Africa: Guterres Urges G-77 and China to Drive Momentum for Global Governance Reform

[ad_1] Developing countries must lead efforts to reform outdated international institutions and frameworks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in remarks to the third summit of the Group of 77 (G-77) and China, which opened in Kampala, Uganda, on Sunday. More than 130 countries are members of the bloc - the largest grouping of the global South, representing 80 percent of the planet's population - and their solidarity and partnership are essential to building a sustainable, peaceful, and just world for […]

January 23, 2024 1

Africa

Africa: 25,000 Killed in Gaza War As Humanitarian Needs Go On Rising

[ad_1] "Intense" Israeli bombardment in Gaza continued on Monday along with rocket fire into Israel by Palestinian armed groups as UN humanitarians reported that more than 25,000 have died in the enclave since war began on 7 October. Citing Gaza's health authorities, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also noted that some 62,681 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli strikes launched in retaliation for Hamas-led massacres in Israel that left some 1,200 dead and around 250 […]

January 23, 2024 2

Africa

Africa: Guterres Calls for UN Security Council Reform, Makes Case for Africa

[ad_1] "How can we accept that Africa still lacks a single Permanent Member in the Security Council?" UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday questioned the lopsided representation at the UN Security Council. He also made a case for Africa to have a permanent seat on the council. "How can we accept that Africa still lacks a single Permanent Member in the Security Council?" he asked in a post on X. There has been increased questioning of the structure of the […]

January 22, 2024 2

Africa

Africa: UN Concerned By Spread of Cholera to 10 African Countries

[ad_1] Harare, Zimbabwe — The U.N.'s Children's Fund expressed alarm this week about a cholera outbreak in Africa that has spread to at least 10 countries, with the situation in Zambia and Zimbabwe "very serious." Dr. Paul Ngwakum, the regional health adviser for UNICEF in East and Southern Africa, said about 200,000 cases have been reported and more than 3,000 lives taken by the disease. Of the 10 countries he named as having an active outbreak, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Somalia, […]

January 19, 2024 2

Africa

Africa: The Global Femicide Epidemic

[ad_1] Brussels — 'Per Giulia e per tutte' ('For Giulia and for all') echoed through the streets of Italy in mid-November 2023. Thousands of women, activists and supporters gathered to protest and show solidarity with the 22-year-old student Giulia Cecchettin, who was killed by her ex-boyfriend on the night of 11 November 2023. The outrage over the murder of the young student unleashed a wave of protest that was audible far beyond the country's borders in the weeks after the […]

January 18, 2024 2

Africa

Africa: World Bank Enables Foreign Aid Theft

[ad_1] Kuala Lumpur, — World Bank aid encourages governments to enable illicit financial outflows to offshore tax havens by reducing capital controls, thus draining precious foreign exchange and government resources. Aiding elite wealth Aid disbursements to highly aid-dependent countries coincide with sharp increases in bank deposits in offshore financial centres known for banking secrecy and private wealth management. Using Bank for International Settlements (BIS) data, Jørgen Juel Andersen, Niels Johannesen and Bob Rijkers found trends suggesting wealth accumulation abroad by […]

January 18, 2024 1

Africa

Africa: How Do You Break the Mould Around International Aid? Try Genuine Trust

[ad_1] Nairobi — In search of a model beyond trickle-down aid. At an upscale hotel in a leafy Nairobi suburb, amid the hustle of an international development forum's lunch break, I overheard a jarring declaration from the buffet line: "Somali organisations are just cash fronts for warlords, from my experience," the European woman said to her companion. I wasn't particularly shocked. As the director of a Somali NGO, Iftiin Foundation, I have been hearing some version of this statement - […]

January 18, 2024 2

Africa

Africa: Tobacco Use Declining Despite Industry Interference – WHO

[ad_1] The number of people using tobacco continues to decline despite industry attempts to jeopardize progress towards stamping out cigarettes and other such products, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report published on Tuesday. Trends in 2022 showed that roughly one in five adults worldwide uses tobacco, compared to one in three in the year 2000. While cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide, other products include cigars, waterpipe tobacco also known as hookah, […]

January 18, 2024 2

Africa

Southern Africa: As Cholera Cases Continue to Rise in Parts of Southern Africa, Unicef Calls for Increased Focus On Children in the Cholera Response

[ad_1] Nairobi — UNICEF redoubles support to concerned governments in the cholera response The cholera epidemic that affected multiple countries in Eastern and Southern Africa in 2023 persists and continues to impact the region, placing additional strain on communities and healthcare facilities. Since 2023, 13 countries in the region have battled one of the worst cholera outbreaks to hit the region in years, and as of 15 January 2024, more than 200,000 cases, including over 3000 deaths, have been reported. […]

January 16, 2024 2

International Organizations and Africa