Tag: UN Africa News

Unidentified armed groups reportedly kidnapped the women and girls on Thursday and Friday near the town of Arbinda, located in the north.  UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the incident.  ‘Spare no efforts’  “The Secretary-General calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted women and girls and for their safe return to their families,” UN Deputy Spokesperson… Read More

Before he died, Johanna Devico Ohana’s father asked her to promise him one thing: “if I ever die when I’m in France”, he insisted, “bring me to Fez”. He also asked her to take care of the Jewish cemetery, a role that was his responsibility before he passed away. His daughter agreed to both requests, and her father is laid… Read More

“I cannot imagine them giving birth without the support of a skilled health professional”, said Mark Epeyon, a community health volunteer at the Katilu hospital in Kenya’s Turkana County. Since November, the motorbike ambulance has protected lives that would have been lost without prompt transportation to their nearest health facility.  Help on wheels Even before the current climate crisis, skilled… Read More

Infections had occurred in the major cities of Kampala and Jinja, fuelling concerns that the disease could extend well into 2023. In 2019, Uganda experienced an outbreak of the Zaire strain of Ebola. Head of the UN health agency, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, congratulated the authorities for their “robust” response to the outbreak, less than four months after the first case… Read More

In her briefing, Giovanie Biha, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of the UN Office for the region, UNOWAS, urged ambassadors to continue to support a strategy centred on building resilience, promoting good governance, and strengthening peace and security.  Ms. Biha presented the latest UNOWAS report covering trends and developments over the past six months.  Insecurity affecting millions … Read More

Military and civilian leaders began meeting in the capital Khartoum, on Sunday, for four days of talks aimed at reaching a deal on governing during a two-year period ahead of elections.  Building on progress  “This step builds on the progress achieved upon the signing of the Political Framework Agreement on 5 December 2022, and marks another important step forward towards realizing… Read More

In a statement released on Friday, Mr. Türk said that the decision by the authorities to investigate the deaths was encouraging, but he added that it should be “prompt, thorough, impartial and transparent”. “I have sent a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs underlining this exact message”, declared the High Commissioner. “The victims and their loved ones are owed… Read More

President Hakainde Hichilema announced the move on 23 December, which “followed years of advocacy efforts by concerned stakeholders, such as the National Human Rights Commission, civil society groups, development partners, the UN team and other partners,” it said.  The UN team in Zambia is led by Resident Coordinator Beatrice Mutali.  Several UN entities there contributed to the milestone by providing a wide… Read More

The blast in Boksburg severely damaged the roof of the emergency department at the Tambo Memorial hospital there, killing and injuring dozens while also reportedly destroying houses and cars. Initial reports estimated around 27 deaths, but that figure had risen to 34 by the past weekend, according to regional health authorities. A memorial service for the dead was held last… Read More

Announcing the news, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that it has already begun contacting communities to ensure a smooth operation.  Measles, which is preventable, remains a major health problem in Ethiopia, with several outbreaks reported in different parts of the country, the UN health agency said.  Vaccinations are planned across the nation for a total of 15.5 million youngsters aged nine to 59 months, including in hard-to-reach places affected by drought and conflict.  Integrating other interventions In addition, and together with… Read More