The U.S. government announced it would provide an additional $186 million in humanitarian aid for refugees that have fled the war in Ukraine. “The additional humanitarian assistance for refugees in Ukraine’s neighboring countries supports the provision of food, safe drinking water, protection, accessible shelter, and emergency health care. “Through the support of our international and non-governmental partners,” a statement by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Blinken noted the U.S. has provided nearly $293 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine and in the region since Russia started its invasion in late February. He said that makes it the largest…
Author: Newsdesk
Vaccine maker Pfizer Inc. said on that it will continue to supply of medicine to Russia despite its opposition to the country’s attack on Ukraine. The company said that implementing a voluntary pause in the flow of our medicines to Russia would be in direct violation of our foundational principle of putting patients first. The company said that it would not stop the delivery of critical medicines, like cancer or cardiovascular therapies as it would result in significant patient suffering and potential loss of life, particularly among children and elderly people. Pfizer said that its business in Russia would be…
The number of COVID-19 infections reported weekly across the globe has increased for the first time since the end of January, the World Health Organisation said. In the second week of March, reported infections were eight per cent higher than in the preceding week. More than 11 million new coronavirus cases and 43,000 deaths from or with COVID-19 were counted between March 7 and 13. Climbing case numbers were noted particularly in the western Pacific and Africa regions compared to the previous week, with increases of 29 per cent and 12 per cent respectively. In Europe there was a weekly increase…
Russia has lost up to 40 per cent of the units it sent into Ukraine when Moscow invaded its neighbour in February, the Ukrainian military’s general staff said on Wednesday. The troops were either completely destroyed or have lost their combat capabilities, he said at the daily bulletin, but did not give concrete numbers. The information could not be verified independently. The area surrounding embattled Mariupol continued to face the most serious situation. The Russian army was attempting a blockade of the city from the western and eastern fringes of the port city, but was suffering “significant losses,” according to…
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, says the food economy in the West Africa and Sahel sub-region is projected to reach 480 billion dollars in 2030. Schmale said this at the 13th Multidisciplinary Team Meeting of 15 West African countries and Sahel sub-region in Abuja to brainstorm on the way forward to the food and nutrition situation in the region. The meeting is with the theme “Joining Efforts to Build Resilient Agrifood Systems in West Africa and Sahel”. He said the expected growth would be attributed to systemic approach undertaken by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)…
President of UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid says violence against women in politics is increasing, describing the challenge as moral and ethical failure in the society. Shahid said this at an event organised by his office on the sideline of the ongoing Commission on the Status of Women in New York. The objective of the event is aimed at drawing attention to the scourge of violence against women worldwide who are involved in politics. “As a former parliamentarian, and a lifelong politician, violence against women in politics is an issue dear to my heart. It is a moral and ethical…
Fire has destroyed an unconfirmed number of trucks parked at a facility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. The incident occurred on Monday morning at an exhibit dump of the anti-graft agency located at Iriebi in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the state. EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed this on Tuesday in a statement in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). “There was a fire incident at the exhibit dump of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, located at Iriebi, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, March 14, 2022,” he…
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says it has been included into the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), as a fourth gateway for public health emergencies to push the Universal Health Coverage agenda in the country. The Director-General, NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja, while addressing a World Press Conference to herald the upcoming Primary Health Care Summit, scheduled to take place on March 24 and 25, 2022, in Abuja. Only 1 per cent of the Federal Government Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) is being allocated to the BHCPF in the annual budget since 2018. However,…
Some passers-by have rescued a newborn baby abandoned in a carton in Osogbo, Osun capital. The Coordinating Director, Osun State Ministry of Women, Children and Social Affairs, Mr Jide Falade, said in a statement that the baby was rescued on Feb. 25. According to Falade, the baby, which is 11-days-old, was found at Omo-Odo Agba Street, along ring road, Oke Baale in Osogbo. The coordinating director said all efforts made by the police and the Ministry to locate her parents had been fruitless. Falade appealed to members of the public to assist in locating the relatives or parents of the…
The World Health Organization (WHO), says the planned Primary Healthcare ((PHC) Summit in Abuja, will be an avenue to re-new calls on leaders, advocates and stakeholders in the health sector to improve the sector as contained in the Astana, Kazakhstan, convention. WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, said this to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, disclosing that the two-day meeting would hold between March 24 and 25. According to Mulombo, the theme of the programme: “Reimagining: Evolving a resilient platform for achieving the country’s national and global health goals via a ‘peri-Covid era’, is solution-focused and dedicated to…