U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
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Asia
IRIN-AS Weekly Round-Up 187
30 June - 6 July 2008


CONTENTS:

AFGHANISTAN: Humanitarian situation "deteriorating" - Holmes
AFGHANISTAN: Top UN official highlights plight of children
ASIA: South Asian countries unite to combat climate change
BANGLADESH: Mixed feelings over citizenship plan
LAOS: Bringing light to remote villages
MYANMAR: UN reports improvement in cyclone cooperation
MYANMAR: Food rations sustain thousands in cyclone-hit south
MYANMAR: Children and teachers finding it hard to concentrate
NEPAL: Third-country resettlement of Bhutanese refugees to increase
PAKISTAN: Dengue fever threat in Karachi?
PAKISTAN: Conflict disrupting life, displacing people in northern areas
PHILIPPINES: Ferry disaster spurs government to review maritime safety laws
PHILIPPINES: Collaborative approach helps survivors of Typhoon Fengshen
SRI LANKA: Low-tech clay filters cut disease
SRI LANKA: Christian and Muslim agencies extend local partnership


AFGHANISTAN: Humanitarian situation "deteriorating" - Holmes

Conflict and natural disasters have caused a "serious" and 
"deteriorating" humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the aid 
community must scale up its efforts to meet the needs of vulnerable 
people, John Holmes, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian 
Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told IRIN in Kabul.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79002


AFGHANISTAN: Top UN official highlights plight of children

Nowhere in the world are children suffering as much as in Afghanistan, a 
top UN official has said. Radhika Coomaraswamy, special representative 
of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, told 
reporters in Kabul on 3 July that during her six-day visit to 
Afghanistan she had found that "it takes an Afghan child a very long 
time to smile."

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79078


ASIA: South Asian countries unite to combat climate change

Eight South Asian nations have adopted an environmental action plan to 
mitigate against the impact of climate change in the region.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79097


BANGLADESH: Mixed feelings over citizenship plan

After nearly four decades of being stateless, about 250,000 Biharis or 
"stranded Pakistanis" as they call themselves, have been finally 
accepted as citizens of Bangladesh, after a High Court ruling.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79033


LAOS: Bringing light to remote villages

While wealthy industrialised nations are struggling to find ways to 
encourage their populations to adopt solar energy, a small energy 
company in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) has teamed up with 
poor rural communities to bring them green energy.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79075


MYANMAR: UN reports improvement in cyclone cooperation

Cooperation between the international humanitarian community and 
Myanmar's government in addressing the needs of survivors of Cyclone 
Nargis is improving, the UN says.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79012


MYANMAR: Food rations sustain thousands in cyclone-hit south

"Our whole village was washed away. We have nothing," Than Tun, a former 
fisherman, told IRIN. "We lost everything. With this food, we at least 
have a chance," Than Tun, 38, from Kayimma Chaung, about four hours by 
boat from the town of Labutta at the delta's southern tip, said.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79059


MYANMAR: Children and teachers finding it hard to concentrate

Two months after Cyclone Nargis struck, leaving more than 138,000 dead 
or missing, teachers are seeing first-hand the problems children face in 
returning to their studies. Almost half her students show signs of 
difficulty concentrating on their lessons.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79082


NEPAL: Third-country resettlement of Bhutanese refugees to increase

More than 1,400 Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal have been resettled 
in the USA and six other countries, with numbers expected to grow in the 
coming months, says the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79008


PAKISTAN: Dengue fever threat in Karachi?

After a lull of six months, dengue fever has re-emerged, with the death 
of a 35-year-old man in Karachi. This is believed to be the first dengue 
fever death in Pakistan in 2008.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79031


PAKISTAN: Conflict disrupting life, displacing people in northern areas

Ahsan Khan, 35, has lived in Peshawar almost all his life. He never 
imagined he would one day consider moving away - but that day has come. 
Because of ongoing hostilities between militants and government forces, 
the young businessman, his wife and two small children are seriously 
considering leaving the capital of the North West Frontier Province 
(NWFP).

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79113


PHILIPPINES: Ferry disaster spurs government to review maritime safety 
laws

It took the sinking of an overloaded ferry with more than 800 people on 
board to spur the authorities to re-address safety concerns over the 
inter-island ferry transport system.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79014


PHILIPPINES: Collaborative approach helps survivors of Typhoon Fengshen

The Philippine government, international community, and local private 
sector all provided assistance in response to typhoon Fengshen, the 
first major typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79100


SRI LANKA: Low-tech clay filters cut disease

For thousands of Sri Lankans without easy access to potable water, a 
low-tech filter has provided them with a convenient source of safe 
water, saving on fuel costs and cutting disease.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79042


SRI LANKA: Christian and Muslim agencies extend local partnership

Amjad Saleem, country director of the Islamic development and relief 
agency Muslim Aid, walked into the weekly meeting of the Consortium of 
Humanitarian Agencies (CHA) on 4 August 2006 in Colombo looking for 
urgent help. He walked out with a partnership that has gone beyond 
national borders in less than two years.

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=79058


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