Author: Akanimo Sampson

The future of the nearly seven million forcibly displaced people from Sudan and South Sudan is currently hanging on a balance. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, says finding solutions based on peace and development is crucial for their future. He was speaking following a three-day visit to the two countries. During the trip, Grandi met Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir where they discussed how the two countries can work together to help their displaced populations. Returning home is one solution but it is not the only one”, the high commissioner…

Read More

High blood cases are likely to be on the rise in Nigeria amid the widespread hardship in the country made worse by the rampaging COVID-19 pandemic. A worrisome World Health Organisation (WHO) report says hypertension is plaguing low and middle-incomes countries. According to the WHO report, a vast majority of people with high blood pressure, a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risks of heart, brain, kidney and other diseases, live in low and middle-incomes countries. The study, which was co-led by Imperial College London, found that 82 per cent of all people with hypertension, around one billion,…

Read More

Packaging costs for industrial tomatoes are driving up brand prices around the world, just as in Africa, Zimbabweans are being wooed to tap into the $25 billion Qatar import market. Trade promotion agency, Zimtrade, is urging locals to take advantage of existing direct flights to Qatar and tap into the latter’s $25.8 billion import economy. In a latest update, Zimtrade established that Qatar is classified as a high-income country and has one of the world’s highest per capita income countries, indicating a high-spending power for the population. According to Zimtrade, “the introduction of direct flights between Zimbabwe and…

Read More

Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations rights chief on Tuesday led calls for Afghanistan’s new Taliban leaders to respect the rights of all Afghans, warning that the treatment of women and girls is a ”fundamental red line” that should not be crossed just as UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that a resurgence of Bubonic plague in Ituri province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was putting young lives at risk. Bubonic plague is an infection spread mostly to humans by infected fleas that travel on rodents. Called the Black Death, it killed millions of Europeans during the Middle-Ages.…

Read More

Apple growers in Michigan, USA are forecast to harvest 18.25 million bushels this year amid improved market access for Australian citrus in the country The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has agreed to expand access for citrus exports following negotiation from the Australian government. Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia, David Littleproud welcomed the news: “We value our trade relationship with the US very highly and we are committed to providing the US with our top-quality product”, Littleproud said. “Just last year we exported over $19 million of citrus to the US. Our overseas counsellors…

Read More

World Food Programme (WFP), a United Nations food relief agency, has painted a grim picture of the future of Afghanistan. The picture shows that a crisis of incredible proportions is unfolding in the country as conflict, combined with drought and COVID-19, is pushing Afghans into a humanitarian catastrophe. This year, 550,000 people have been displaced, adding to the 2.9 million who were already displaced inside the Afghanistan’s borders. Some 40 per cent of the crops have been lost to drought in the second massive water shortage in three years – further heightening food insecurity. The socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 are leaving…

Read More

The Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance- is calling on all countries to significantly reduce the levels of antimicrobial drugs used in global food systems. This includes stopping the use of medically important antimicrobial drugs to promote growth in healthy animals and using antimicrobial drugs more sparingly overall. The call comes ahead of the UN Food Systems Summit which takes place in New York on September 23, 2021 where countries will discuss ways to transform global food systems. The Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance includes heads of state, government ministers, and leaders from private sector and civil society from 22…

Read More

World Health Organisation (WHO) says negotiations are underway to bring 500 metric tonnes of urgently needed medical supplies into Afghanistan. Senior regional officials with the global health agency said on Tuesday during an online briefing that the items, which are stuck in Dubai, were due to enter the country this week but have been delayed as commercial flights are not being allowed into the international airport in the capital, Kabul. WHO Regional Emergency Director based in Cairo, Egypt, Dr. Richard Brennan, said the agency is exploring options, and hopes to have “some more encouraging details” in the coming days. “We are in negotiations…

Read More

International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has launched a $15 million appeal to support some 137,000 families affected by the deadly earthquake that rocked southern Haiti just over a week ago. The funding will be used to help the Haitian authorities with housing, temporary shelter, mental health support and COVID-19 prevention in the aftermath of the disaster, which left 2,207 dead and more than 12,000 injured, according to official figures. Nearly 53,000 buildings collapsed, while another 77,000 were severely damaged. IOM’s Deputy Head of Mission in Haiti, Federica Cecchet, says “for the first months alone, we need at least $15 million…

Read More

World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling for a ‘’humanitarian airbridge’’to be set up immediately in Afghanistan, to allow the unimpeded delivery of medicines and other aid supplies to the country. This is coming as United Nations humanitarian agencies are warning that they are unable to bring urgently needed emergency supplies into Afghanistan. WHO Regional Director, Richard Brennan, in a media chat on Monday explained that the agency is unable to bring some 500 tonnes of medical supplies, scheduled to be delivered this week, into the country, because of restrictions at Kabul airport, which is struggling to cope with a massive evacuation…

