‘Alarming’ situation in Great Lakes Region of DR Congo
“It is the civilian population who will continue to bear the heavy toll of war daily: loss of life, sexual violence, health problems and malnutrition in displacement camps,” said Huang Xia. The violence is driven by both the M23 armed group…
WHO calls for action to halt rise in hearing loss in Africa
Hearing loss already costs the continent $27 million annually, exacting profound impact on lives and economies, according to the report, which was launched at the African Summit on Hearing Impairment in Nairobi, Kenya. Widespread hearing loss disproportionately affects poor and…
Sudan: ‘Children should be safe everywhere’, says UNICEF, as fears grow for El Fasher
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reminded journalists in New York at the regular noon briefing that famine conditions have already been confirmed in the Zamzam camp for the displaced, just outside the city, “and we think that other camps in the…
Rwanda begins Marburg vaccinations to curb deadly outbreak
KIGALI — Rwanda said Sunday it had begun administering vaccine doses against the Marburg virus to try to combat an outbreak of the Ebola-like disease in the east African country, where it has so far killed 12 people. “The vaccination…
Congo starts mpox vaccinations in effort to slow outbreaks
GOMA, Congo — Congolese authorities on Saturday began vaccinations against mpox, nearly two months after the disease outbreak that spread from Congo to several African countries and beyond was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization. The 265,000…
Sex workers find themselves at center of Congo’s mpox outbreak
KAMITUGA, Congo — It’s been four months since Sifa Kunguja recovered from mpox, but as a sex worker, she said, she’s still struggling to regain clients, with fear and stigma driving away people who’ve heard she had the virus. “It’s…
WHO launches plan to tackle growing threat of dengue, other diseases
GENEVA — The World Health Organization launched a global plan Thursday to address the growing threat of dengue and other deadly arboviruses, which have affected millions of people around the world and put billions more at risk. “The rapid spread…
Chagos Islands: UK’s last African colony returned to Mauritius
The agreement follows 13 rounds of talks that began in 2022 after Mauritian calls for sovereignty were recognised by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the UN General Assembly in 2019 and 2021. The world court, as the ICJ…
Somalia: UN official reports on electoral progress, ongoing security challenges
James Swan, acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), briefed the Security Council in New York alongside Mohammed El-Amine Souef, Head of the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). The mandate…
Sudan war: ‘Horror’ grows as reports of summary executions emerge
The warning on Thursday comes as the SAF launched a major offensive last month to regain control of key areas currently held by the RSF. The two armies led by rival generals have been locked in a brutal power struggle…