South Asia

Sprawling coastal cities in South and Southeast Asia are sinking faster than elsewhere in the world, leaving tens of millions of people more vulnerable to rising sea levels, a new study says.  Rapid urbanization has seen these cities draw heavily on groundwater to service their burgeoning populations, according to research …

A new report has found Pakistan to be among five countries across the world “least resilient” to the effects of natural disasters, as the South Asian nation grapples with the catastrophic flooding and ensuing emergencies. The report from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll released this week is based …

Standing in line to try to buy food, Rekha Begum is distraught. Like many others in Bangladesh, she is struggling to find affordable daily essentials like rice, lentils and onions. “I went to two other places, but they told me they don’t have supplies. Then I came here and stood …

At least four people are dead and 10 wounded after explosion went off near a mosque in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul on Friday, with a hospital confirming the number of casualties. A column of black smoke rose into the sky and shots rang out several minutes after the blast in …

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie on Wednesday joined Pakistan in pushing the international community to step up aid for victims of the country’s historic flooding, which has affected roughly 33 million people.    “I’ve never seen anything like this. … I am overwhelmed,” said Jolie, a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. …

Displaced by some of the worst flooding in years, hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis now face the threat of disease. Infections are on the rise due to unsanitary conditions, and health facilities damaged by historic rains are struggling to cope. VOA’s Sarah Zaman has more.

Taliban authorities have allowed the reopening of a nongovernment school in the western Afghan province of Herat, where young girls will learn computer coding. The school was closed in the aftermath of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan last year. More than 350 students have already applied to enroll at the …

On Thursday, a ship carrying Ukrainian grain to Afghanistan is scheduled to leave Odesa port. Earlier this week, VOA’s Myroslava Gongadze got exclusive access to the port and a vessel during the process of grain loading. VOA footage by Eugene Shynkar.

The United Nations reports millions of Pakistanis remain in dire straits and in need of lifesaving humanitarian assistance as they try to recover from the worst floods to hit the country in a century. Nearly a month after catastrophic floods devastated Pakistan, large parts of the country, especially in the …

For the first time in India, a domestically-made vaccine that provides protection against cervical cancer—the second-most common type of cancer afflicting women in the country—will be accessible to the majority of the population, including the poorest, according to leading healthcare professionals. The vaccine, Cervavac, is produced by The Serum Institute …