| HAITI: US remittances keep the homeland afloat |
 NEW YORK, 11 March 2010 (IRIN) - Haiti's economy depends on the estimated US$1.5 billion a year in remittances sent home by its million-strong diaspora. Dilip Ratha, lead economist at the World Bank said the figure could be even higher, accounting for perhaps half the national income.
full report
|
| INDONESIA: Farming for alternative livelihoods |
 CIANJUR, 11 March 2010 (IRIN) - Young unemployed men are finding opportunities in a project that also aims to introduce sustainable farming methods to Indonesia's agricultural sector.
full report
|
| SRI LANKA: Dengue spread slows in north |
 COLOMBO, 11 March 2010 (IRIN) - The spread of Dengue fever has eased in Sri Lanka's conflict-affected north, but health officials warn continued vigilance is necessary.
full report
|
| AFGHANISTAN: Talking to the Taliban |
 KABUL, 11 March 2010 (IRIN) - The insurgents in Afghanistan have shown interest in negotiating with the UN and aid agencies on humanitarian access and aid distributions, according to a purported Taliban spokesman.
full report
|
| MYANMAR: Abortion a leading cause of maternal death |
 YANGON, 10 March 2010 (IRIN) - In Myanmar, where abortions are illegal, complications arising from unsafe terminations are the third leading cause of maternal deaths after post-partum haemorrhage and eclampsia, according to the government's 2006-2011 National Health Plan.
full report
|
| In Brief: Afghan refugees allowed to stay longer in Pakistan |
 KABUL, 10 March 2010 (IRIN) - The refugee cards of about 1.7 million Afghans in Pakistan will be extended until December 2012 and the Afghan government will have to enhance its reintegration services, according to a tripartite meeting of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
full report
|
| CAMBODIA: War crimes court juggles public demands |
 PHNOM PENH, 10 March 2010 (IRIN) - Competing pressures in Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal could work against the victims it is supposed to represent, human rights groups warn.
full report
|
| AFGHANISTAN: Driven into the arms of the Taliban |
 QALA-E-NAW, 10 March 2010 (IRIN) - A year after his expulsion from Iran for not having a work permit, Abdul Majid, 26, has found paid employment in Muqor District, Badghis Province, northwestern Afghanistan. But it is not a normal job: “My son has joined the Taliban,” Majid’s father, Bismillah, told IRIN, adding that he had had no contact with his son for over three months.
full report
|
| HAITI: Josephine, "I won't leave until I point out the rapists to the police" |
 PORT-AU-PRINCE, 9 March 2010 (IRIN) - Josephine*, 17, was living alone on the streets of Port-au-Prince when the earthquake hit. She lost the few belongings she had - mostly clothes. She now stays at the Jean-Marie Vincent camp for displaced families.
full report
|
| VIETNAM: Government leads region in climate change challenge |
 HANOI, 9 March 2010 (IRIN) - Serious efforts are under way to respond to the impact of climate change in Vietnam but a lack of capacity and resources remains a challenge, experts say.
full report
|