Erstellt am: 4. 4. 2012 - 16:23 Uhr

"Sound the alarm"

Reality Check: Sound the Alarm for Sahel, the future for Karzai, Serbia's Tadic resigns, India biometric IDs, the problem with plastic bags

The Sahel...

It's a massive swathe of the African continent - but the vast majority of people in the world have never heard of it. It's also the next region set to be hit by a famine that threatens to be as bad as that in the Horn of Africa.

Over a million children are at risk of starvation following years of drought and failed harvests - but while the media spotlight shone bright over the famine in Somalia, Sahel has hardly attracted any attention at all.

To redress the balance, UNICEF is launching a campaign called "Sound the Alarm" which it hopes will put the Sahel top of the agenda. Using a mix of social and conventional media, the UN agengy is "throwing the kitchen sink" at the world's publicity machines, determined that yet another human tragedy can be averted. But it's hard going. "Unless you have those pictures of children with distended bellies, who look like they are just about to die, it's very difficult to translate it into any thing more than a shrug." says UNICEF's Patrick McCormick.

Afghanistan - Karzai and the future

The US and NATO are due to pull out of Afghanistan in 2014, though President Karzai would like it to be sooner. In some ways, it's hard to understand his enthusiasm for the troop withdrawal when you consider he may be even more vulnerable when they are gone.

The idea is that Afghan security forces will take over, but so far they are proving anything but reliable, and they almost certainly have no particular loyalty to Karzai. In fact, Karzai must be feeling ever more isolated as members of his inner circle continue to meet sticky ends, either at the hands of the security forces or their own staff or "friends".

Afghanistan expert Michael Griffin chillingly reminds us that no Afghan president has ever left office alive. The vast majority are assassinated - either by their enemies, or their allies.

Karzai may be hoping that forcing an early NATO withdrawal may win him favour with the people. Perhaps it would, but it would be unlikely to improve his chances against the security services, or, indeed, against his close allies.

Tadic resigns

Serbia's President, Boris Tadic, is stepping down, clearing the way for presidential and parliamentary elections in May. Nick Thorpe reports on why Tadic has chosen this moment to stand down.

India's Unified Identification project

How India is helping its poorer citizens gain access to services through a massive biometric project. Out New Delhi correspondent, Amrit Dhillon, explains why this project is will improve the lot of India's poor and rural communities.

The problem of plastic bags

John Cummins looks at the EU's plans to tackle the increasing problem posed by the disposal of plastic bags, and whether they are likely to meet with the approval of the environmental groups or the general public. .

FM4 Reality Check

Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 14.00, and after the show via Podcast or fm4.orf.at/realitycheck.