In times of increasing drought, women travel further to find water and other needs, raising the risk of sexual violence
Women are challenging traditional gender roles by going into business
Fairouz Yassin, a caseworker at the center, says about 50 women and girls are trained daily or simply spend time there
Yemen's four years of devastating civil war have taken the hardest toll on women and girls. Many have become widowed and must support their families alone without the needed skills or education. In one remote desert village, the U.S. aid group International Rescue Committee has established a center for teaching skills and empowerment to vulnerable women and girls. Reporter Neha Wadekar visited the village of Raz Amran in January and has this report.
The war in Yemen has taken its toll far beyond what is reported in terms of military casualties. Guns and bombs are claiming lives, but hunger is another major threat to Yemenis. The World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization say 73,000 Yemeni civilians are facing famine and another 14 million are on the brink of starvation. Aid agencies say more than 1.8 million children under the age of 5 are acutely malnourished. For VOA, Neha Wadekar reports from Aden in southern Yemen.
After nearly four years of war, Yemen’s humanitarian situation is the worst in the world, say aid agencies, and quickly headed toward famine. Around seventy-five percent of Yemen’s population needs assistance as food prices have shot up due to inflation fueled by fighting around the country's seaports. As Neha Wadekar reports from Aden, costs for basic food items have skyrocketed amid shortages, leaving up to 14 million people this year risking starvation.
Inexpensive micro-insurance on mobile platforms is allowing small-scale African farmers and business owners to rebuild when disaster strikes
Most African farmers and small businesses operate with no way to protect themselves if disaster strikes. But that may be starting to change. A handful of companies are now offering inexpensive, tech-driven micro-insurance and are making it easy for ordinary Africans to sign up. Neha Wadekar reports for VOA from Nigeria and Kenya.
Americans enthusiastic about future business prospects, urge Kenya to tackle corruption to improve economic relations
Lab will support enforcement of Puntland state's sexual offenses act
Somalia has opened its first forensic laboratory to process rape kits. Sexual assault is widespread in the country, according to human rights groups, but few victims come forward and few perpetrators are punished. The new forensic lab in Somalia's Puntland region has been hailed as a step in the right direction, but a long road remains to end impunity for gender-based violence. Neha Wadekar reports for VOA from Garowe, Somalia.
Three consecutive seasons of poor rainfall in region, severe water shortages are decimating herds, putting local populations on brink of death
Severe drought has displaced nearly half a million people in Somalia. In the Puntland region, herders who have lost their livestock are now seeking refuge in urban areas. Those towns are struggling to deal with the influx of displaced families. Neha Wadekar has the story for VOA from the town of Qardho.
