Poverty
All topics-
Yemen: Aid organisations running out of money
The war in Yemen grinds on. Many locals are alive thanks to external aid. But now there is a danger that those organisations too will run out of money. A donor conference takes place this week to try to remedy that. By Diana Hodali
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War in Ukraine
A food crisis in the MENA region?
With Vladimir Putin’s forces gaining ground in Ukraine, a further increase in the price of bread could severely destabilise MENA countries. Rising costs would inevitably challenge states such as Turkey, which imports essential cereal supplies from Russia and Ukraine. The same applies to most economies in the Arab world, such as Egypt – the world’s largest wheat importer – Algeria, and Tunisia
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Russia's invasion of Ukraine
What impact on the Arab world?
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has strengthened the position of a number of Arab countries; after all, the West is likely to need urgent access to their oil and gas. Nevertheless, the rentier states remain uneasy at the prospect. By Christoph Ehrhardt
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Indonesia's good governance
The genius of Jokowi
At a time when even some rich democracies are electing con men as their political leaders, the success of Indonesian President Joko Widodo deserves wider acclaim and appreciation. "Jokowi" is providing a model of good governance from which the rest of the world can learn. By Kishore Mahbubani
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Muslims, Hindus & Sikhs
India's anti-BJP groundswell
In November 2021, the Modi government assured India's protesting farmers that it would withdraw three pieces of controversial agricultural legislation. Upcoming state election results, due in February and March in protest strongholds Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, have rarely been so eagerly awaited. By Dominik Muller
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Saudi Arabia's urban development
The Crown Prince's bulldozers
Entire neighbourhoods in the Saudi coastal metropolis of Jeddah are being razed to the ground. Tens of thousands of people are losing their homes. With a marina and Saudi Arabia's first opera house, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hopes to create a global urban brand worthy of Dubai or Singapore. By Jannis Hagmann
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Michel Houellebecq's "Aneantir"
Lonely white males
With his latest tome, French literary provocateur Michel Houellebecq completes his writer's quest: to portray a dying white patriarchy. The big surprise comes in the acknowledgements. Christine Lehnen read the book
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Sudan's popular resistance
The revolution will succeed
The struggle for civilian rule in Sudan is ongoing. Neighbourhood "resistance committees" are the driving force behind ongoing protests against the now-ruling military junta. Operating at a local, decentralised level, they have begun bundling their forces and coordinating nationally, with the aim of playing a role at the political level. Eduard Cousin reports for Qantara.de from Khartoum
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Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis
End the economic blockade
As the Western world emerges from a holiday season made less festive by COVID-19, millions of children in Afghanistan are starting 2022 facing the prospect of famine, illness, and a lost education. Yet the same governments now rushing to apply humanitarian bandages to Afghanistan’s open wounds are steadfastly refusing to switch on the economic life-support systems needed to avert catastrophe. By Kevin Watkins
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Arab world
Arab youth: Aspirations for the New Year
Arab youth express their hopes and wishes for the New Year, spanning everything from civil and political rights, to education, to arts and culture. By Rafiah Al Talei
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COVID-19 pandemic in India
Enabling the rights of the child
COVID-19 has many negative impacts on children, particularly in terms of education and healthcare. Development projects in the Indian state of Assam show how actors can successfully support disadvantaged children in times of crisis. By Enakshi Dutta, Cynthia Dittmar and Franziska Muller
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What's next after resignation of Sudan's PM?
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's resignation has plunged the country's already fragile democratic transition into further turmoil. Citing his own failure to build a political consensus following an October military coup that rattled the transition, Hamdok called for talks to agree on a roadmap