This is a roundup of news articles, reports, and other materials focusing on (in)security issues and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of Security in Context. The goal is to shed light on knowledge production on security-related issues of public interest from critical perspectives and from global south readings by highlighting media from four particular regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and developing Asia. Entries may include academic journal articles, think tank reports, non-governmental organizations releases, official documents or government-commissioned research, and regular news items. The material included covers SiC's key security issues: Climate Change, Security and International Relations, Migration and Displacement, Covid-19 and Capitalism, Technologies of Surveillance, Gender, Race, Ethnicity and Sexuality, Arms and the Military-industrial Complex, and Censorship.
You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each roundup to admin@securityincontext.com.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Peru Closes Machu Picchu Amid Deadly Protests in Lima
January 22, 2023
Due to growing protests carried out by anti-government demonstrators in Lima, Peruvian cultural officials decided to close Machu Picchu until further notice after hundreds of tourist found themselves stranded.
Brazil Declares Public Health Emergency for Yanomami People
January 22, 2023
As a result of illegal mining that has led to dangerous levels of malnutrition and diseases, the Brazilian government has declared a public health emergency for the Yanomami people who live in the Amazon.
Haiti’s death toll from cholera climbs to nearly 500
January 22, 2023
The Haitian death toll from cholera hit 496 victims only four months after the reappearance of the infection.
Agricultural emergency, triggered by drought, extended for another 90 days in Uruguay
January 19, 2023
According to the Uruguayan Meteorological Institute, Inumet, more than 60% of Uruguay has been suffering from either severe or extreme drought in the past three months.
Jamaican mothers to gain access to public healthcare through health initiative
January 17, 2023
A newly launched maternal and newborn health program called ‘Right Start- A Maternal and Newborn Care Initiative’ will now allow Jamaican mothers access through the public health system.
Africa
100 million Nigerians are at risk of neglected tropical diseases: what the country is doing about it
January 27, 2023
Nigeria has been working together with the World Health Organization and through internal research efforts to combat neglected tropical diseases like trypanosomiasis that threaten the health of the nation.
Heat stress is rising in southern Africa – climate experts show where and when it’s worst
January 26, 2023
Southern Africa has been seeing a rise in heat stress after a prolonged heat wave in the region began on January 9. Children, the elderly, and those with underlying health conditions may be at risk of feeling greater adverse effects to increased heat in the region.
Abdoulaye Bathily welcomes Algeria's efforts to settle crisis in Libya
January 25, 2023
Abdoulaye Bathily, the UN Secretary General for Libya, has accepted Algeria’s assistance in recovering Libya’s stability as a nation.
Effort to eradicate Guinea worm disease enters ‘last mile’
January 25, 2023
With only 13 human cases of Guinea worm disease reported in Africa last year, efforts to eradicate the parasitic disease since 1986 appear to be reaching their final stages.
January 21, 2023
A study from HelpAge International has revealed that 87% of older people who participated in the survey said their food diversity and quantity was lacking, underscoring the food crisis transpiring in the country.
Deforestation threatens national park in DRC
January 18, 2023
The Virunga National Park in the eastern DRC is dealing with deforestation after civilians who fled areas rife with conflict between the DRC’s government and M23 rebels have begun cutting down trees in the park for firewood.
Angola bets on the decarbonization of the oil industry
January 16, 2023
Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, has spoken about decarbonizing the oil industry, acknowledging the upcoming challenges of doing so while being mindful of the environment and energy sustainability.
Middle East
The Iranian Monarchists Do Not Represent The 'Multinational Iran'
January 30, 2023
There is a significant coalition building in Iran that believes the present government should be replaced with the previous regime. According to one survey, 19% of Iranians want to return to some form of monarchy.
'7 Israeli settlers killed' in shooting operation outside synagogue Jerusalem
January 28, 2023
Several Israeli settlers were killed outside of a synagogue and many were injured. At least seven died. This attack takes place shortly after an Israeli military raid that killed 9 Palestinian and punctuates an overall escalation of violence.
Israel plans to build 18,000 more settlement units in occupied West Bank: Report
January 25, 2023
The far-right Israeli government plans to expand its settlements in an unprecedented way as Netanyahu’s cabinet lays out the blueprint for a massive increase in illegal settlements.
US to build military industrial base in Morocco
January 17, 2023
The U.S. plans to expedite the construction of an industrial military base in Morocco. President Biden has instructed the pentagon to increase investment in Morocco as it looks to counter Russia’s growing influence in Africa.
