Myanmar wood sculptors forced into relocation due to material shortage

STORY: Myanmar wood sculptors forced into relocation due to material shortage DATELINE: Nov. 24, 2022 LENGTH: 0:05:00 LOCATION: YANGON, Myanmar CATEGORY: SOCIETY/ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of wood sculptors working STORYLINE: Most of the wood sculptors from Myanmar's famous wood sculpture village were being forced into relocating their businesses due to raw material shortage. Darpein, 50 kilometers northeast of downtown Yangon, is home to more than 1,000 woodcarvers. Wood sculpturing is the main livelihood of the people in the small town, but it is now difficult to obtain teak and other high-quality wood for sculptures. Besides, there is also a decline in demand for the wood artworks as fewer visitors come here amid the COVID-10 pandemic. The restriction on logging and the difficulty of transporting sculptures are also factors that cause woodcarvers to leave the town. According to local media reports, the authorities are making efforts to turn Darpein into a tourist attraction to protect and promote

Over 282 mln people face extreme hunger in sub-Saharan Africa: FAO official

STORY: Over 282 mln people face extreme hunger in sub-Saharan Africa: FAO official DATELINE: Sept. 8, 2022 LENGTH: 00:03:21 LOCATION: Accra CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the central business district of Accra 2. SOUNDBITE (English): KENICHI SHONO, FAO forestry management officer 3. various of the central business district of Accra 4. various of world teak conference participants 5. various of exhibition STORYLINE: A United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) official has said that over 282 million people in sub-Saharan Africa face extreme hunger. FAO forestry management officer Kenichi Shono made the remarks at the opening session of the fourth World Teak Conference in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, on Monday. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): KENICHI SHONO, FAO forestry management officer "As we speak now, 282 million people on the continent, or over one-fifth of the population, are facing hunger, an increase of 46 million people. The recent spike is due to a combination of factors, including