Paris, France | AFP | Most scientists agree that a “mass extinction” event is underway on Earth, with species disappearing hundreds of time quicker under the influence of human activity. But this is not the first: over the last half-billion years there have been five major wipeouts in which well …
Read More »Food, medicine, water: What has Nature done for us lately?
Paris, France | AFP | From the food we eat to the air that we breathe, Nature not only provides mankind with the means to live but also the services to thrive. Ahead of a major biodiversity summit in Paris expected to outline in the starkest terms yet the threat …
Read More »COMMENT: Let’s talk about geoengineering
Deadlock at UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi shows it’s a complex problem without a single solution Project Syndicate | DAVID KEITH | Negotiations on geoengineering technologies ended in deadlock at the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, recently, when a Swiss-backed proposal to commission an expert UN panel on …
Read More »Illness costs Africa hundreds of millions every year: WHO
Praia, Cape Verde | AFP | The World Health Organization has estimated that disease strips hundreds of millions of dollars from Africa’s economic output, as the burden of untreated disease hugely outweighs the potential expense of healthcare. In a report published at the end of a three-day UN forum for …
Read More »UN sets sights on exit strategy for DR Congo peacekeeping mission
United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN Security Council agreed Friday to extend the huge peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo until December to allow time for a withdrawal plan to be drawn up. The council unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution that asked Secretary-General Antonio Guterres …
Read More »Disease fears mount for Africa cyclone survivors
Beira, Mozambique | AFP | Disease is threatening to aggravate the already dire conditions facing millions of survivors following the powerful tropical cyclone which ravaged southern Africa 10 days ago, officials warned on Sunday. Cyclone Idai smashed into Mozambique’s coast unleashing hurricane-force wind and rain that flooded swathes of the poor …
Read More »Banking on Refugees
Contrary to popular belief, refugees are on par with non-refugees when it comes to loan repayment Project Syndicate, 2019 | JACQUELINE MUSIITWA | Every minute, on average, 31 people are displaced around the world – forced to leave their jobs, homes, and even their families. These refugees often arrive, after …
Read More »Fighting human trafficking
Empower and train survivors cooperate with law enforcement to help dismantle trafficking networks Project Syndicate, 2019 | AGNES IGOYE | Human trafficking is on the rise, and a new report from the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime reveals that perpetrators face “hardly any risk” of punishment. As …
Read More »‘World must stand with Uganda on refugees’
What UNHCR Chief learnt from recent visit to Uganda’s refugee settlements Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Kelly Clements, the Deputy High Commissioner for the UN refugee agency UNHCR, recently saw firsthand the ever-growing task of caring for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable South Sudanese refugees when she visited Uganda. …
Read More »Cyclone death toll surges as UN steps up Mozambique aid call
Beira, Mozambique | AFP | The death toll in Mozambique on Saturday climbed to 417 after a cyclone pummelled swathes of the southern African country, flooding thousands of square kilometres, as the UN stepped up calls for more help for survivors. Cyclone Idai smashed into the coast of central Mozambique …
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