caribbean; many of these live in Haiti - and the lack of this fundamental human right to sanitation continues to cause unnecessary disease and death.
What is the Role of the Army in Africa Today?
The army has often played a determining but ambiguous role in the African political process. Between 1950 and 2000, 53 African countries were subject to military coups leading to regime change. After a period of respite in the 1990’s, the African continent was once again the scene of many military coups in the first decade of the 21st century, with 27 attempts at takeover. Being both a factor in the consolidation and the destabilisation of regimes, the army is regarded with suspicion in most countries and does not seem to know how to adapt to changing mindsets.
Blogging the Earthquake's Aftermath from Huitán, Guatemala
The blog for the community library Mi Nuevo Mundo (My new world) from the Huitán village has been sharing photos and reports of the aftermath of the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that shook Guatemala's Pacific coast on November 7, 2012.
Myanmar Hit by 6.8 Magnitude Earthquake
An earthquake with a magnitude 6.8 hit the towns of Mandalay, Pyin Oo Lwin, Shwe Bo and Sagaing in Myanmar at 7:40 a.m (GMT+6:30). According to reports, 4 workers died and 25 were injured at the construction of a bridge[my] in Shwe Bo. The earthquake was the strongest to hit...
Russia's Volunteer Aid Capacity, On Vivid Display in Krymsk, Is Absent in Dagestan
In the aftermath of flood in Krymsk, Russia saw an outpouring of volunteer efforts, with civil society and representatives of different political fractions coming together to aid Krymsk's citizens. Perhaps the indifference about Derbent's suffering lies in the fact that Dagestan is a republic plagued by radical Islamist insurgency, where violence and death occurs daily.
Red Alert in Guatemala After 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake
Reports on the damages caused by the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that hit off Champerico on the Pacific coast of Guatemala are coming in quickly on Twitter. Netizens are sharing photos and reports with the hashtags #TemblorGT, #TiemblaenGuate, #TerremotoGT, #FuerteSismoGT, #TiemblaenGuate and more.
Haiti: Hurricanes Hardest on the Poor
Haiti Chery laments the fact that the poor always seem to suffer the most when it comes to natural disasters.
A Mauritanian Blogging Week Against Foreign Mining
For a week, Mauritanian bloggers took part in a campaign entitled "Against foreign mining companies." Ahmed Ben Jedou shares with us blog posts and tweets from the campaign, which aimed at exposing the financial, environment, humanitarian and health toll of those companies.
Cuba: “Hurricane” Damage
Notes from the Cuban Exile Quarter calls Fidel Castro “Cuba's longest and most damaging hurricane”, while Through the Eye of the Needle refers to Hurricane Sandy as “‘The Matador,’ — The Killer — who has come to give the final mortal blow to a bull already greatly injured by stabs...
Talking About Hurricane Sandy on Social Networks
After slamming the Caribbean, Hurricane Sandy came to the east coast of the United States on October 29, bringing with it rainfall and even snowfall in its path. As expected, Sandy became a trending topic on Twitter.
Saudi Arabia: First Reactions to the Riyadh Explosion
A huge explosion rocked eastern Riyadh this morning, sparking a discussion on mainstream media coverage and praising Twitter for being a source of instant news. Initial reports said that a tanker carrying flammable liquid crashed into a flyover in the Saudi capital, leaving at least 10 people have been killed and over 50 were injured. Video footage shared on video-sharing site YouTube shows the charred remains of cars and extensive damage to surrounding buildings.
