‘Tsunami of Cash’ in Afghanistan Is Questioned

Staff / Truthdig Jul 30, 2010 Part of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is creating a "civilian surge" by pouring more money into development and aid projects to stabilize the country and win the hearts and minds of the people. But some aid workers say the "tsunami of cash" is a case of quantity over quality. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Millions at Risk in Africa Drought

Staff / Truthdig May 28, 2010 With malnutrition already well past dangerous levels, some 10 million Africans will face extreme hunger over the next few months as the threat of famine floats across West Africa amid a drought that killed off last year's crops and has left the region's agricultural economy in ruins. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Inching Toward a Ban on Land Mines

Staff / Truthdig May 8, 2010 Here's some good news: The White House is currently in a "vigorous debate" over whether or not to sign the Ottawa Treaty, an international agreement to ban land mines, as pressure from Capitol Hill and NGOs pushes the administration to reconsider the country's decade-old refusal to sign. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Forgiving Haiti’s Debt

Staff / Truthdig Feb 7, 2010 Call it pity or call it sensible politics, the G-7 nations have together pledged to cancel $1.2 billion in debt that Haiti owes them, something Global South activists have been requesting for all developing countries -- not just those hit by horrible earthquakes. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Rebuilding Haiti to Take Generations

Staff / Truthdig Jan 30, 2010 The United Nations has offered a sobering estimate of how long it will take to rebuild Haiti: With the country starting "below zero" and relief and redevelopment logistics still a "nightmare," efforts to bring Haiti to its pre-earthquake days will take generations. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Tries to Break Copenhagen Deadlock

Staff / Truthdig Dec 17, 2009 In a move to ostensibly "save" the United Nations' climate talks in Copenhagen, the U.S. has pledged to support a $100 billion multilateral fund to help poor countries adapt to climate change and develop environmentally friendly technologies. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Salvador Flood Toll Tops 120

Staff / Truthdig Nov 8, 2009 Severe flooding has killed at least 124 people in El Salvador after heavy rains soaked the country. The government declared a state of emergency as the search for more victims went on. Updated Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Privatizing Health Care in the Third World

Staff / Truthdig Jun 19, 2009 For only $5 a month, you too can undermine a developing country's health infrastructure. Since 1990, foreign funding for "development assistance" has quadrupled, offering medical resources to the poor but also luring local health care workers away from government hospitals and toward more lucrative private companies. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

China Eludes Greenhouse Limits

Staff / Truthdig Jun 12, 2009 There's movement toward a global agreement on climate change, with the U.S. rescinding its demand that China commit to greenhouse gas emissions at the level of those in already-developed countries. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Peru’s War on the Indigenous

Staff / Truthdig Jun 10, 2009 In clashes between native groups armed with spears and development interests packing guns, Peru has seen at least 50 people die and hundreds go missing after President Alan Garcia initiated a campaign to open the rain forest to foreign investors. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Cholera Plagues Zimbabwe

Staff / Truthdig May 27, 2009 Cholera, the scourge of centuries past, has infected 100,000 people in Zimbabwe, dwarfing the body count of the much better publicized swine flu and demonstrating once again the dramatic and tragic inequality of health care in many parts of the developing world. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Rich Nations Truant on Climate Pledges

Staff / Truthdig Feb 20, 2009 Analysis is finding that, amid the historic neglect that rich nations show toward the poor, developing countries have received less than 10 percent of the funds promised to them by the developed world. This comes as countries in the global south struggle to respond to the myriad concerns about global warming. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )