Wave of increased food insecurity hits West and Central Africa
This is a four million increase in the number of people currently dealing with food insecurity in that region. Mali is facing the worst situation – around 2,600 people there are presumed to be experiencing catastrophic hunger – IPC food…
Rape, murder and hunger: The legacy of Sudan’s year of war
Suffering is growing too and is likely to get worse, Justin Brady, head of the UN humanitarian relief office, OCHA, in Sudan, warned UN News. “Without more resources, not only will we not be able to stop a famine, we’re…
Nigeria first country to introduce ‘revolutionary’ meningitis vaccine
The Men5CV vaccine offers a powerful shield against the five major strains of the meningococcal bacteria – A, C, W, Y and X – which cause the disease. Known by the brand name MenFive, it provides broader protection than the…
Angolan fishermen blame Chinese trawlers for declining fish stock
In the port of Benguela on Angola’s Pacific coast, fishermen and fish traders are struggling to make ends meet. They say their catch is getting smaller and they blame illegal fishing by Chinese trawlers. For Joao Marcos, Barbara Santos has…
Activists urge Nigeria to refuse Shell’s oil selloff plans
London — Environmental and human rights activists are calling on the Nigerian government to withhold approval of plans by the London-based oil giant Shell to sell off its operations in the Niger Delta, unless the oil giant does more to…
Cameroonian school teaches manufacture of plant-based meat
A government-run school in Cameroon’s capital is teaching students how to manufacture plant-based meat, an innovation which the school’s director hopes will contribute to the fight against climate change. Anne Nzouankeu has more from Yaoundé in this report narrated by…
Kim Wall grantee to report on climate change, marginalized groups
WASHINGTON — Audrey Gray was at a national task force in New Orleans when a colorful zine caught the climate journalist’s eye. Produced by Imagine Water Works, the zine — A Queer/Trans Guide to Storms — took the form of…
‘Fear and loss’ multiplies in Sudan exodus
At least 1.8 million among them fled across the border into neighbouring, South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic, Egypt and Ethiopia; as well as Uganda. Thousands more are arriving by the day, agency spokesperson Olga Sarrado told journalists at…
In much of Africa, abortion is legal but not advertised
ACCRA, Ghana — When Efua, a 25-year-old fashion designer and single mother in Ghana, became pregnant last year, she sought an abortion at a health clinic but worried the procedure might be illegal. Health workers assured her abortions were lawful…
Unexpected strawberry crop spins Burkina’s ‘red gold’
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso — In the suburbs of Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou, lucrative strawberry farming is supplanting traditional crops like cabbage and lettuce and has become a top export to neighboring countries. Prized as “red gold” in the Sahel, strawberry…