Mamadbokir “Boqir” Mamadbokirov was a highly respected leader of the Pamiri people. He was born and raised in Khorog, the capital city of the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region (GBAO). This vast mountainous area is spopulated with only 2% of Tajikistan’s population, but that makes up 45% of the country. The Pamiri people, mostly Ismaili Shi’ites, had been granted autonomous political status by the Soviet Union due to their unique culture, languages, and minority religion.
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Heavy rain and flash floods in northern India killed at least 41 people
Flash floods and landslides caused by heavy rain in northern India have killed at least 41 people since the weekend. The state’s Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said thirty-one people have died in Himachal Pradesh, while a further 10 have died in neighboring Punjab. Sukhu said six helicopters had been deployed, and so far over 2,000 people have been evacuated.
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Hunger crisis in troubled Haiti
Four million people face acute food insecurity and one million of them are one step away from famine. The U.N food agency’s director, Jean-Martin Bauer told a virtual press conference that he’s ringing the alarm bell because the recent increase in gang violence has made a very bad situation even worse.
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14 dead as heavy rainfall lashes northern India
Flash floods triggered by sudden heavy rains flooded several towns in northeast India. More than 2,000 people were rescued after Wednesday’s floods and rescue workers were still searching for more than 100 people on Thursday.
