Africa: Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace, and Security Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield U.S. Representative to the United Nations

[ad_1] New York, New York — AS DELIVERED Thank you so much, Madam President. And I want to thank Switzerland for bringing us together on this important topic; it’s really fitting that we gather today on United Nations Day. Thank you, also, Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed, for your presentation, as well as Executive Director Bahous, and the other briefers, for your critical contributions to our discussion today. Madam President, Colleagues, as we mark 24 years of Resolution 1325, I find myself thinking about […]

October 25, 2024 4

Africa

Africa’s week in pictures: 18

[ad_1] A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent:FAREED KOTB/GETTY IMAGESTemple guardian Abdel Karim greets visitors who have come to witness the sun's rays light up the statue of Pharaoh Ramses II in Egypt on Tuesday. The solar alignment only happens twice a year.AFPThe day before in Cameroon, supporters of the governing party welcome home the country's 91-year-old president whose health has long been the cause […]

October 25, 2024 2

Africa

Africa: 85% of Children Affected By Polio in 2023 Lived in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Countries

[ad_1] Of the 541 children affected by polio globally in 2023, 85 per cent live in the 31 fragile, conflict-affected, and vulnerable countries, according to a new UNICEF analysis on World Polio Day. Polio cases in these settings have more than doubled in the past five years, while routine childhood immunization has dropped from 75 to 70 per cent - well below the 95 per cent needed for community immunity. The data issue a stark warning that the life-threatening disease […]

October 25, 2024 3

Africa

Africa: UK-Funded Unitaid Launches Initiative to Boost Medical Oxygen Access in Sub-Saharan Africa

[ad_1] Nairobi — This week, Unitaid, funded by the UK government, announced a significant US$22 million investment to support the establishment of Africa's first regional liquid oxygen manufacturing program, aimed at improving access to medical oxygen in sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative will focus on East and Southern Africa, with production facilities set to be established in Kenya and Tanzania. This pioneering program is designed to increase medical oxygen production in East Africa by 300% and reduce oxygen prices by up […]

October 25, 2024 4

Africa

Africa: Polio Almost Eradicated but Challenges Persist – Unicef

[ad_1] Since 1988, the number of children affected by polio has dropped by a staggering 99 percent. Polio, once a leading cause of paralysis and death among children worldwide, is now on the verge of eradication. Since 1988, the number of children affected by polio has dropped by a staggering 99 percent. However, the last stretch of the fight remains the hardest. According to UNICEF, over 400 million children across 190 countries are vaccinated against polio each year, but significant […]

October 25, 2024 3

Africa

Africa: What Must Happen After the Summit of the Future?

[ad_1] What would the manifesto for a more inclusive world look like if it were drafted by people with disabilities? It was, a few weeks ago at a UN Summit. But is it enough? Not long ago, I sat in a classroom in Freetown, Sierra Leone, taking it all in as a young visually impaired student ran her fingers across a braille version of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Five years ago, these global promises for a better future […]

October 25, 2024 6

Africa

Africa: Avian Architects – Weaver Birds in Africa Have Unique Building Styles

[ad_1] From afar, the acacia trees look like they have been decorated with grass pom-poms. The birds have been busy, building shelters of straw and grass. Up close the real shape of the "pom-poms" becomes clear: grass tubes in the form of an upside down "U", with an opening at each end. These structures are the work of white-browed sparrow weavers (Plocepasser mahali). White-browed sparrow weavers are cooperative breeders. Within a multi-generational family group, only one dominant pair will reproduce; […]

October 25, 2024 3

Africa

What could reparatory justice for slavery look like?

[ad_1] Getty ImagesCalls for the UK to provide reparations for its historical role in the slave trade have reignited ahead of a meeting of Commonwealth countries on Friday.While Sir Keir Starmer said reparatory justice would not be on the agenda, Commonwealth leaders have defied the prime minister and plan to move towards a "meaningful conversation" on the issue.The UK has long faced calls to provide reparations for its role in […]

October 25, 2024 1

Africa

Longue Longue video shows Cameroon singer allegedly being tortured

[ad_1] Longue LongueLongue Longue said he was arrested for his "freedom of thought"A video purportedly showing popular Cameroonian singer Simon Longkana Agno, widely known as Longue Longue, being tortured has led to widespread outrage in the country.The artist, renowned for making hits about bad governance, colonialism, and other social ills, said the video was taken after he was arrested in 2019, but it is only being seen by the public […]

October 25, 2024 1