Browsing: United Nations (UN)

• Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is the worst in recent history, according to the United Nations.
• One-third of Sudan’s population, that is, 18 million people, are facing acute food insecurity, while 730,000 Sudanese children are believed to be suffering from severe malnutrition.
• World Food Programme(WFP) has delivered food to over 5.2 million people within Sudan since conflicts started in April.

Sudan’s humanitarian crisis

The United Nations Humanitarian Office has warned that Sudan is on the verge of facing the worst humanitarian crisis in recent history. Key drivers of this situation include intensified conflict and growing inter-communal violence, an economic crisis, soaring prices of food, fuel and essential goods, and below-average agricultural production.

“By all measures – the sheer scale of humanitarian needs, the numbers of people displaced and facing hunger – Sudan is one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory,” Edem Wosornu, director of operations at the UN Office for …

• UNCTAD estimates that the weekly transits going through the Suez Canal decreased by 42 per cent over the last two months.
• The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has triggered substantial shifts in oil and grain trades, reshaping established trade patterns.
• Simultaneously, the Panama Canal, a pivotal conduit for global trade, is grappling with diminished water levels, resulting in a staggering 36 per cent reduction in total transits over the past month compared to a year ago.

The escalating geopolitical tensions and climate change related issues affecting key shipping routes are now threatening global trade, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has warned, with potential to curtail economic development mainly in poor countries.

The United Nations trade and development body has expressed concerns over the disruptions, particularly stemming geopolitical tensions affecting shipping in the Black Sea, recent attacks on shipping in the Red Sea affecting the Suez …

• Africa is at the center of global sustainability transitions such as decarbonization of production systems.
• The continent is also seeing electrification of transportation infrastructure and accelerated use of renewable energy.
• African Continent Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is an opportunity to bridge the inequality and vulnerability gap while fostering recovery and transformation in Africa.

Africa – pummeled by a combination of crises – should swiftly invest in and implement people-centered strategies to mobilize financial resources and accelerate continental economic recovery, the Economic Commission for Africa now says.

Speaking during the opening of the ministerial segment of the 55th Session of ECA’s Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, in Ethiopia, Executive Secretary Antonio Pedro said Africa was at the center of global sustainability transitions, such as decarbonization of production systems, electrification of transportation infrastructure and accelerated use of renewable energy, which he said should underpin its recovery from …

Stanbic Bank Uganda in partnership with the United Nations (UN) and other financial agencies have created an enterprise fund, Economic Enterprise Restart Fund (EERF) to provide low-cost financing to the informal sector to help them recover from the impact of the pandemic.

According to a press release, the Economic Enterprise Restart Fund (EERF) will provide cheaper funding to SMEs, savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs) as well as village savings and credit associations (VSLAs) to improve their productivity and provide both digital and technical support in capacity building and institutional development.

To help increase consumption, create employment opportunities and reduce poverty in the rural and peri-urban areas, EERF will also drive financial inclusion through the digital banking process and build economic activity sustainability.

The fund was launched by Anna Juuko, the chief executive officer and Rosa Malango, the UN resident coordinator.

“Our commitment to the Economic Enterprise Restart Fund is an …

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) received €11 million contribution from the European Union as the UN agency steps up efforts to fight the desert locust outbreak.

FAO Director-General QU Dongyu received the contribution to help fight the locust upsurge which has now spread from East Africa to the Persian Gulf.

The European Commission announced that €10 million would come from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO). While another €1 million will come from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).

“I want to thank the European Union for its generosity and support as the Desert Locust threatens to provoke a humanitarian crisis in East Africa,” Qu said.

Qu also added that the situation is extremely alarming in a region where 20 million people are already considered food insecure.

The locust outbreak is the worst in the last 25 years for Ethiopia and Somalia and …