Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Afghanistan

UN Warns Of Afghan Maternal-Mortality 'Emergency'

Women at a hospital in Herat last month

4 August 2005 (RFE/RL) -- The UN Children's Fund says that rates of infant and maternal mortality amount to an "acute emergency" in Afghanistan.

TEXT SIZE - +

August 04, 2005

Cecilia Lotse, UNICEF's director for South Asia, said that about 1,600 out of every 100,000 Afghan mothers die while giving birth or because of related complications. She said that about 20 percent of Afghan children die before their fifth birthday.

About 20 percent die before age 5 from diseases including diarrheal ailments, pneumonia, malaria, and typhoid. She said many deaths could be prevented through simple immunizations, better access to clean water, and improved knowledge about sanitary practices.

She said that Afghan school enrollment for girls is among the lowest in the world.

(AP)

See also:

Interview With UN Special Rapporteur On Violence Against Women In Afghanistan

Amnesty International Says Afghan Women Still Facing Abuse

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

Gasoline prices have risen dramatically in Pakistan in recent years

In Pakistan, Cleaner Fuel Powers Supply, Safety Issues

Rising fuel prices have pushed Pakistan to become a global leader in using compressed natural gas (CNG) to fuel vehicles. More

Family members of missing Baluchs, mostly political activists, rally in protest on the eve of international Human Rights Day in Quetta, Balochistan, on December 10, 2011.

U.S. Hearing On Balochistan Raises Hackles, Awareness In Pakistan

The U.S. Congressional hearing last week on Balochistan, the largest of Pakistan's four provinces, though it was firmly rejected by Islamabad, is being seen in Pakistan as any eye-opener for the state and its security agencies. More