insert_link Africa Ethiopia landslide death toll rises to 257, could reach up to 500: UN The death toll from a devastating landslide in southern Ethiopia has risen to 257, the United Nations said Thursday, warning it could increase to up to 500. The disaster occurred on Monday following heavy rains in a tiny community in a mountainous area of South Ethiopia regional state. The last toll, given by the local authority on Tuesday, was 229. "The death toll has risen to […] today25 July, 2024
insert_link Africa How the Kenyan Gen Z protests ushered in a new way of demanding accountability and transparency By Esther Musembi, via bird story agency A pink-coloured water canon is aimed at the protestors who are shouting ‘haki yetu, haki yetu’ (our right! our right!). Quickly dispersed by the high-pressure water and teargas, one group starts to sing the Kenya National anthem waving small Kenyan flags. The images are soon trending across most social media platforms and before the day is out, make headlines […] today25 July, 2024
insert_link Africa Kenyan President Ruto Names Opposition Members to New Cabinet Amid Criticism Kenyan President, William Ruto nominated four members of the main opposition party to his "broad-based" cabinet on Wednesday, aiming to address nationwide protests reports Reuters. However, the move has been criticized by activists as a corrupt bargain. Among the nominees is John Mbadi, proposed for the finance ministry, who is an ally of opposition leader Raila Odinga, Ruto's rival in the 2022 election. today25 July, 2024
insert_link Africa Millions will go hungry in Africa this decade according to the UN The United Nations warns that if current trends continue nearly 300 million people in Africa will be chronically undernourished at the end of the decade. In its annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report released on Wednesday the world body says around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023 with one in five being from Africa. Maximo Torero, the Chief Economist from the Food and Agriculture […] today25 July, 2024
insert_link Africa Lesotho declares food insecurity emergency Lesotho's government says people are at risk of extreme hunger in the next eight months. The country's Prime Minister Sam Matekane has declared a national food insecurity disaster spanning eight months from July 2024 to March 2025. The Lesotho Times reports Matekane announced that severe El Niño-induced droughts are causing extreme hunger for at least 700,000 Basotho, a notable rise from the 582,000 affected in the 2022/2023 period. This crisis, […] today24 July, 2024
insert_link Africa Afrobarometer survey shows democracy at risk A majority of Africans would support a military takeover if their elected leaders fail to act in their interests, according to a recent Afrobarometer survey. Bloomberg Africa reports that while two-thirds of respondents find military intervention undesirable as a regular form of governance, faith in democracy is waning across the continent amid growing corruption concerns. The survey reveals that despite a decline, 66% of Africans still prefer democracy over other […] today24 July, 2024
insert_link Africa 11 million Nigerian children are going hungry: how this hurts their health and what needs to be done By Blessing Akombi-Inyang, UNSW Sydney Unicef, the UN agency for children, reported in June 2024 that around 11 million Nigerian children were experiencing severe child food poverty. The report says this translates to one in every three Nigerian children under five years old. Nigeria has about 31 million children under five. Unicef defines severe child food poverty as consuming no more than two out of […] today24 July, 2024
insert_link Africa Kenya Police Use Tear Gas to Quell Clashes as Protests Enter Sixth Week Kenyan police fired tear gas to prevent clashes between protesters and government supporters in Nairobi on Tuesday Reuters reports. Youth-led demonstrations against alleged corruption and misgovernance have continued for six weeks. Despite President William Ruto abandoning the $2.7 billion finance bill in June, protests persist, initially sparked by opposition to tax hikes and climaxing in the storming of parliament. today24 July, 2024
insert_link Africa U.S. Invites Sudanese Army and RSF to Ceasefire Talks in Switzerland The United States has invited the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for U.S.-mediated ceasefire talks starting on August 14 in Switzerland, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Tuesday as per Reuters. RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo confirmed early on Wednesday that they will participate constructively in the talks to achieve a comprehensive ceasefire across the country and facilitate humanitarian access to those in need. today24 July, 2024