Don’t ignore Asia, warns report

OVER the next decade, two million children will die, 40 million people will be without safe drinking water, and five million children will be forced out of school if current trends continue in 14 countries across Asia and the Pacific that are among the world’s least developed, a UN report said yesterday.

Better access to international markets could prevent this, said the report from United Nations Development Programme.

The grim forecasts in the UNDP report sought to focus attention on countries ranging from Afghanistan and Nepal to Bangladesh and Samoa. Experts say these countries are often ignored amid spotlights on African poverty and the image of a new prosperity sweeping Asian nations like China and India.

"It seeks to explode a certain myth that Asia is a happening place," said Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, a consultant to the report. "The objective is to draw the attention of the international community toward these 14 least developed countries that are often ignored... I'm not saying: Ignore Africa. I'm saying: Do not ignore Asia."

The report, which was released ahead of the Group of Eight summit of industrialised nations to be held in Scotland next week, suggested the removal of import duties and other trade restrictions against these countries to help them fight poverty.

The UN report said the 14 countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Maldives, Burma, Nepal, Samoa, Solomon Islands, East Timor, Tuvalu and Vanuatu accounted for some 260 million people.

The report highlighted the contrasts in the Asia-Pacific region, where it said the poorest nations were often ignored because faster growing nations made the continent's overall development averages look good.