VIF Neighborhood News Digest: April 13, 2020

PAKISTAN

PM Imran asks world for debt relief in war on Covid-19: Dawn
April 13, 2020

Prime Minister Imran Khan has again appealed to the leaders of rich countries, the UN secretary general and heads of financial institutions to give debt relief to developing countries like Pakistan so that they could combat the deadly Covid-19 in a better way. In a video message to the international community broadcast by TV channels on Sunday, the prime minister highlighted the difficulties being faced by the developing countries, particularly those burdened by heavy debt, in handling the situation and said the biggest challenge for nations in the developing world was to save their peoples from dying of the pandemic and hunger due to extended lockdowns triggered by the disease. Click here to read.... [2]

AFGHANISTAN

Khalilzad Welcomes Prisoner Releases by Government, Taliban: TOLO
April 13, 2020

The US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in a tweet welcomed the prisoner releases by both the Afghan government and Taliban. He says that both sides should "accelerate efforts" to meet targets of US-Taliban agreement because "potential for COVID-19 outbreaks in prisons poses a real threat." The Afghan government has so far released 361 Taliban prisoners from Bagram prison, says Javid Faisal, a spokesman for the Office of the National Security Council. As per President Ghani's decree, said Faisal, "releases will continue across other prisons to free a total of 1,500 as part of our efforts to advance peace and fight COVID19.” Click here to read.... [3]

BANGLADESH

Experts: Bangladesh’s food security not at stake, access to all needs to be ensured: Dhaka Tribune
April 13, 2020

The food security will not be ensured even after having adequate volume of food grains as the system may fail to ensure its availability at affordable prices for all. Though the UN has warned about how coronavirus protective measures could jeopardize food security around the world, experts said Bangladesh is unlikely to face such a problem. Only if the government can ensure people’s access to food as it has enough food stock. They also said the government should not be complacent with its huge food stock as it has a big challenge to ensure its availability at the doorsteps of the affected people through various social safety net programs and food ratioing system. Click here to read.... [4]

MYANMAR

Myanmar virus toll increases to four, cases rise to 41: Myanmar Times
April 13, 2020

The health ministry reported on April 12 the death of another COVID-19 patient, bringing to four the total number of people killed by the deadly disease in Myanmar, with two new infections detected on April 13. The ministry said the newest fatality was an 85-year-old man, who lived in Pabedan Township in downtown Yangon. He was admitted on April 8 at the Yangon General Hospital due to fever and cough. He had no history of traveling outside the country during the past 14 days. He suffered from diabetes and coronary heart disease. Click here to read.... [5]

NEPAL

Billions in losses and hundreds of thousands of jobs on the line as airline industry faces pandemic: The Kathmandu Post

April 13, 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic is likely to cause the biggest slump in Nepal's aviation industry, triggering a domino effect on the county's tourism sector, say industry insiders. Nearly Rs50 billion revenue will be wiped out and 175,000 people rendered jobless in Nepal's aviation industry due to the Covid-19 outbreak, according to an estimate by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The estimate is based on a scenario where severe restrictions on travel are lifted after three months. Losses are expected to balloon with some companies facing potential collapse, according to IATA, an international trade association for airlines. Click here to read.... [6]

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka makes cremations compulsory for coronavirus deaths: Al Jazeera
April 13, 2020

Sri Lanka has made cremations compulsory for coronavirus victims, ignoring protests from the country's Muslim population which says the rule goes against Islamic tradition. Three Muslims are among the seven people who have so far died from the infectious disease in the country. Their bodies were cremated by the authorities despite protests from relatives. "The corpse of a person who has died or is suspected to have died, of ... COVID-19 shall be cremated," Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said on Sunday. The decision has also been criticized by rights groups. Click here to read.... [7]

BHUTAN

His Majesty the King addresses the nation: Kuenselonline
April 13, 2020

The world is faced with an unprecedented challenge due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. The risks unleashed by this pandemic are escalating by the day. Realizing that Bhutan will not be an exception to the adverse effects of this global pandemic, we have planned and implemented various strategies to cope with the threat in a timely and effective manner. Adopting a cautious approach, Bhutan stopped the entry of tourists to prevent the virus from entering the country. Click here to read.... [8]

CHINA

Coronavirus outbreak brings US and Taiwan closer together: South China Morning Post
April 13, 2020

The US has used the Covid-19 pandemic to shore up its relations with Taiwan despite strong protests from mainland China. Click here to read.... [9]

Ambassador challenges claims China hid virus count: China Daily
April 13, 2020

China's top diplomat in the United States refuted the claims that his country has underreported the number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths, suggesting instead that the accusers usually have things under their "dirty carpet".Click here to read.... [10]