Archives for February 13, 2012

Ending poverty need not be at the expense of the environment

February 13, 2012

Ending poverty need put no additional stress on the planet’s natural resources, according to a new report published today by international agency Oxfam.

According to the paper’s author Kate Raworth, human deprivation and environmental degradation must be tackled together as humanity’s two major operating boundaries – “social boundaries” like hunger, inequality and ill-health and the “planetary or environmental boundaries” like climate change and biodiversity loss – are inextricably linked.

Millions of Pakistanis struggle to survive as floods crisis continues

February 13, 2012

Islamabad: Six months after floods devastated Sindh and parts of Balochistan province, millions of Pakistanis still need help to survive, international and national aid agencies warned today. A coalition of agencies also said that a lacklustre response from the international funders is seriously threatening flood hit communities’ chances of coping with the next monsoon season and called on the Pakistani government to boost its efforts to limit the impact of future disasters.

A robust Arms Trade Treaty would prevent another Syria

February 13, 2012

Recent events in the Middle East and North Africa demonstrate the tragic impact of the unregulated arms trade and the urgent need for a strong Arms Trade Treaty, said a coalition of non-governmental organisations ahead of crucial talks in New York this week. A global deal on arms trade, the group says, would prevent irresponsible arms transfers that cost so many innocent lives and fuel internal conflicts such as in Syria.