Stories about Humanitarian Response from January, 2012
Saudi Arabia: A Family Living in a Cemetery
A Saudi family has been saved from homelessness and destitution thanks to a three-minute movie shot by young Saudi film maker Bader AlHomoud. Haifa Al Rasheed tells us how in this touching post.
South Sudan: Urgent Steps Needed to Counter Inter-Communal Violence
Urgent steps are needed to counter inter-communal violence in South Sudan: “Inter-communal violence in Jonglei and throughout South Sudan, while traditionally cyclical in nature, is not inevitable. The causes of this violence go beyond the retaliatory nature of cattle raiding and touch upon broader issues of accountability, reconciliation, political inclusion,...
Myanmar (Burma): Betwixt and Between
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Burmese Opposition Leader Aung San Suu Kyi this week addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos, urging further support from the international community in Myanmar. Such engagement will be particularly important for refugees and internally displaced people.
El Salvador: Top Stories of 2011
Tim's El Salvador Blog summarizes the top stories from El Salvador in 2011.
Philippines: Malong and Typhoon Sendong Evacuees
Journalist Keith Bacongco writes about how Typhoon Sendong evacuees in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao uses the malong, a traditional Muslim blanket, to cope with the disaster.
Syria: Emergency Refugees
With large scale violence in Syria, the exodus towards neighboring countries is increasing continuously (Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey). As per Islamic Relief [it] non-profit organisation, at least 650 Syrian families (mostly from the high risk areas of Homs and Hama) are in urgent need of food, sanitation and other assistance. Currently different activities such as fundraising and other initiatives are taking place, details here....
Haiti: Two Years, Today
Today is the second anniversary of the Haiti earthquake. Regional bloggers post remembrances, here, here and here.
South Sudan: Humanitarian Crisis in the World's Newest Country
Less than a year since declaring its independence in July 2011 to become the world's newest country, South Sudan continues to face a humanitarian crisis especially in the wake of recent tribal clashes.
Africa: ICTs for Refugees and Displaced Persons
In Africa and elsewhere, ICTs have become an important tool at times of crisis with technologies such as SMS, VOIP, and mobile phones becoming especially invaluable for refugees and displaced persons.
Philippines: Environment Disasters Linked to Mining, Logging Operations
Massive floods and landslides hit many parts of the Philippines in the past three weeks which killed more than 1,500 people and affected hundreds of thousands of poor villagers. Netizens are probing the causes of the disasters and the accountability of government officials in issuing permits to logging and mining firms.
Rwanda: How Free Eggs Affected Farmers
A View From the Cave explains how free eggs for communities in Kigali, Rwanda from a church in Atlanta affected farmers: “However, the influx of eggs meant that prices suddenly dropped due to large supply of freely distributed eggs. Farmers who sold eggs in the market could no longer compete…”
Ghana: Help Fundraise for Quadriplegic
Gayle asks friends, visitors, readers to help fundraise for quadriplegic in Ghana: “We know many of you support worthy causes, especially if you are connected with Ghana already. However, we're hoping you may be able to help out supporting our brother (literally).”
China 2011: From Jasmine Crackdowns to Grassroots Uprisings
From the crackdowns on any Jasmine revolution and grassroots uprisings, to debates about future development models, 2011 was another eventful year for China. Oiwan Lam rounds up.
Southeast Asia: The Great Floods of 2011
Storms battered the Southeast Asian region in 2011 which caused heavy flooding in many countries, displaced thousands of residents and workers, destroyed millions worth of agricultural crops, and killed more than 2,000 people. Global Voices was able to report the impact of some of these flood disasters in the past year.
Kuwait: The Stateless Find A Voice Online
Writing on openDemocracy, Bidoun activist and Global Voices author Mona Kareem, profiled here, says that social media is providing the stateless with a voice online.
Turkey: Remembering the Turkish Schindlers
Writing on the Huffington Post, Ziya Meral explains why honoring those Turks that saved Armenians during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire is important. Meral argues that recognizing these ‘Turkish Schindlers’ would go some way in defusing tensions between Armenia and Turkey, making the events of 1915 a shared tragedy....
