Pandemic may reverse human development for first time in 30 years, UN says
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation The novel coronavirus outbreak has starkly exposed inequalities worldwide and could set back human development for the first time since 1990, the United Nations said last week. It said the crisis had, though, revealed the strength of collective action in the face of a common threat and urged the world to […]
Migrant wages sent home set to drop $US142 billion in 2020 – World Bank
London, UK/Washington DC, USReuters Global remittances are set to tumble by $US142 billion in 2020, the sharpest fall in recent history, the World Bank estimates, as the coronavirus crisis chokes off a cash lifeline for hard-pressed households in poorer countries. The World Bank on Wednesday said that drop of almost 20 per cent in money […]
Global hunger could double due to COVID-19 blow, says UN
Genevam Switzerland/Washington DC, USReuters The number of people facing acute food insecurity could nearly double this year to 265 million due to the economic fallout of COVID-19, the United Nations’ World Food Programme said on Tuesday. The impact of lost tourism revenues, falling remittances and travel and other restrictions linked to the coronavirus pandemic are […]
Actor Idris Elba launches UN coronavirus fund for poor farmers
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation British actor and filmmaker Idris Elba launched a new United Nations fund on Monday to help farmers in poorer nations, calling on richer economies to provide aid to prevent “needless hunger and suffering” stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. Elba and his wife, model and activist Sabrina Dhowre Elba, gave their support […]
UN development head: Coronavirus crisis will hit the world’s poorest for years
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to hit the world’s poorest nations disproportionately, the United Nations has warned, not just as a health crisis but as a social and economic crisis for billions of people in the months and years to come. The disease will likely overwhelm under-resourced hospitals and fragile health systems, […]
Calls, texts…and forecasts? Mobile phone towers can predict rain too
Hyderabad, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation Thought mobile phone towers were just for calls and messages? They can also help predict rainfall, telecoms experts said on Friday, a potential game-changer for farmers in developing countries such as India and Sri Lanka. Many emerging economies cannot afford sophisticated forecasting tools such as ground-based radar and rain-gauge networks, making […]
Rich countries cut spending on humanitarian crises as demand rises
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation Wealthy countries including the United States, Germany and Britain spent less on aid for humanitarian crises last year, even as the United Nations said it was dealing with unprecedented need, research released on Monday showed. The United States, the world’s biggest donor of humanitarian aid, cut its spending by six per cent […]
Plenty more fish in the sea? Not for the poor and hungry, researchers say
RomeThomson Reuters Foundation Swapping fish for meat to help combat climate change risks exacerbating hunger in Africa, from where fish is increasingly exported to wealthy nations instead of providing key vitamins to malnourished local people, experts warned on Wednesday. Some consumers in rich countries are shunning meat in favour of other forms of protein, including […]
“Insurance gap” threatens disaster-vulnerable poor nations, says Lloyd’s
Thomson Reuters Foundation Disaster-prone developing nations, including Bangladesh and Indonesia, are exposed to crippling losses when storms, floods or earthquakes strike because they suffer from a dangerous lack of insurance, industry experts said on Monday. Globally, assets worth about $US163 billion are not insured against catastrophes, posing a “significant threat” to livelihoods and prosperity, London-based […]
LIFE’S TOUGH QUESTIONS: IS IT ETHICAL TO TAKE A HOLIDAY IN A “DEVELOPING” COUNTRY?
PAUL HANNA, a lecturer in sustainable tourism at the University of Surrey in the UK, looks, in this article first published on The Conversation, at the ethics of having a luxury holiday in a developing country…