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Nikkei Asia
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
Through the Lens: 5 days of fighting on Thai-Cambodian border
Through the Lens: 5 days of fighting on Thai-Cambodian border Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an unconditional ceasefire on July 28 after five days of cross-border conflict over disputed ownership of temples and other territory in which at least 34 people were killed and more than 270,000 displaced. July 24 This screenshot from the Royal Thai Army's Facebook page shows a gas station in Srisaket province, Thailand, that was hit by a rocket fired from Cambodia. Royal Thai Army soldiers ride in armored vehicles in Chachoengsao province on July 24, the day Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodian military targets and Cambodia fired rockets and artillery, with at least 11 civilians being killed in a dramatic escalation of a long-running border dispute between the two neighbors. (Photo by Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP) July 25 Screen grabs from a handout video released on July 25 shows a drone dropping a bomb during what Thai army says was an operation on a Cambodian military arms depot in an area given as Phu Ma Kuea Hill near Preah Vihear province, Cambodia. (Photo by Thai Army/Reuters) A Thai military mobile unit fires toward Cambodia in Surin province, Thailand, on July 25. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters) People wait at the Thai Red Cross in Bangkok on July 25 to donate blood for hospitals in the border regions near the conflict. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) A Thai woman takes a selfie as she donates blood at the Thai Red Cross in Bangkok on July 25. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) A monk sits in a makeshift bomb shelter in Surin province, Thailand, on July 25. (Photo by) People drive past Royal Palace of Cambodia in the capital of Phnom Penh on July 25, as the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict entered its second day. (Photo by) July 26 A woman carries donated water at a camp set up at Batthkao Primary School in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia, on July 26. (Photo by Soveit Yarn/Reuters) People gather to receive water at a camp set up at Batthkao Primary School in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia, on July 26. (Photo by Soveit Yarn/Reuters) Thai people protest against the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia in Bangkok on July 26. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) A mall in Bangkok, pictured on July 27. Many places in the Thai capital were decorated with the national flag during the conflict with Cambodia. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) A woman sorts supplies at a donation booth outside of a mall in Bangkok on July 27. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) The CentralWorld shopping center in Bangkok displays the Thai national flag on July 27. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) Cambodian families fleeing the border conflict head to a Buddhist temple that was being used as a shelter in Preah Vihear province, Cambodia, on July 26. (Photo by) July 27 Local people rides past the burned out convenience store in Ban Phue, Sisaket province, Thailand on July 27. (Photo by Adryel Talamantes) The bombed and burned out interior of the convenience store in Ban Phue, Sisaket Province on July 27. (Photo by Adryel Talamantes) Cambodian refugees receive necessities while taking shelter at a temple in Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia, on July 27. (Photo by) July 28 Cambodian migrant workers wait to cross the Ban Laem border checkpoint in Chanthaburi, Thailand, on July 28, as an estimated 20,000 Cambodian migrant workers were expected to cross back into Cambodia through the checkpoint that day, according to local officials. (Photo by) A view shows an empty street of Samraong, the capital of Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia, about 20 kilometers from the border, on July 28. (Photo by Chantha Lach/Reuters) A house damaged by Cambodian shelling in Sisaket province, Thailand, pictured on July 28. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters) Cambodian migrant workers cross into Cambodia at Ban Laem checkpoint in Chanthaburi Province, Thailand, on July 28. (Photo by) Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, center table, looks on as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, left table, and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, right table, take part in mediation talks on the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on July 28. (Photo by Mohd Rasfan/Pool/Reuters) Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, center, looks on as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, left, and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai shake hands following a press conference on the day of mediation talks on the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict, in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on July 28. (Photo by Mohd Rasfan/Pool/Reuters) Displaced people react inside a temporary shelter in Sisaket province, Thailand, on July 28, after an announcement of a ceasefire. