Global Issues

SRINAGAR, India, March 31 (IPS) - For the past few weeks, residents living in and around Dal Lake in Indian Kashmir have witnessed “a different phenomenon” as a green sludge has accumulated on the once pristine water. Photos circulating widely on social media triggered a public outcry. Read the full story, “Once Evicted From This Kashmir Lake, People Now Seen as Its Saviours”, on globalissues.org →

Some 20,000 seafarers remain stranded on ships in the Strait of Hormuz as the war in the Middle East continues, a situation which has been described as unprecedented in the post-Second World War era.Read the full story, “‘No precedent’ for seafarers caught in war zone in post-WW2 era”, on globalissues.org →

More than a month since war erupted in the Middle East, UN agencies confirmed on Tuesday that huge numbers of people have returned to Syria from Lebanon "exhausted, traumatized and with very, very few belongings". Meanwhile, the UN International Maritime Organization said that another vessel has been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, increasing concerns of further delays in transporting lifesaving aid. The Security Council met in New York in emergency session on Lebanon. Stay with us for live updates. App users can follow coverage hereRead the full story, “MIDDLE EAST LIVE: Vital food aid blocked, Security Council meets in emergency session on Lebanon”, on globalissues.org →

The trauma of mass displacement and disruption to aid shipments throughout the world are among the devastating impacts of the war raging in the Middle East, UN agencies said on Tuesday.Read the full story, “Syria: Hundreds of thousands flee Lebanon, vital food aid blocked”, on globalissues.org →

The killing of three UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon in the past two days has highlighted the grave dangers for the 10,000 military personnel who make up the bulk of UNIFIL, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon – and for the communities caught up in intense clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah fighters.Read the full story, “Lebanon: The UN peacekeepers helping communities who’ve stayed behind”, on globalissues.org →

The UN’s top humanitarian official warned the Security Council on Tuesday that Lebanon is facing one of its most dangerous moments in years, with escalating violence, mass displacement and deepening human suffering pushing the country to “breaking point”.Read the full story, “Lebanon at ‘breaking point’ as displacement soars and strikes intensify”, on globalissues.org →

NEW YORK, March 31 (IPS) - Trump’s Iran war has left the Gulf shattered: US bases turned into targets, economies battered, and the “oasis” myth destroyed. Gulf rulers now confront a harsh reckoning over their reliance on Washington and the uncertain search for a new, fragile security order. Read the full story, “An Ominous Reckoning for the Gulf States”, on globalissues.org →

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, March 31 (IPS) - While media coverage of Iran’s restrictions on passage through the Hormuz Straits focuses on fuel prices, partial closure is also disrupting crucial fertiliser and other supplies, risking catastrophe for billions worldwide. Read the full story, “Iran War Threatens World Food Crisis”, on globalissues.org →

GENEVA, March 30 (IPS) - The United Nations was not founded to be comfortable; it was founded to be necessary. Created in the aftermath of catastrophe, its purpose was clear: to maintain international peace and security, to uphold international law, to defend human rights and to promote human dignity and development. Read the full story, “The United Nations Needs a Secretary-General of Courage, Not Convenience”, on globalissues.org →

KABUL, March 30 (IPS) - It is almost unheard of for a student to deliberately fail final school exams for no apparent reason. Therefore, when 13-year old Sara (not her real name) from Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan took her school report home to her parents, they were shocked to learn that the top-performing student had failed her final exams and would not advance to the next level. But there was no longer a next level for Sara, even if she had passed. Read the full story, “Failing to Learn: Afghan Girls Repeat Grades to Avoid Exclusion”, on globalissues.org →