Read More

In South Africa, this Women’s Month, Pick n Pay has teamed up with fresh produce suppliers, Nu Leaf Brands and Market Demand Fruits, and have turned their usually black premium citrus cartons pink to demonstrate the retailer’s longstanding commitment to women’s rights. This is as the sale of Karuturi Flower Farm assets in Kenya has kicked off following the ruling by the Supreme Court allowing Stanbic Bank to dispose of the property to recover over Sh1.8B debt. The receiver-manager has issued a quit notice to more than 3,000 former workers of the once flourishing Naivasha-based flower farm to pave way…

Read More

Justice and Violence Prevention Intern with the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, South Africa, Jody van der Heyde, says it is only tighter gun control that will bolster the government’s commitment to fighting gender-based violence. Citing national police statistics, the researcher says, from April to June 2020, 58 percent of South Africa’s domestic violence murder victims were women, pointing out that 67 percent of these women were killed by a current or ex-intimate partner. Heyde who made this known in ISS Today, a newsletter of the Institute, said in such cases, femicide is the final act in a…

Read More

More children and women were either injured or killed in the first half of this year in Afghanistan than ever recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission in the country in the first half of any calendar year. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been drumming that continued insecurity in the stressed country will prolong the closure of the on-site Community Midwifery Education (CME) courses. The Taliban hostilities, according to those who know better, took a serious toll, with the rapid spread of violence to many parts of the country. Consequently, apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, recently intensified conflicts also…

Read More

Prospects for Brazilian melon season this year, according to the sector’s stakeholders, are excellent. Already, Staay Food Group is preparing for the season. Growers are saying the weather in their growing areas is stable and the planting is developing according to plan. It is not without reason that Staay Food Group has been working for years with steady partners in the heart of Brazil’s melon production; a large area around the city of Mossoró on the Brazilian (east) coast in the province of Rio Grande do Norte.” After a somewhat difficult summer season with fluctuating supplies from Spain and limited…

Read More

In the face of the collapse of the Afghanistan government, Fresh and Dried Fruit Exporters in the country are looking for the best options to continue trade . Exporters are currently scrambling to secure alternative routes for exports as air corridors and flights were closed. With the season of fresh fruits approaching, exporters are searching for ways to export the season’s harvest and help the farmers at the time of crises as the Taliban militia took over Afghanistan. Landlocked Afghanistan is reliant on ports in other countries for imports and export. India is the biggest market of fresh produce in…

Read More

The latest tragedy in North Africa’s Atlantic coast has raised the tally of migrants and refugees deaths at sea to around 500 since January this year. 47 people are reported dead in the latest incident. Only seven people out of 54 on board a boat that was heading to the Canary Islands from North Africa’s Atlantic coast are alive.  The 47 others died. The boat left on August 3 carrying 54 people, including three children. After two days at sea, engine failure left passengers stranded without food or water for nearly a fortnight.  When located by the Mauritanian coast guard on…

Read More

Frost in the Limpopo region has caused severe damage to crops with prices for tomatoes, spinach, and peppers, surging at least 20% in just one week. Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province’s western and northern borders. This is as Russia has become the main destination for Turkish fruit and vegetable exports. Turkey’s fruit and vegetable exports have experienced a 20% year-on-year increase in the first seven months of the year, rising to 1.638 billion dollars, according to the Union of Mediterranean Exporters. In this period, Russia has positioned itself as the main destination market…

Read More

Despite ongoing efforts by governments at all levels to contain the menace of cultism and the proliferating non-state armed groups, the scourge of cultism and militancy will continue to fester in Nigeria as the deeply troubled country approaches another election cycle in 2023. Since the inception of the persisting civil rule (not yet democracy) in 1999, the quest for political power across the major parties has been generally nasty. Neither President Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) that rose to power on the crest of ‘’Change’’ in 2015 nor the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that dominated the affairs of the…

Read More

Seventeen concerned principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) on the platform of the United Nations are currently battling to rally the world behind the troubled  Afghanistan whose citizens are in need of huge humanitarian assistance. They are appealing to public-spirited individuals and organisations to assist them them meet a total of $1.3 billion required to reach 16 million people with humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. Out of the amount, only 37 per cent has been received, leaving a shortfall of $800 million. In a statement, they said ‘’the people of Afghanistan need our support now more than ever. Our organisations…

Read More

The death toll after the devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit south-western Haiti on Saturday has surged to nearly 2,000.  The United Nations said on Wednesday that the level of destruction and desperation is becoming increasingly evident. After back-to-back crises in the beleaguered country, Saturday’s earthquake followed on Monday by Tropical Depression Grace, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said as the official tally of deaths and destruction continues to grow, those injured have already surpass 9,900. For UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), civil protection authorities are urging extreme vigilance on the part of affected people as the combination of heavy rains and possible aftershocks from the earthquake could bring down the cracked…

