Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Global Leaders Must Prioritise Children’s Wellbeing amid Coronavirus Pandemic - UN Samira Sadeque United Nations Secretary General António Guterres on Thursday pleaded with global leaders and families to ensure the protection of the world's children, millions of whom he says are vulnerable to a myriad of threats as a result of the shutdown arising from the global coronavirus pandemic. While ... MORE > >

As US Unemployment Hits a Staggering 22 Million, Will UN Layoffs Be Far Behind? Thalif Deen The deadly coronavirus COVID-19, which has shut down the UN secretariat in New York, along with 32 of its agencies globally, has forced over 37,500 UN staffers worldwide to work from their homes. Asked about a decision to re-open the Secretariat building after nearly a month-long hiatus, UN ... MORE > >

Concerns for the Nearly 400 Rohingya Refugees Rescued off the Coast of Bangladesh Samira Sadeque Nearly 400 Rohingya refugees have been rescued in Bangladesh after being at sea for two months. Bangladesh coast guards reported rescuing 382 Rohingyas, including many women and children, who were starving and stuck on a boat as they were trying to reach Malaysia, the BBC reported on ... MORE > >

No Space for Social Distancing in Rohingya Refugee Camps Rafiqul Islam Nine-year-old Mohammad Rafique used to collect vegetables from Kutupalong Bazaar and sell them at a market inside Kutupalong camp, a camp of some 600,000 Rohingyas, in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. But nowadays he has to stay home with his parents inside their makeshift home built on the slopes of a ... MORE > >

In His Fight Against WHO, Trump Plays Politics with Human Lives Thalif Deen President Donald Trump’s threat to abruptly cut all US funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) has been described as ‘reckless and deadly”—particularly at a time when the Geneva-based UN agency was engaged in an uphill battle against the spreading coronavirus. The US president, who has ... MORE > >

The COVID-19 Cash Crisis: Will the UN Cease to Exist? James A. Paul The coronavirus pandemic has set off an unprecedented institutional crisis at the United Nations – funds are drying up, key meetings are cancelled and the world body is fighting for its future. The chief management officer of the world body, Catherine Pollard, wrote a dire memo on 1 April, ... MORE > >

India’s Liberal Abortion Law, Nullified by Social Stigma Stella Paul Arti Zodpe is from the Tamasha (folk dance-drama) theatre in Sangli, in India’s Maharashtra state. After evening performances, some of the singers and dancers offer sex work services to the audience. “We live outside of the city as people feel disturbed by the sound of our ghunghroo and music. ... MORE > >

Bridging the Gap between Hunger & Food Waste During a Pandemic Seema Sanghavi On March 12, the first email came in. An email from a boutique hotel that said they needed to postpone their apron order. The hotel had decided to put a hold on all non-essential spending until everything was, according to them, back to normal. This email was followed by a similar email, and ... MORE > >

Vietnam Winning New War Against Invisible Enemy Anis Chowdhury and Jomo Kwame Sundaram Vietnam, just south of coastal China, is the 15th most populous country in the world with 97 million people.According to its Ministry of Health (MoH), as of 13 April, there were 262 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 144 recovering or discharged from hospitals, and no deaths. Poor country, ... MORE > >

Q&A: How to #BeActive during COVID-19 Lockdown Samira Sadeque Growing up in Ramallah in Palestine, Maher Nasser, Director of Outreach Division at the United Nations Department of Global Communications, never really liked running. "I only ran when I needed to: to catch a bus or to run from soldiers," he tells IPS. But now with three marathons under his belt -- ... MORE > >

Debunking 9 Popular Myths Doing the Rounds in Africa About the Coronavirus In the second week of March the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. By mid-March the disease had spread rapidly in many countries around the world. Governments are taking drastic steps, including the complete lockdown of cities, as well as extensive health interventions ... MORE > >

Bioenergy, the Ugly Duckling of Mexico's Energy Transition Emilio Godoy Rosa Manzano carefully arranges pieces of wood in a big mud igloo that, seven days after it is full, will produce charcoal of high caloric content. "Our forest also produces oak, which in the past was only sold as firewood and had little value. But with forest management and the work of women ... MORE > >

Hegemony Shift in Times of COVID-19 Manuel Manonelles We have long speculated on the moment when the shift of global leadership from the United States to China would take place. From Washington to Beijing for the political power, from New York to Shanghai for the economic one. It seems that we are witnessing it now. Some saw the Beijing Olympics ... MORE > >