VIF Neighborhood News Digest: April 1, 2020

PAKISTAN

PM Imran orders relief package for Afghan refugees, IDPs: Dawn
April 1, 2020

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to prepare a relief package for the Afghan refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) facing hardship due to the coronavirus epidemic. The directives came during a meeting of the federal cabinet following a request by Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron) Shehryar Afridi. Click here to read... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

UN Envoy Welcomes Afghan Negotiation Team: TOLO
April 1, 2020

The UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and OIC UNAMA, Ingrid Hayden, in a briefing to the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday said that it is heartening that despite the political impasse, the Afghan establishment have been able to agree on a diverse negotiating team. The 21-member team was announced by the government on March 27. It was welcomed by President Ashraf Ghani’s political rival Abdullah Abdullah as well as some other politicians who wished that it would lead the country to intra-Afghan negotiations. Click here to read... [3]

COVID-19: HRW Urges Afghan Govt, Taliban to Work with UN: TOLO
April 1, 2020

The Afghan government and Taliban “should urgently work together” with the UN and aid agencies to improve access to health care for the millions of Afghans most at risk from the coronavirus, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday. The statement said that the most vulnerable communities in Afghanistan include millions of internally displaced people and rural communities where health services are already very limited. Click here to read... [4]

BANGLADESH

Only one in 100,000 tested for coronavirus in Bangladesh: Dhaka Tribune
April 1, 2020

Coronavirus affected countries are conducting tens and thousands of tests per day. Bangladesh has been testing an alarmingly low amount of suspects considering its high population. Only one suspected case is being tested for approximately 100,499 people in Bangladesh, shows Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control, and Research (IEDCR) data. However, experts warned that the pandemic cannot be stopped if not enough Covid-19 tests are conducted, especially since it won’t present a clear picture of the situation. Click here to read... [5]

MYANMAR

State Counsellor says lockdown will be used only if needed: Myanmar Times
April 1, 2020

State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said on Tuesday that Myanmar will be locked down only if needed to slow the spread of COVID-19, which has infected 14 people and killed one in the past week. “For the benefit of the country, a community quarantine will be imposed only where it is necessary,” she said in a televised address to the nation. She added that once a community is locked down, the new committee headed by Vice President U Myint Swe would ensure there are no shortages of food, medicine or other essentials. Click here to read... [6]

NEPAL

Nepal and India agree to take care of and feed each other’s citizens stranded on the border. Crossings to remain closed: The Kathmandu Post
April 1, 2020

Nepal and India have agreed to take care of each other’s citizens stranded on the border due to the lockdown on both sides of the frontier enforced to control the spread of the contagious coronavirus. The agreement to provide food and shelter to people stranded on the border comes as thousands of Nepalis and some Indians, desperate to return home, wait for the border crossings to re-open.

“An agreement has been reached to protect stranded citizens of both the countries,” Rajan Bhattarai, foreign relations advisor to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli told the Post. Click here to read... [7]

Sri Lanka

Covid-19: 20 new cases brings total to 142: Daily Mirror
April 1, 2020

Amid the death of a second COVID 19 infected Sri Lankan reported from Kochchikade in Negombo on Monday night; the number of confirmed cases of the viral infection rose by seven more yesterday to a total of 142. Chief epidemiologist of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), Dr. Eranga Narangoda said the hospital was expected to release a more patients who had fully recovered from the infection. Click here to read... [8]

CHINA

China to roll out a mix of fiscal and financial policies to vigorously meet challenges: People’s Daily
April 1, 2020

The Chinese government will roll out a set of fiscal and financial policies, including allocating more local government bond quota in advance as per due procedures, and intensifying inclusive financial support to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Click here to read... [9]

Coronavirus: Hong Kong residents unhappy with Covid-19 response – and surgical masks one big reason why, Post survey shows: South China Morning Post
April 1, 2020

An overwhelming majority of Hong Kong residents are convinced they will have only themselves to thank rather than their embattled government if the city wins its battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, a survey commissioned by the Post has found. Click here to read... [10]