In 2021, over 193 million people in 53 countries/territories faced acute food insecurity (IPC/CH Phase 3-5; see Chart 1), according to the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC 2022). In comparison to the already record numbers of 2020, this is an almost 40 million increase. Over half a million people (570,000) in Ethiopia, southern Madagascar, South Sudan, and Yemen were identified as being in the most critical phase of acute food insecurity (IPC/CH Phase 5; see Chart 1) and required immediate assistance to avoid widespread livelihood collapse, famine, and death. The number of people encountering crisis or worse (IPC/CH Phase 3 or higher; see Chart 1) approximately doubled between 2016 and 2021 when looking at the same 39 countries/territories represented in all editions of the report, with persistent increases each year since 2017.
Read moreCategory: South Asia
News and Analyses of events in South Asia
Sri Lanka: how a South Asian country came under chaos
There is little doubt that a combination of internal and external forces contributed to Sri Lanka’s growth from a middle-to-high income country in South Asia to where it is today in just a few short years. For many years, Sri Lanka’s government has struggled with recurring budget deficits that have forced it to borrow frequently from both local and international markets, adding to the nation’s public debt. According to the breakdown of Sri Lanka’s foreign debt as of April 2021 is provided by the Sri Lankan Department of Foreign Resources, Sri Lanka’s international borrowing made up of 47% from the capital markets, 13% from the Asian Development Bank, 10% from China, 10% from Japan, 9% from the World Bank, 2% from India, and 9% from others. Sri Lanka’s foreign debt is owed to multilateral financial organizations and commercial creditors from Western nations. They sold the loan to ‘vulture funds,’ who actually took advantage of Sri Lanka’s every cent.
Read moreA US-induced cold war ploy hurts Bangladeshi sourcing of cotton from China
The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) estimates that Bangladesh’s expanding garment industry needs close to 9 million bales of cotton. Less than 2% of them can be supplied locally, forcing Bangladesh to purchase 8.5 million cotton bales at a cost of around $3 billion.
Read moreBRICS can enable Bangladesh to explore greater business and geopolitical opportunities
Closer collaboration with BRICS under BRICS+ mechanism will open doors for Bangladesh to explore new markets and help to bridge the gap between two regional rivals China and India for its own benefits. India’s motivation for remaining in BRICS is not to support China’s global dominance. New Delhi believes it is more advantageous to stay in the BRICS alliance in order to restrain Chinese expansionism by securing multilateral agreements with Beijing. It will also embolden to skirt Western sanctions when it comes to do trading with Russia.
Read moreBangladesh can gain from changing Middle East
Young men from Bangladesh travel to the Middle East in search of work. Over time, they transfer money to their family back home, and our nation benefits from these labor-intensive foreign exchange transactions. Over 10 million Bangladeshis, mostly in the Middle East, reside and work abroad. After the clothing industry, they constitute the country’s second-largest source of remittances from abroad.
Read moreKeeping geopolitical puzzle aside, Dhaka should expand commercial ties with East Europe and CIS Bloc
Bangladesh, in other terms, does not intend to sway in favor of a particular major power. It maintains its external relations with the world community by pursuing a middle of the road foreign policy that heavily relies on multinational diplomacy.
Read moreDhaka creates an enabling environment for its Big Neighbours
China’s multifaceted participation in Bangladesh is now a simple reality, and any attempt by India to challenge it will be ineffective. In Bangladesh, meaningful engagement with China will be critical for India’s security and regional stability in the northeastern states. Despite Western criticism of Bangladesh’s 2018 elections, China and India backed the current Dhaka administration.
Read moreHow the world obsessed with Ukraine forgot the Rohingyas
Long-term uncertainty about repatriation may incentivize Rohingya refugees to commit crimes. As a result of the extended ambiguity surrounding their repatriation, many Rohingya are becoming frustrated. Human trafficking, prostitution, and illegal drug trade will become victims of the Rohingya when they realize there is little support for them. As a result, the entire region’s equilibrium may be jeopardized.
Read moreIf mutual trust is built in the political arena, the EU-Bangladesh partnership has a lot of promise
For decades, the EU has focused on economic integration rather than power politics. However, as authoritarian regimes have risen to power in many parts of the world and the United States’ leadership has waned, geopolitics has resurfaced with a fury. The EU’s foreign policy is struggling to adapt to the new reality due to its…
Read moreDelicate balance in a critical time: careful steps with regional sync will favor Bangladesh
The Ukraine-Russia military conflict has brazenly pitted the West against Russia, and a new Cold War like situation will impose new challenges for Bangladesh. Bangladeshi imports from Russia include cereals, minerals, chemical products, plastic products, metal, machinery and mechanical equipment.
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