Tag: UN Africa News

UNMAS issued a statement saying it was “deeply saddened and profoundly alarmed” by the deaths of 27 civilians, including 22 children, in a “tragic incident” involving unexploded ordnance (UXO) that occurred on Friday in the Lower Shabelle region.  Fifty-three people were also injured.  Innocent lives lost  “UNMAS expresses its sincere condolences to the families affected by this devastating event and… Read More

The attack occurred on Friday and left more than 10 people injured at the beachside hotel in Somalia’s capital, the UN health agency reported. Media reports indicated that the incident took place over several hours and involved armed perpetrators. “We condemn all attacks on innocent civilians and humanitarian aid workers and express our deepest condolences to the family members of… Read More

In this feature, part of a series exploring the fight against trafficking in the Sahel, UN News focuses on the illegal arms trade that is fuelling conflict and terrorism. In the Sahel, home to 300 million people, it’s a buyer’s market for guns. Insurgency and banditry plague the region, rooted in, among other things, endemic intercommunal tensions, clashes between farmers… Read More

In a statement, the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (MINUSMA), El-Ghassim WANE, described the attack on the security patrol in Ber town, in the Timbuktu region, as a “cowardly act”. “This tragic loss is a stark reminder of the risks that our peacekeepers face while working tirelessly to bring stability and peace to the people of… Read More

“We are concerned by the continued devastating impact of the fighting in Sudan on civilians,” Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence told journalists in Geneva.  The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and military rival, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have been locked in vicious clashes since mid-April.   Hundreds have been killed and some 1.2 million have been displaced. UN agencies and partners have repeatedly… Read More

“Food diversion is absolutely unacceptable,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain, following a joint statement made by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and USAID announcing their commitment to addressing deeply concerning revelations of aid diversion. “While we will temporarily halt food aid assistance in Ethiopia, nutrition assistance to children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, school meals programmes, and activities for building… Read More

Of this number, 2.4 million “have needs so severe and complex that their survival and dignity is at risk,” Mohamed Ag Ayoya, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the CAR, told journalists in Geneva.  The conflict in neighbouring Sudan has further exacerbated needs, and a $465 million humanitarian plan for the country was amended to include support for some 25,000 Sudanese and… Read More

“Central Africa is richer in opportunities and resources than it is in challenges”, but, the coming months will mark “an important turning point” for the region, where crucial political and electoral processes must take place by the end of the year, said Abdou Abarry, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Central Africa. “We will ensure, with the Security Council’s valuable… Read More

In this feature, part of a series exploring the fight against trafficking in the Sahel, UN News focuses on the illegal fuel trade in the region. Transported by criminal networks and taxed by terrorist groups, illegal fuel flows along four major routes snaking across the Sahel towards ready buyers, siphoning millions from nations on the road to stabilizing their security-challenged… Read More

In a press statement issued late on Friday, the UN Security Council expressed its “deep concern” over the continued clashes, condemning all attacks on civilians, and calling for “rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Sudan”. The 15-member body emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire, and reaffirmed it’s backing for the UN transition mission in Sudan, UNITAMS, to continue… Read More