· March, 2009

Stories about Humanitarian Response from March, 2009

Indonesia: “Mini-Tsunami” hits village as dam collapses

  30 March 2009

Last Friday the Situ Gintung dike collapsed in Indonesia which killed almost a hundred people and injured 190 others. At least 300 houses were destroyed and 1,600 residents were displaced. The extent of the tragedy reminded many Indonesians about the deadly tsunami which hit the region five years ago.

Iraq: Six Years On

It's the sixth anniversary of the Iraq war and while bloggers remember the past, few seem to look to the future anymore. Salam Adil reviews the Iraqi blogosphere for reactions.

China: Names to be remembered

  24 March 2009

The death toll and identity details of school children victims in the May 12 Wenchuan earthquake last year has been sealed in a black box by Chinese government officials, like a state secret. Last December, Ai Wei-wei, a most respectable intellectual and blogger, decided to compile the names of school...

Hong Kong: Vindication of June 4 in Question

  22 March 2009

2009 is the 20th anniversary of June 4 Tiananmen Massacre. If there were reincarnation, people who had been killed then would be twenty years old this year. Some of them would probably become university students, who are usually regarded as conscience of the society. Sadly this year, at least two...

Bangladesh: Non-profit Wonder

  18 March 2009

“Have you ever heard of an international organization that self finances 80% of its work? Want to know how they do it?” Read BRAC Blog for details. Based in Bangladesh, BRAC is one of the world's largest non-governmental development organizations.

Sri Lanka: Form Of Charity

  17 March 2009

The End blog recommends person to person charity because: “What happens in state run forced charity, is that when I get one Rupee as a grant or a subsidy, much more is spent on the processes that bring me that money.”

Sri Lanka: Donating for the IDP

  13 March 2009

There are approximately 500,000 internally displaced people (IDP) in Sri Lanka who are effected by the civil war. Indi.ca posts some links with which people can donate online for the IDPs .

Palestine: Question for Galloway

Gull from the Gaza Beach has a question about British MP George Galloway, who was part of a recent convoy to Gaza: “Galloway said we are giving to the Hamas 100 vehicles and all of their contents, I ASK WHY? Are all residents of the Gaza Strip Hamas?”

Brazil: On the Vatican's condemnation of raped-child's abortion

  12 March 2009

A 9-year-old girl several times raped and made pregnant by her stepfather was guaranteed the right to have an abortion legally in Brazil. After the operation, the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated the mother, the doctor and the whole medical team responsible for the operation. This has sparkled a great debate in Brazil: What is the Church's role in society?

Haiti: Responding with Love

  12 March 2009

“Who is to blame? To me that is an irrelevant question. The question should be, how can I respond with love?”: The Livesay [Haiti] Weblog is shocked by “how ignorant many people in the developed world still are about AIDS.”

Egypt: Disaster Ferry Owner Finally Guilty!

The life of each one of the 1,000 plus Egyptians killed when the Salam 89 ferry sank in 2006 is worth about 11 hours in prison for ferry owner, former lawmaker and business tycoon Mamdouh Ismail, who has been sentenced in absentia to seven years in jail for “involuntary slaughter,” say Egyptian bloggers.

Jordan's “shameful reaction”

Jordanian Naseem Tarawnah is incensed with his countries “shameful reaction” towards Israel's plans to demolish 180 homes in East Jerusalem and evict 1,500 Palestinians. “[T]he reaction from the Jordanian state has been, as usual, quite horrendous, offering no more than a “denunciation” of Israel’s actions. Even the masses aren’t allowed...

Sudanese Bloggers React to ICC Arrest Warrant for President

  8 March 2009

It's been more than two days since The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir making him the first sitting head of state to be charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. In this post, we delve into the reactions of the Sudanese blogosphere to this historic event.