Stories about Disaster
Echos of our lost home in Gaza
"On learning that Israeli bombs turned my four-generation home to rubble, a storm of rage brewed within. The bombs destroyed not just our land, but also our hopes and memories."
‘I will tell you what numbers can’t about Gaza’
Personal essay by a Palestinian from Jerusalem and the West Bank, reflecting on the ongoing genocide in Gaza and mourning the loss of humanity.
Photo essay: Communities still coping in the aftermath of Morocco earthquake
Months after Morocco’s catastrophic earthquake, thousands of people in the High Atlas Mountains remain homeless and vulnerable as they rebuild their lives ... a long road to recovery lies ahead."
Understanding Tobago’s disastrous oil spill
The spill’s effects on the Petit Trou Lagoon – located on the coast of Lowlands, Tobago – has caused utmost concern, given the area is ecologically sensitive with dense mangrove cover.
Tobago continues to grapple with oil spill caused by unidentified tanker
Just prior to the much anticipated Carnival long weekend, an overturned ship has caused an oil spill, polluting Tobago's turquoise waters and causing an environmental hazard and national emergency.
Turkey earthquake : A year on, empty promises, broken lives
According to the Environment and Urbanization Ministry only 46,000 out of promised 300,000 homes have been finalized thus far, leaving many earthquake survivors in temporary shelters, containers and tents.
How climate change is affecting mental health in some of the Caribbean's Indigenous communities
"Climate change events [cause] a disconnection through displacement and loss of our homes, our land, and our ways of doing things. Having to relocate and start over is traumatic."
Barefoot exodus in Gaza
What's the ideal shoe for escaping death? From a child unable to fix a broken shoe, fearing being targeted, to a baby with blistered feet, and parents forgetting shoes while carrying their children.
As COP28 launches a Loss and Damage Fund, devastating rains highlight Caribbean islands’ increasing vulnerability to climate change impacts
The picture in Jamaica is similar to elsewhere in the Caribbean, where there are fears about food security as a result of repeated “natural disasters” caused by human-induced climate change.
Bosnian volunteer firefighters: Courage, leadership, and unity
The Turbe Fire Department in central Bosnia and Herzegovina proudly stands as a pillar of the community. Its 50 members, including 28 young volunteers, are unwaveringly dedicated to the protection and safety of their fellow citizens.
A lucky Gazan routine?
I try to sleep through the noises of heavy bombing sounds and news reports on the radio. My eyes get heavier and heavier. And then my mind eventually gives up and I drift off to sleep.
One year after the Ürümqi fire that kicked off protests across China: Interview with Uyghur activist Rushan Abbas
Global Voices interviewed Uyghur activist Rushan Abbas to assess how the human rights situation of Uyghurs has changed since the Ürümqi fire and talk about the future of Uyghur-Han Chinese relations.
Post-Hurricane Maria, Dominica is still trying to build climate-resilient homes, so at COP28, it will advocate for Loss and Damage financial mechanisms
A Loss and Damage Fund will go a long way in providing “critical climate finance to the most vulnerable countries that are ravaged by the adverse impacts of climate change.”
Cracking the dilemma: Heavy metal concerns in Bangladesh's egg supply
Eggs are the cheapest protein source in Bangladesh. A recent study has identified elevated levels of heavy metals in eggs from farms located in Dhaka city, posing a health risk.
Project Khale Hobe: How the power of one aided by social media can better lives
A group of young volunteers led by a cartoonist, came forward to clean a polluted canal coursing through a populated area of Dhaka, earning praise from the entire nation.
A look at period poverty experiences in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago
Non-profits in both islands have been advocating for the use of more environmentally friendly, reusable menstrual products as a way to directly combat period poverty amidst climate change events.
Madagascar: Fatal incident overshadows Indian Ocean Island Games’ opening ceremony
As the incumbent president seeks reelection in November 2023, a fatal stampede has overshadowed the opening ceremony of Madagascar's Indian Ocean Island Games.
Protest demands justice two years after COVID-19 hospital fire in North Macedonia
The company that built the hospital and state officials who approved the construction faced no accountability for the fire that killed 14 people
Microplastic pollution in Sri Lanka: A silent killer in the making
Microplastics are toxic to all living beings. Until we can replace plastics or combat microplastics, the general rule must be to avoid any indiscriminate usage of plastics in our lives.
‘Stop the dump’: Pacific communities protest Japan’s release of treated nuclear water
"If it is safe, dump it in Tokyo! If it is safe, test it in Paris! If it is safe, store it in Washington! But keep our Pacific nuclear free!"
Unsustainable living in uptown Kingston, Jamaica
Global Voices contributor Emma Lewis is thinking of downsizing, but the cracks in the homes she's touring may point to more deep-seated issues around Kingston's "rash of new 'development'.”