News & Updates
13 August 2018
Lombok earthquake causes damages worth $138 million
On 5th August a deadly 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian Island of Lombok. The earthquake was followed by a number of high magnitude aftershocks, with a 6.2 magnitude aftershock on the 9th. The Indonesian authorities have estimated the death toll to be over 380, with over 1,000 injured and...
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10 August 2018
‘Transformative Agenda’ to improve sexual and reproductive health services in the Pacific
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, and the Government of Australia are partnering with six Pacific governments to improve the lives of women and youth in the Pacific by ensuring they have access to sexual and reproductive health services. A new programme, titled ‘Transformative Agenda for Women, Youth and Adolescents’...
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09 August 2018
UNICEF and WFP are using technology to improve food and hygiene distribution in Cox’s Bazar
UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) are working together in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh to improve the food and hygiene practices of refugees. The agencies are utilising WFP’s SCOPE digital assistance system to distribute soap and food supplies to 50,000 Rohingya refugees and improving hygiene to prevent the spread of...
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07 August 2018
600,000 effected by Lombok earthquake
Rescuers and aid workers are urgently working in Lombok, Indonesia to locate those trapped by an earthquake and offer much needed supplies to those affected. On Sunday 5th August a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian Island of Lombok, killing 105 people, injuring over 230 and destroying thousands of homes....
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01 August 2018
Extreme heat will cause the number of deaths to increase dramatically by the end of the century
A new study has found that the death toll from heatwaves could rise by 2,000% in some parts of the world by 2080, with poorer countries disproportionately affected. The study was published in the PLOS Medicine this week as much of the northern hemisphere is experiencing a heatwave. The researchers...
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31 July 2018
Officials fear the death toll could rise following dam collapse in Laos
Last week, on 23 July, the Saddle dam D, one of five dams in the XePian Xe-Nam Noy Hydropower project in Lao DPR failed and flooded eight villages along the Xe-Pian River, a tributary of the Se Kong River which flows into the Mekong. The burst dam flooded the surrounded...
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31 July 2018
Floods in Myanmar forced over 100,000 people to flee their homes
Government officials in Myanmar said on Monday that the monsoon flood killed at least 11 people and forced over 100,000 people to flee their homes. Rescuers have taken stranded residents to safe areas by boat. Since last week, heavy rain has hit the southern, eastern and central parts of the...
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26 July 2018
Disaster Resilience in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change in the world, as well as being one of the most disaster prone. Bangladesh is a very low-lying country with a flat topography, this coupled with its population density and socio-economic status mean that when disasters strike they can...
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24 July 2018
Hanoi makes new commitments to tackle air pollution
Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital with a population of 7.7 million, is one of several Asian countries with alarmingly high levels of air pollution. In 2017, air pollution in the city was four times higher than the World Health Organisation’s accepted level. Around the world 7 million people each year die due...
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20 July 2018
A new Global Disaster Database could transform disaster resilience in Asia
A new Global Disaster Database is hoping to use data from satellite imagery, geographic information systems and risk maps with existing information of disaster loss and damage to reduce the impacts of disasters. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is working closely with governments and research partners to collect data...
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16 July 2018
6 million people in India are facing the worst water crisis in history
Water has become costly in India due to weak infrastructure and a national water shortage. Accord to Avinash Mishra, joint adviser at the Niti Aayog think tank: “India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history, threatening hundreds of millions of lives and jeopardising economic growth.” 600 million...
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11 July 2018
One quarter of Indian urban population lives in informal homes despite ongoing housing schemes
Although Indian officials intend to meet the deadline to provide housing for every citizen by 2022, numerous low-cost homes are vacant across India at present. Analysts comment current housing phenomenon indicates critical shortcomings in government policy. Nearly 164,000 low-cost homes built under previous schemes are empty, according to a housing...
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11 July 2018
New identity cards protect Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
According to the United Nations refugee agency, Rohingya refugees who received shelter in Bangladeshwill soon have plastic IDs in credit-card size. The delivery of new IDs, which began in late June, is expected to be completed in six months. The Bangladesh Government and UNHCR issued jointly the plastic IDs. The...
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05 July 2018
Significant improvements to living conditions were showed in Myanmar
A joint report conducted by the Central Statistical Organization, the UNDP, and the World Bank in 2017 indicates that people have improved their living conditions in Myanmar. Electrification extended to Myanmar’s villages Myanmar’s villages had considerable growth in solar and public grid access. Last year, the number of households that...
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04 July 2018
Improved risk management can decrease disaster displacement in Asia
Last year, 18.8 million people were displaced by extreme weather events such as floods, storms, and earthquakes in 135 countries around the world. East and South Asia and the Pacific islands, the world’s most disaster-prone region, bore the brunt of this human exodus: over 11 million people from these regions...
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02 July 2018
UN and World Bank call for more support for Rohingya refugees
UN Secretary- General António Guterres and World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim have appealed for greater support and funding for the ongoing Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh. António Guterres commented: “My appeal to the international community is to step up to the plate and to substantially increase the financial...
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02 July 2018
ASEAN to mainstream gender perspectives in disaster management
At the latest Meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) the leaders from the ASEAN National Disaster Management Organisations committed to mainstreaming gender perspectives on disaster management. The meeting took place on 26-28 June 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and was opened by Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia...
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29 June 2018
India’s GDP is severely threatened by climate change
The World Bank has warned that climate change could cost India 2.8% of its GDP by 2050 if annual temperatures rise by 1-2 degrees. Similarly, the temperature increase would also reduce the living standards of nearly half of India’s 1.3 billion population. Currently, if no action is taken the average...
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20 June 2018
Rajan Samuel wins Asia Innovator of the Year Award!
Aid & International Development Forum is delighted to announce the winner of the Innovator of the Year Award 2018 at the AIDF Asia Summit taking place on 20-21 June 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Asia Innovator of the Year Award 2018 celebrates individuals as well as teams who have introduced...
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15 June 2018
India’s worst ever water crisis
A recent report, called The Niti Aayog Report, conducted by a government think tank has revealed that India is facing its worst ever water crisis. The report has evaluated data from 24 of India’s 29 states and revealed that 600 million people are facing an acute water shortage, with the...
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