Tag: UN Africa News

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), latest national data shows that about four in ten people in the DRC are food insecure, with some 15.6 million suffering “crisis” or “emergency” levels of hunger. “So many Congolese are on the edge, and in even greater danger now of being tipped over the edge”, said Claude Jibidar, the head of WFP operations… Read More

Despite insecurity near the border with Somalia, and the threats associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, Safari Doctors, which has won several commendations, including a UN award, for its work, continues its monthly visits to the marginalized communities of Lamu. Ms. Omar shares her story as part of the #RealLifeHeroes campaign, by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs… Read More

Pramila Patten, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, wants the Somali Federal Parliament to withdraw the Sexual Intercourse Related Crimes Bill as it breaches international and regional standards relating to rape and other forms of sexual violence. “If adopted, it would not only represent a major setback for victims of sexual violence in Somalia but would also… Read More

According to UNHCR, more than 80 per cent of those arriving in the Chadian border town of Adré are women, children and elderly – many of whom have witnessed extreme violence. Since the end of July 2020, at least 2,500 people have crossed the international border while ethnic-related unrest has affected an estimated 20,000 people within Western Darfur in Sudanhttps://t.co/7tnULp0NqZ —… Read More

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, on Friday expressed deep sadness over the incident, which they said was avoidable. The migrants, who were mostly from sub-Saharan Africa and included Guineans, were on a boat that had left Dakhla, Western Sahara, several days ago. The vessel was heading for the Canary Islands when it began… Read More

“These have been trying times for all of us on different levels, almost like a seismic change in the direction of our work, but we made the decision not to forget everything else, even as we focus on COVID-19. Our work includes providing technical advice, and input to response plans, humanitarian appeals, development plans, as well as socio-economic analyses of… Read More

Chinsisi Jafali, a 14-year-old with albinism, knows that going to school is a risky prospect, but it’s a risk he’s prepared to take. “I have six siblings who are all looked after by my mother,” he says. “Fending for the entire family has been exceptionally difficult for my mother. Her fight for our survival motivates me to go to school… Read More

Marking Africa Day, António Guterres said in his message that the pandemic “threatens to derail progress” which would enable countries to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and development targets set out in the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063. The AU has established a task force to develop a continent-wide strategy and appointed special envoys to mobilize international support, said the… Read More

James Swan, Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Somalia (UNSOM), told the Security Council that 2.6 million internally displaced persons are particularly at risk from the novel coronavirus. Somalia coronavirus cases In its latest situation report, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday put the number of confirmed cases in Somalia at 1,502, with 59 deaths. Even before the outbreak, more… Read More

At the virtual launch of a UN briefing paper focusing on the impact of COVID-19 across Africa, Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that citizens across the continent have done much to advance their own well-being, detailing strong economic growth, an on-going digital revolution, and a bold free-trade area agreement.  But, he added, “the pandemic threatens African progress”. The UN chief… Read More