In The News

Cyclone Amphan and Deadly Havoc: BBC

May 21, 2020
A violent cyclone with wind gusts up to 185 kilometers per hour struck Bangladesh and India, with governments evacuating millions from the coasts. Meteorological departments forecast heavy rainfall, flooding and mudslides. “The cyclone comes as tens of thousands of migrant workers continue to flee cities for their villages during India's lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus,” notes the...

COVID-19 Threatens Refugee Camps: Economist

April 11, 2020
Refugee camps around the world are under urgent threats of COVID-19 due to high density and lack of necessary medical supplies. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are more than 70 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, most of whom dwell in low- and middle-income countries. Poor conditions will allow the virus to spread. Social distancing is almost...

Militant Threats in Africa: Wall Street Journal

Michael M. Phillips March 28, 2020
Africa is confronting increasing militant threats from extremists, including Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and Boko Haram. However, the United States has reduced its military presence in Africa by cutting 17 percent of personnel over the past two years – actions aligned with an adjustment of its worldwide troop commitment and the Trump administration’s strategy of reducing dispersed actions against...

Turkey-Syria Tensions Escalate: Al Jazeera

Linah Alsaafin and Zaheena Rasheed February 28, 2020
The Syrian government's indiscriminate air raids, backed by Russian airpower, aim to crush opposition forces in Idlib. The attacks killed more than 30 Turkish troops. “The toll is the deadliest suffered by the Turkish army since it intervened in Syria in 2016 and is raising fears of a direct confrontation between Turkey and Russia on the battlefield,” reports Al Jazeera. By one rescue worker...

Idlib Violence Spurs Refugees: Spiegel

Melanie Amann, Giorgos Christides, Steffen Lüdke, Peter Müller and Maximilian Popp January 6, 2020
Idlib, one of 14 governorates in Syria, has a population of about 3 million people, according to the United Nations. As a rebel stronghold during the Syrian civil war, Idlib is under siege from Russia, Iran and the Syrian regime, with residents desperate to flee to nearby Turkey. “The Idlib offensive could finally mark the end of the war in Syria -- but also the beginning of a new mass exodus,”...

Madrid Residents Help Stranded Asylum Seekers: El País

Julia F. Cadenas December 9, 2019
About 50,000 asylum seekers have arrived at the Madrid airport in 2019 and overwhelmed social service programs. The asylum seekers head to the police station and make appointments to begin pursuing international protection. As political leaders debate who bears responsibility for the asylum seekers, ordinary citizens struggle to look at a desperate human being and not assist. Hundreds have...

Sea of Troubles: The New Republic

Ben Ehrenreich October 17, 2019
Conflict, a changing climate, famine and poverty destroy communities throughout the Middle East and Africa, driving thousands of people of all ages to risk crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe’s safety. Authorities have documented more than 18,000 deaths in the Mediterranean since the start of 2014. Worries about unchecked immigration have boosted far-right populism, and Europe’s leaders...