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters) People gather at Sanam Luang in Bangkok next to the Grand Palace to celebrate Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn's birthday on July 28, after an announcement of a ceasefire. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) July 29 A truck carries armored personnel carriers on a road near the Thai-Cambodian border in Sisaket province, Thailand, on July 29. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters) Officers from the Royal Thai Army, left, meet with their counterparts from the Royal Cambodian Army in no man's land near the Aranyaprathet-Poipet border crossing between Thailand's Sa Kaeo province and Cambodia's Banteay Meanchey province, on July 29. (Photo by Royal Thai Army/AFP/Jiji) An evacuee from border areas eats a meal at the Chang International Circuit, a race track in Buriram, Thailand, on July 29. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) A child colors a donated propaganda image of a Thai soldier with the caption, "Honoring soldiers who risked their lives to defend their country," at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, on July 29. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) Evacuees at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, on July 29. (Photo by Suzu Takahashi)
News.com.au
25-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Could develop into war': World leaders scrambling, thousands donate blood as hostilities erupt between rival nations
Thousands of Thai civilians have flocked to blood donation centres amid the shocking escalation of hostilities with Cambodia this week. Authorities fear the conflict is quickly spiralling into full-scale war after shells killed more than a dozen civilians in the contested border region in Thailand's east. Some 300 evacuation centres have been set up around Thailand, as about 120,000 people flee the border region for safety. Meanwhile in Cambodia, more than 20,000 people have been moved to shelter as threat of war escalates. The clashes ignited on July 24 when Thai troops reportedly stepped on a landmine in the city of Ubon Ratchathani. Violence quickly spread along at least 12 locations on the contested frontier. Thailand retaliated with Operation Yuttha Bodin, deploying Fâ€'16 fighter jets and artillery against Cambodian military sites near Preah Vihear, including Ta Muen Thom and Chong An Ma. Cambodia fired back with BMâ€'21 rocket strikes, hitting civilian targets such as gas station in Thailand's Sisaket Province, causing multiple fatalities, including children. Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has warned the situation could 'could develop into war', as the countries traded deadly strikes for a second day. The public reaction was immediate, with Thai Red Cross centres collecting 1424 units of blood on the same day of the bombings, followed by 722 more by midday July 25. Hospitals are now bracing for a potential surge in casualties, should the conflict spill over. The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later on Friday, as several thousand locals to the border regions evacuate. More than 138,000 people have been moved so far. 'We have tried to compromise as we are neighbours, but we have now instructed the Thai military to act immediately in case of urgency,' Mr Wechayachai said. 'If the situation escalates, it could develop into war, though for now, it remains limited to clashes.' Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose country currently holds the chair of regional bloc ASEAN, said he held talks with both countries leaders on Thursday and called for a ceasefire and dialogue. 'I welcome the positive signals and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh to consider this path forward,' he said in a Facebook post late on Thursday. But despite Mr Ibrahim's optimism, fighting resumed in three areas about 4am on Friday, the Thai army said. Cambodian forces carried out bombardments with heavy weapons, field artillery, and BM-21 rocket systems, the army said, and Thai troops responded 'with appropriate supporting fire'. The fighting marks a dramatic escalation in a long-running dispute between the neighbours — both popular destinations for millions of foreign tourists — over their shared 800km frontier. Dozens of kilometres in several areas are contested and fighting broke out between 2008 and 2011, leaving at least 28 people dead and tens of thousands displaced. A UN court ruling in 2013 settled the matter for over a decade, but the current crisis erupted in May when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a new clash. Fighting on Thursday was focused on six locations, according to the Thai army, including around two ancient temples. Ground troops backed up by tanks battled for control of territory, while Cambodia fired rockets and shells into Thailand and the Thais scrambled F-16 jets to hit military targets across the border. Both sides blamed each other for firing first, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station hit by at least one rocket.
