Refugees deserve language of humanity, not crisis
29/3/2022: The current outpouring of support for Ukrainian refugees may be jeopardised by the many human rights groups, aid organisations, and media outlets that are using inappropriate crisis headlines. The language of fear leaves the door open to divisive politicians who scapegoat refugees.
Source: The New Humanitarian
DRC to become 7th member of East Africa trading bloc
23/3/2022: Ministers of the East African Community have recommended the admission of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The bloc has been implementing protocols on a customs union and a common market in order to improve trade and investments in the region.
Source: The Conversation
The Ukraine crisis threatens a sustainable food future
1/4/2022: The decisions that farmers and policymakers make over the next few weeks and months will have long-term consequences for the future of the world’s food systems. The wrong decisions will worsen food insecurity and fuel climate change.
Source: World Resources Institute
Donor countries pledge over $2 billion for Afghanistan
31/3/2022: The UN says that funds will go directly to aid agencies and not through the Taliban. Donors voiced concerns after the Taliban banned girls from returning to secondary schools.
Source: DW
UN Security Council votes for new Somalia peacekeeping force
31/3/2022: The current African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) includes 20,000 soldiers, police and civilians, resisting Al-Shabaab insurgents who have been seeking to overthrow the fragile government for more than a decade. The new mission will work to enable Somali forces to take primary responsibility for security, before a scheduled withdrawal in 2024.
Source: The East African
Lessons from the last global food crisis
30/3/2022: In 2007-2008 the price of wheat went up 136% while the prices of rice doubled, leading to global social and political unrest. As the Ukraine war threatens similar price instability, policymakers should avoid export bans, sustain social safety nets and improve real-time data about food supplies.
Source: Devex
War in Ukraine is morally unacceptable and politically indefensible
31/3/2022: In an address to the 49th session of the Human Rights Council, Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, calls for the hostilities to stop, without delay.
Source: Inter Press Service
US backs away from Green Climate Fund obligations
29/3/2022: The Director of the Green Climate Fund has warned that the pipeline of carbon-cutting projects in developing countries is at risk. President Biden had requested Congress to approve $1.25bn for the Green Climate Fund but negotiations brought the amount down to zero.
Source: Climate Home News
US declares violence against the Rohingya was genocide
28/3/2022: The US decision has came more than four years after 730,000 Rohingya from Myanmar were forced to flee. It’s unclear what action the US may now take, though it has been outspoken about its opposition to the military coup that occurred last year.
Source: Devex
Donors must rethink Africa’s flagging green revolution
23/3/2022: A scathing new analysis of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) finds that the program is failing in its objective to increase food security on the continent, despite massive funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the US, UK, and German governments.
Source: Inter Press Service