January 10, 2023
Western media has increased its coverage on Iran because Iranian weapons and drones are being used in Europe. While the West had no issue with Iranian weapons circulating throughout the Middle East, now that they have broken into the European market via Russia, they are a much larger threat.
Developing Asia
An activist was given a 28-year sentence by a Thai court for online posts critical of the monarchy
January 27, 2023
On January 26, a Thai court sentenced a 27-year-old political activist to 28 years in jail for defaming the monarchy on Facebook, while two young women convicted with the same violation resumed a hunger strike after being hospitalized. For insulting the king, the lèse-majesté legislation carries a three-to-15-year jail sentence, but opponents claim it is used to stifle political opposition. Student-led pro-democracy rallies in 2020 publicly challenged the monarchy, previously taboo, resulting in strong charges under the statute, which had previously been seldom used.
Every year, traveling in Nepal becomes riskier
January 24, 2023
In the previous year, 94 people died in plane crashes, while the number of fatalities on Nepal's roads was thirty times greater. Accidents involving buses and jeeps have grown so commonplace that they no longer even appear on newspaper front pages. Each incident is described as a singular occurrence rather than a pattern demonstrating the dramatic rise in road and highway deaths in Nepal year over year.
Why is it in the US's interest for Pakistan to be financially stable?
January 21, 2023
The most recent State Department statement expressed optimism for economic stability in the country, emphasizing that Washington was not only aware of Pakistan's financial problems, but also supported efforts to reconstruct the national economy.
The Paths to Food Sovereignty in Indonesia May Help Restore the World Food System
January 18, 2023
Indonesia ranks 63rd out of 113 nations on the 2022 Global Food Security Index, with significant availability, sustainability, and adaptation risks. Climate change threatens the country's agriculture industry, which employs 29% of the population and contributed 13.7% to GDP in 2020. Overfishing and coastal habitat destruction threaten the $27 billion domestic fisheries sector, which employs 7 million. Despite these vulnerabilities, agricultural and resource-rich Southeast Asian (SEA) countries like Indonesia can help secure food sovereignty and reduce the global food crisis. Together, the area makes a sizable contribution to the world's supply of essential foods and staples including palm oil, coffee, and rice.
How the Onion Became a Symbol of Inflation in the Philippines
January 16, 2023
The unprecedentedly high price of onions in the Philippines is a reflection of the country's inflation issue, which compelled the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to open rolling storefronts, release illegal commodities, and import from neighboring nations. The lack of supply is a result of weather variations and local farmers' decisions to plant different kinds of onions. The government has also cited "unscrupulous dealers and hoarders for the excessive price of onion."
Key Issues
This section includes the latest and most pressing news regarding SiC's key security issues.
Qatar replaces Russian company in Lebanon gas exploration
January 29, 2023
Lebanon includes Qatar in its oil exploration enterprise after Russia withdraws from oil and natural gas negotiations. Qatar joins an agreement between Lebanon, Israel, and the U.S. to expand the Lebanese oil industry.
Sudan is "in agreement" with Ethiopia over its Blue Nile dam
January 27, 2023
Sudanese leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan says that he agrees with the construction of a dam on the Blue Nile by Ethiopia, an action that the Egyptian government sees as a threat to their irrigation and drinking water supply.
Myanmar army column burns seven Sagaing Region villages in one day
January 27, 2023
Since January 23, the 100-soldier column raiding towns near the Chindwin River has started burning down the village. At the time of reporting, around 100 residences had been damaged within a seven-mile radius. The anti-junta Northern Yinmabin Strike Force said that the military detained five civilians in Sone Chaung on January 23. Several villagers thought to have been kidnapped have gone missing, and one has been found decapitated.
Israel, Gaza trade overnight fire after West Bank deadly clashes
January 27, 2023
Rockets are fired from Gaza at Israel after an Israeli raid killed 9 Palestinians. This is just one of many violent episodes in Palestine that have erupted recently as the far-right Israeli government clamps down on its occupational efforts.
EU sees asylum applications almost double in 2022: European Commission
January 23, 2023
2022 saw a massive increase in asylum seekers to Europe, many of whom come from Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey, Venezuela and Colombia. As migration increased, from these regions, there was also an influx of Ukrainian refugees as well. However, Ukrainians are offered temporary protection and do not have to apply for asylum in many European countries.