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Uneven access to Rabies care: survey flags gaps in vaccine and Immunoglobulin availability
A nationwide health facility survey has found significant gaps in the availability of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) and rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) across India, especially in primary care centres and underserved regions such as the North-East. While secondary and tertiary care institutions have shown relatively better preparedness, the low availability in primary settings could undermine India's goal of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030. Conducted across 60 districts in 15 states, the study assessed 467 public health facilities -- including primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), district hospitals, and medical college hospitals. It found that while ARV was available in nearly 80% of public facilities, only about 20% stocked RIG -- an essential component in treating category III animal bites. 'The availability of ARV in over 90% of secondary and tertiary care centres is an important milestone for India,' said a member of the study panel. 'However, the persistent shortfall at the primary level and in specific geographies like the eastern and north-eastern states needs urgent intervention.' The study noted that 93.8% of facilities with ARV had sufficient stock for the next 15 days. Yet, around a quarter of facilities reported stockouts in the past year. The availability of ARV was highest in the southern zone (93.2%) and lowest in the North-East (60%). The survey also highlighted a shift toward cost-effective vaccine regimens. About 60% of public facilities have adopted the intradermal (ID) Thai Red Cross regimen -- recommended for its dose-saving benefits. However, uptake of the ID regimen remains poor in the East and North-East. Production bottlenecks and cost barriers The availability of RIG, which is critical for treating severe bites, was markedly low -- only 5.9% of primary facilities stocked it. In contrast, over half the tertiary institutions surveyed had RIG in stock. Experts attributed the low penetration to production and pricing issues. 'Equine Rabies Immunoglobulin (ERIG) has limited manufacturers, and supply disruptions are common. Meanwhile, Human RIG (HRIG) and monoclonal antibodies, though safer and effective, remain unaffordable for most public health facilities,' explained Dr. Raman Swathy Vaman, infectious disease epidemiologist and member of the research team. Dr. Vaman added that procurement delays are often tied to slow disbursal of National Health Mission (NHM) funds. 'Centralised procurement agencies like KMSCL and TNMSCL are effective, but vendor payments are delayed, disrupting the supply chain.' He pointed to a promising model from Kerala's Kasaragod district, where the District Hospital in Kanhangad uses ₹20 lakh annually -- allocated by the District Panchayat -- to procure monoclonal antibodies such as Rabishield, ensuring uninterrupted access to RIG for surrounding areas. Training and infrastructure The study found that while cold-chain infrastructure for storing rabies biologicals is largely adequate, training and supervision gaps persist. Only 45% of facilities had staff recently trained in administering rabies prophylaxis. 'Administering ID vaccines requires skill and RIG infiltration is even more technically demanding,' said Dr. Vaman. 'Many cases are handled in busy outpatient or emergency departments, which increases the risk of improper administration.' He suggested introducing structured training, regular audits, and use of visual aids like QR-code-accessible video guides. 'Dedicated anti-rabies clinics, particularly in district hospitals, can improve service delivery and reduce errors.' Need for context-driven policies The survey team recommended initiating state-level operational research to identify bottlenecks in procurement, stock indenting, and fund flow. 'We need to understand why the availability of rabies biologicals varies so sharply by region. Without this, we cannot design effective interventions,' a panel member said. Dr. Vaman underscored the urgency of integrating rabies care into routine primary healthcare delivery. 'We are dealing with an estimated 9.1 million animal bite cases annually. This is not a marginal problem. Most rabies deaths occur in young people and in rural areas. Yet the disease doesn't get the attention it deserves in policy and budgeting.' According to estimates from a parallel community survey, India records around 6,000 dog-mediated human rabies deaths annually. Experts stress that such figures should influence planning and forecasting of vaccine and immunoglobulin supply. Towards zero deaths by 2030 The study aligns with the broader objectives of the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) and the WHO-backed 'Zero by 30' initiative, which aims to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies deaths by 2030. However, experts caution that progress will depend on equitable access, context-specific policy and consistent financing. The inclusion of Rabies Monoclonal Antibodies (RmAbs) in national guidelines is also being recommended for their scalability and cost-effectiveness. 'Timely and complete post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) -- including immediate wound washing, ARV, and RIG -- is the only way to prevent rabies,' said Dr. Vaman. 'Strengthening primary care and plugging regional gaps will be essential if we are serious about achieving elimination goals,'he said.
