Bangladesh

Crisis Looms as Rice Prices Soar

Guardian (UK)  |  Apr 6, 08 2:21 PM CDT

(Newser) - Rice feeds half the world's population, but this year there isn't enough to go around and prices have risen by 50% over the last two weeks alone. Population growth is outpacing production, and stocks are at a 30-year low after droughts decimated harvests in China and Australia. Countries are banning rice exports and punishing hoarders to prevent looming food riots, the Guardian reports. More »

Bangladesh in Frenzied Search for Stolen Art

Reuters  |  Dec 24, 07 11:34 AM CST

(Newser) - Bangladesh has mounted a massive hunt for two priceless artifacts that went missing yesterday at the Dhaka airport, Reuters reports. The statues of the Hindu god Vishnu, sculpted 1,500 years ago, were on their way to an exhibition at a Paris museum. Bangladeshi authorities have detained 12 suspects and stopped the shipment to France while the investigation continues. More »

1M Bangladesh Cyclone Survivors Still Homeless

Reuters  |  Dec 23, 07 2:40 PM CST

(Newser) - Five weeks after Cyclone Sidr tore through Bangladesh, more than 1 million people still lack basic shelter, reports Reuters. While rebuilding efforts continue, the Red Cross says the country suffers from acute lack of funding. The cyclone killed 3,300, laid waste to 1.5 million homes, and destroyed 1 million tons of rice crops. More »

Time to Move the Bears?

Der Spiegel  |  Nov 25, 07 5:27 PM CST

(Newser) - Airlifting polar bears to the Antarctic? Luring man-eating tigers out from a forest in Bangladesh? Such ideas are in the air, as biologists debate whether to move embattled species to areas less warmed by CO2. But critics say that "cowboy environmentalists" are flouting the rules—and endangering cooler habitats—by talking species relocation.  More »

Bangladeshi Bridge Collapses

Associated Press  |  Nov 24, 07 8:47 AM CST

(Newser) - At least three people were killed and scores injured in Bangladesh today when a bridge packed with thousands of cyclone survivors collapsed, the AP reports. Another 20 people were missing. The collapse occurred as Bangladeshis moved toward a relief center to receive much-needed food and supplies in a district hard hit by last week's cyclone. More »

US Ship Rides to the Rescue in Bangladesh

Reuters  |  Nov 23, 07 2:51 PM CST

(Newser) - USS Kearsarge , an amphibious assault ship, arrived in Bangladesh today loaded with potable water, food, and medical supplies for some of the 2 million Bengalis displaced by Cyclone Sidr. Another American vessel bearing much-needed aid, USS Essex , is due tomorrow, Reuters reports. The Marine Corps said in a press release the relief effort began with 750 gallons of water delivered by helicopter. More »

Bengalis Fight for Survival

Associated Press  |  Nov 22, 07 6:11 AM CST

(Newser) - Fights broke out among cyclone survivors desperate for meager supplies as aid agencies struggled to get food to the hungry, reports the AP . Cyclone Sidr killed thousands in Bangladesh last week, and food and drinking water shortages could bring a second wave of death—this time from hunger and disease. More »

Aid Finally Reaches Bengalis

AFP  |  Nov 21, 07 5:54 PM CST

(Newser) - Bangladesh’s army has finally reached most parts of the southern coastline devastated by Cyclone Sidr six days ago, delivering small amounts of aid to most affected areas, the AFP reports. With relief efforts thus far stymied by the devastation, any aid was welcomed: "We spent the last six days cooking rotten rice," said one survivor as the first consignment arrived. More »

Cyclone Death Toll Tops 3,100

Guardian (UK)  |  Nov 19, 07 4:27 PM CST

(Newser) - The death toll from Cyclone Sidr surpassed 3,100 today, and relief officials in Bangladesh fear as many as 15,000 have been killed. Helicopters were dropping food, water, and medicine, but relief had yet to reach many remote areas, the Guardian reports. Some $25 million in initial aid has been pledged , and as many as 3.2 million people have been affected. More »

Bangladesh Toll Passes 2,200

Associated Press  |  Nov 18, 07 2:53 PM CST

(Newser) - The death toll in Bangladesh has climbed above 2,200 since Tropical Cyclone Sidr hit the region Thursday, the AP reports. And that number could keep rising as military helicopters, naval ships, and thousands of Bangladeshi troops continue working alongside international aid agencies to rescue victims. But many of the affected areas are difficult to access. More »

Cyclone Deaths in Thousands

BBC  |  Nov 17, 07 8:46 AM CST

(Newser) - More than 1,000 have been confirmed dead in the wake of Thursday's cyclone in Bangladesh, but local news reports double that number, as a virtual national blackout and debris-filled roads have stymied efforts to assess the true brunt of the storm, reports the BBC. "We are expecting that thousands of dead bodies may be found within a few days," says a disaster-relief official. More »

Bengali Cyclone Toll Hits 1,100