Asia: IRIN-ASIA Weekly Round-up 270 for 28 February - 6 March 2010

	humanitarian news and analysis UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Table of contents 1. PAKISTAN: Quake causes panic in northern town 2. SRI LANKA: Arulamma Thambiraja, "I have seen things I never thought I would, so much death" 3. PHILIPPINES: Contraception controversy central to elections 4. In Brief: Major tree-planting drive in Afghanistan 5. PAKISTAN: A dangerous mixture in Balochistan 6. AFGHANISTAN: Dip in civilian deaths in first two months of 2010 7. LAOS: Thousands risk losing livelihoods in wetlands development 8. PAKISTAN: Swat women fear Taliban return 9. AFGHANISTAN: Help promised for returning Marjah IDPs 10. INDONESIA: Small-scale disasters take their toll 11. AFGHANISTAN: Seasonal floods warning 12. NEPAL: Stalled government policy leaves IDPs in limbo 13. VIETNAM: Record drought threatens livelihoods PAKISTAN: Quake causes panic in northern town MANSEHRA, 28 February 2010 (IRIN) - A 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook parts of Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan early on the morning of 28 February, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The epicentre was in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, about 175km northeast of Kabul, USGS said. full report SRI LANKA: Arulamma Thambiraja, "I have seen things I never thought I would, so much death" COLOMBO, 1 March 2010 (IRIN) - This time last year, Arulamma Thambiraja, 99, was among tens of thousands of civilians trapped in Sri Lanka's north by fighting between government forces and the since-defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). full report PHILIPPINES: Contraception controversy central to elections MANILA, 1 March 2010 (IRIN) - The controversial issue of family planning is taking a prominent role in campaigning for the general election in the Philippines. full report In Brief: Major tree-planting drive in Afghanistan KABUL, 1 March 2010 (IRIN) - Up to 25 million tree seedlings will be planted in Afghanistan this year by the government, NGOs and private entities to combat soil erosion and desertification, and help improve air quality in urban environments, says the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL). full report PAKISTAN: A dangerous mixture in Balochistan QUETTA, 1 March 2010 (IRIN) - Significant development and poverty challenges in Balochistan Province, southwestern Pakistan, are being exacerbated by growing security concerns, according to aid workers. Decades of nationalist unrest, underdevelopment and the scaling down of UN and NGO activity have left residents feeling neglected and fearful for their safety, they say. full report AFGHANISTAN: Dip in civilian deaths in first two months of 2010 KABUL, 1 March 2010 (IRIN) - The number of civilian deaths caused by the conflict in Afghanistan in the first two months of 2010 was slightly lower than in the same period in 2009, according to two Afghan human rights groups. full report LAOS: Thousands risk losing livelihoods in wetlands development VIENTIANE, 2 March 2010 (IRIN) - Thousands of people living in a fertile wetland on the edge of Vientiane may lose their livelihoods and be relocated as part of the capital's urbanization plans, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says. full report PAKISTAN: Swat women fear Taliban return MINGORA, 2 March 2010 (IRIN) - Girls in Swat District, northwestern Pakistan, have gone back to school, and most women who had been prevented from working have returned to work, but people are still fearful. full report AFGHANISTAN: Help promised for returning Marjah IDPs KABUL, 2 March 2010 (IRIN) - Hundreds of families who fled fighting in the Marjah area of Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, in February have started returning home; conditions are difficult but steps are being taken to help them, government officials say. full report INDONESIA: Small-scale disasters take their toll CIWIDEY, 3 March 2010 (IRIN) - Small-scale disasters affect thousands of Indonesians every year, yet the floods and landslides that constantly hit the country are overshadowed by more devastating events, agencies say. full report AFGHANISTAN: Seasonal floods warning KABUL, 4 March 2010 (IRIN) - Rain and warmer temperatures are expected to melt snow and cause floods in parts of Afghanistan over the coming weeks, government officials and experts warn. full report NEPAL: Stalled government policy leaves IDPs in limbo KATHMANDU, 4 March 2010 (IRIN) - Efforts to help thousands of families displaced during Nepal?s decade-long armed conflict (1996-2006) to return to their homes or resettle have stalled over government inaction, leaving many unassisted, aid agencies say. full report VIETNAM: Record drought threatens livelihoods HANOI, 5 March 2010 (IRIN) - As temperatures rise in Vietnam, a nationwide drought has dried up riverbeds, sparked forest fires and now threatens one of the world's richest agricultural regions, upon which millions depend for their livelihoods. full report

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

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