UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says relief operations in Ethiopia’s northernmost Tigray region, challenged by limited access, are racing against severe malnutrition. UNOCHA disclosed this on Thursday. “Food insecurity is alarming, with a high risk of mass severe acute malnutrition looming in the next few months if not addressed immediately,” it said. Access remains a challenge. Most of the Central Zone, the most populated in the region with about 1.8 million people, remains largely inaccessible, OCHA said. “Where humanitarian workers have reached people, the situation is dire, including shortages of food, dysfunctional water system, lack of…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Palestine on Thursday welcomed the decision of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to form an independent committee to investigate Israeli violations in the Palestinian territories. During an emergency session, UNHRC decided to launch an international investigation into human rights violations committed in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel since April, after 24 member states voted in favor and nine against, while 14 abstained. The decision called for an inquiry into the recent violent confrontations between the Israeli army and the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip, as well as the “deep causes” of tensions between the two sides.…
Somalia’s federal government and regional state leaders finally signed an agreement on Thursday, ending an impasse that has delayed the holding of both presidential and parliamentary elections in the country. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and leaders of five federal member states alongside the governor of Banadir Regional Administration pledged to conduct free and fair elections within 60 days. Speaking after signing the revised agreement, Roble said that Thursday marked a historic moment and turned a golden page for Somalia’s state-building and governance history. Roble said the agreement was reached on all contentious issues including the Gedo region, Somaliland, and…
Mali’s transitional President Bah N’Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane, who resigned on Wednesday, regained their freedom early Thursday morning, security sources told Xinhua. “Prime Minister Moctar Ouane returned home last night. According to the members of the cabinet who visited him this Thursday morning, he is doing well and he is in good spirits,” an official from the Prime minister office, who requested anonymity, told Xinhua. The official did not reveal the whereabouts of N’Daw. Mali’s transitional President Bah N’Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were reportedly taken by force on Monday to the Kati military camp following the…
By Ijeoma Nwankpa, Abuja In an effort to recertify the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, NAIA, to be ready for emergency situations, the management has conducted an Airport Emergency Mock Exercise for Difficult Terrain. The Airport Manager, Mr Mahmud Sani said the exercise was to ascertain how prepared the management was in handling emergency situations, to meet up with the requirements for the recertification of the Airport. According to Sani, the certification period is done quarterly, and with its last certification in 2017, the Airport was due for recertification. “Today, we have just exercised our Airport Emergency Programme; it is…
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the terrible surge in Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in India has had a severe impact on COVAX’s supply of vaccine in the second quarter of 2021. WHO, in a statement on Thursday, said the surge in the rate of infection in South Asia had threatened COVAX’s supply to the point where, by the end of June “we will face a shortfall of 190 million doses.” The statement was jointly issued by WHO, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, abbreviated…
Everybody is saying today that that we must ban open grazing based on pastoralism and establish ranches for animal breeding. What people are not saying is how and over what period. Nigeria currently has about 20 cattle, most of them in the hand of pastoralists spread throughout the country’s land area. Nigeria does not produce enough livestock for its consumption so we import significant quantities from neighbouring countries to meet the meat demand of the country. Despite increasing demand for meat and other livestock products, the sector has not been growing sufficiently fast over the past few decades to cope…
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has challenged those alleging that his office received N2 billion from the recovered loots, to prove so. The challenge is contained in a statement issued by his spokesperson Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu made available to newsmen on Thursday. According to the statement, prior to the repatriation of all the recovered assets Nigeria and relevant nations have been signed memorandum of understanding as to what the monies will be put to and the government has been working in compliance with all the provisions of multi-national agreements reached. It was…
President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana has called on West African leaders to consolidate efforts to root out terrorism from the region. Akufo-Addo made the call in his opening speech during the ECOWAS Parliament first Extraordinary Session in 2021 to strengthen the fight against security, democracy, stability and economic recovery of the sub-region. The president said in spite of the best efforts in dealing with the menace by the ECOWAS leaders, there were persistent attempts to distabilise several countries of the ECOWAS community. He said these include attacks on state symbols, to civilian populations and military bases. Akuffo-Addo said this has been the case…
The National Assembly (NASS) Joint Committee on Defence are currently in the U.S. on inspection tour of Embraer Defence Security Incorporated (EDSI), manufacturers of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) A-29 Super Tucano aircraft. This is part of its oversight functions as joint committee on defence.NAF A statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, stated that the joint committee were in the U.S. to assess the status and progress of work on the aircraft. According to Gabkwet, on arrival at EDSI, the team, who was led by Sen. Michael Nnachi, was briefed on…