Read More

Richard Chelin, a Senior Researcher with Institute for Security Studies (ISS) that is concerned with enhancing human security as a means to achieve sustainable peace and prosperity, has sparked a potential dangerous controversy on the crypto market in Africa. According to him, the continent is the new playground for crypto scams and money laundering, pointing out, ‘’Africa has the smallest crypto currency economy globally, but the market is growing steadily. ‘’The legitimate use of cryptos can boost commerce on the continent, particularly among individuals, small businesses and entrepreneurs. These were the users responsible for most of the recent increases in…

Read More

To continue serving more than five million internally displaced persons in Afghanistan relyingon humanitarian aid, United Nations migration agency, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says safety of Afghans and humanitarian access must be top priorities. IOM Director General, António Vitorino, says while the current situation in the country presents difficult new challenges, ‘’IOM will strive to continue its programmes and provide assistance to displaced communities while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of its staff across the country. “The security of humanitarian actors, and respect for humanitarian principles, are prerequisites for a continued and effective response to the needs of vulnerable people, and assurances…

Read More

The approach of the government of Nigeria and the giant oil and gas corporations in tackling the persisting conflict in the Niger Delta, the country’s honey comb, has come under serious attack. A civic group that is working in the oil region to support those affected by the extractives industry and weak governance, has started working backstage to persuade the Federal Government and oil companies to change their approach to tackling the crisis in the area. The group, Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) wants Abuja and big oil to reduce their relianceon short-term solutions and political settlements including militarised approaches to…

Read More

The deadly earthquake that shattered the relative peace of Haiti on Saturday has so far snuffed out the lives of 1,300 citizens, and left 3,200 others injured. Humanitarian agencies are battling to provide tens of thousands of displaced persons with alternative shelter as another natural disaster is forecast to further wreck havoc in the troubled country this Tuesday. UN migration agency, International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says after the 7.2 earthquake struck on Saturday, 1,300 persons were left dead, around 3,200 injured and thousands of homes and public buildings destroyed, including schools and hospitals. IOM along with other United Nations…

Read More

Political risk consultancy, Menas Associates, has unmasked Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on its intelligence profiling. Beginning with Israel, the report says since coming to office in June 2021, the new Israeli coalition government has been working with little fanfare or public controversy. So far, issues that have been addressed by the new coalition include the COVID-19 pandemic. After Israel fully reopened, fresh cases have been slowly rising across the country. The new government is working to address this new surge while also trying to avoid broad moves including national lockdowns or reintroducing state-wide restrictions. The Corona Cabinet…

Read More

Security experts have started to warn that oil production in Northern Nigeria will worsen the already deplorable security, political and socio-economic situation in the country. This is coming as President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday signed the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill into law amid unresolved issues by stakeholders. President Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement said his principal signed the bill while still undergoing isolation having recently returned from the United Kingdom, pointing out that the ceremonial part of the new legislation will be done on Wednesday, after the days of mandatory isolation would have…

Read More

Casualty figures are rising in the 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Haiti at 8:30am local time at a depth of around 10km on Saturday. Haiti’s Civil Protection, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs  (OCHA), reports at least 304 deaths and 1,800 injured. The epicentre was recorded around 12km northeast of SaintLouis-du-Sud, about 125km west of the capital Port-au-Prince. Initial reports indicate more than 700 collapsed buildings, including hospitals and schools, at least 3,778 homes destroyed and significant damages to infrastructure and roads. Severe humanitarian access constraints and fragile security situation greatly complicate the humanitarian response in the…

Read More

Afghans abroad are worried about family and friends still in Afghanistan as tens of thousands of citizens are being displaced in their country. Many diplomats are said to be struggling to leave the troubled country. The US embassy has advised its nationals to shelter in place as Taliban enters Afghanistan’s capital. Afghanistan’s President, Ashraf Ghani,  has left the country, and residents and diplomats are scrambling to leave, though Kabul’s airport is now closed to commercial flights. The US embassy has lowered its flag, and the Taliban said in a statement it is working to restore law and order. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai says…

Read More

The mad rush for the control of the gold mines of the troubled Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by rival armed groups is at the taproot of the horrific violence in the African country. The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, has firmly established that the armed groups  are carrying out horrific sexual attacks against women and girls,  all because of the rich natural resource. The refugee agency describes the horror in Tanganyika province, where thousands of people have been internally displaced this year, often many times as “widespread and systematic” abuse. UNHCR Spokesperson, Shabia Mantoo, said in Geneva, “some women and…

Read More

There is a huge risk that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may degenerate into further crisis ahead of the 2023 elections because of the choice of its presidential candidate. But, Menas Associates, a political risk consultancy in its latest intelligence report on Nigeria says there is also the possibility that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) could implode before the end of this year and that some of its key members could defect to the PDP. Already, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has already unsuccessfully sought the Presidency on five occasions, has begun cross-country consultations in an effort…

Read More