ROME, Italy, March 31, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Government of the United Kingdom has released $13.7 million in emergency funding to FAO to help conflict-affected families in South sudan restore their agriculture-based livelihoods and stave off an increasingly alarming food security situation. “Some seven million people are facing the risk of hunger, including nearly one million people who have fled their homes as a result of the fighting and the fear it generates. It’s not only people who are being displaced. Over ten million head of livestock have been taken away from their usual grazing routes,” says Sue…
Author: apofeed
WASHINGTON, March 31, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Media NoteOffice of the SpokespersonWashington, DCMarch 29, 2014Assistant Secretary Anne C. Richard will travel to Geneva, Switzerland on Monday, March 31, 2014 for meetings with officials from United Nations and other international humanitarian organizations.€€On Tuesday, April 1, 2014, Assistant Secretary Richard will travel to Ndjamena, Chad, where she will meet with Chadian government officials and representatives of both international and nongovernmental organizations. Assistant Secretary Richard will also travel to southern Chad with representatives from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to visit refugees from the Central African Republic…
LAGOS, Nigeria, March 31, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — ONE.org (http://www.one.org) today launched one of the continent’s biggest musical collaborations ever, ‘Cocoa na Chocolate’, in support of a new campaign to boost investments in agriculture: ‘Do Agric, It Pays’ (http://www.one.org/doagric). Nineteen of the top recording artists from across Africa, including D’Banj and Femi Kuti from Nigeria, DR Congo’s Fally Ipupa, Cote d’Ivoire’s Tiken Jah Fakoly, Kenya’s Juliani, and South Africa’s Judith Sephuma, have come together to help rebrand agriculture and tell African youth that their future lies literally beneath their feet—and in their hands. Download the song: http://www.one.orgPhoto 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=925Photo…
BANGUI, Central African Republic, March 29, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission and Head of the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA), Gen. Jean Marie Michel Mokoko is appalled by a grenade attack on innocent civilians, which took place last night at a funeral in a Bangui home, killing and injuring several persons. The attackers escaped from the crime scene and have not yet been identified or apprehended.The Special Representative notes with profound dismay that an increasingly sophisticated arsenal of military-type assault weapons has been…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, March 29, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Conclusions of the 9th Meeting of the International Contact Group on Madagascar (ICG-M) Antananarivo, 28 march 2014 1. At the initiative of the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the International Contact Group on Madagascar (ICG-M) held its 9th meeting in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on 28 March 2014, under the chairmanship of the AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ambassador Smail Chergui. The list of countries and institutions which participated in the meeting is indicated below [1]. 2. The opening ceremony of the meeting was…
NEW YORK, March 29, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General’s Jan Eliasson’s remarks to the fifteenth Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM), in Abuja today:Thank you for the opportunity to meet and speak with you today. RCM-Africa is such an important forum for engagement between the UN family in Africa and our partners in the African Union (AU), Regional Economic Communities, the NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) Agency and the African Peer Review Mechanism secretariat.I commend your ongoing and vital efforts to advance the African Union’s Agenda 2063. This ground-breaking pan-African vision, aimed at the structural transformation…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 29, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has expressed deep worry over a court decision in Egypt, where 529 people have been sentenced to death in one of the largest trials in the history of the country. The death sentence for 529 supporters of the ousted President Mohammed Morsi came on Tuesday, 25 March. They are expected to appeal.“While being hopeful that the judgment will be overturned on the first appeal, the WCC remains concerned over the reversal of the recent signs of hope which…
BERLIN, Germany, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — To contribute to the success of today’s (28 March) force generation conference in Brussels for the European Union military bridging operation in the Central African Republic (EUFOR CAR), Germany will additionally make available strategic air transport to the country’s capital, Bangui. This key enabler will help the European partners participating in the EU military operation to rapidly move personnel and materiel to the area of operations. Recently, the operation in this civil-war-torn country threatened to fail, due to a lack of such a capability for strategic deployment, that is, airlifting large…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — With the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) in a downward spiral, IOM is today appealing for USD 56.5 million to bring life-saving assistance to the country and region.The scope of IOM’s appeal has been broadened from Car to Chad and Cameroon, which are carrying a heavy burden of an influx of migrants and returnees fleeing this terrible conflict. In addition, IOM wants to reinforce transition and recovery efforts, which are beginning to show promise. IOM’s engagement with affected communities tells a story of hope amid the chaos. “Security is…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — “Every day, the plight of the Central African people gets worse. Their suffering is compounded by repeated acts of violence against civilians, pillaging, killings and sexual violence,” said Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), following a three-day visit to the country. “With poverty widespread and State institutions crippled by years of instability and crisis, the country’s existing dependence on humanitarian aid will only grow unless efforts are stepped up to restore security.” In the course of his visit, Mr Maurer met the president of the…
ARUSHA, Tanzania, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Steering Committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Regional Technical Assistance Center for East Africa (East AFRITAC) endorsed the Center’s work plan for 2015. This envisages a substantial scaling up of technical assistance and training activities. Steering Committee members also welcomed the achievements in 2014, which included strengthened public financial management, support for better fiscal analysis and bank supervision, improved tax administration and significant progress towards disseminating revised GDP data across the region.The Steering Committee met in Arusha, Tanzania from March 27-28, 2014 to review activities over the year since…
VATICAN, Holy See, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The vitality of the Church in Madagascar despite the difficult circumstances in which this country finds itself and the commitment of the dioceses to human development were some of the central issues in the message Pope Francis addressed to the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar at the end of their five-yearly “ad limina” visit.The Pope thanks the prelates for their “courageous and tenacious work of evangelisation” and acknowledged the serious socio-economic problems encountered in Madagascar, mentioning at the same time that the bishops have urged all of society…
DUBLIN, Ireland, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon Gilmore TD, paid tribute to the late Kader Asmal at the unveiling of a plaque at the house in Foxrock, Dublin, where South Africa’s Bill of Rights was written more than 20 years ago.The Tánaiste was joined yesterday by the Bill’s co-author, retired South African Justice Albie Sachs, who is visiting ireland for a legal rights conference. The Tánaiste also welcomed Louise Asmal, the widow of Kader Asmal, to the unveiling:“In this house in 1988 an essential element in South Africa’s…
JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) will air a 24-minute documentary about a project that brings free health care to African families on Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 9 a.m. (SABC3) and 12.30 p.m. (SABC1) in South Africa. It will be rebroadcast in April on affiliate stations throughout Africa.To view the trailer, click here: https://vimeo.com/84725512. B-Roll package – Rotary Family Health Days: http://bit.ly/1iExmh1Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=919 (The documentary captures an emotional meeting between Bunch and Me Maria as the women reflect on how the disease has impacted their lives and families)Photo Marion Bunch:…
NEW YORK, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Three prominent personalities in the field of climate action congratulated Cape Town for winning this year’s Earth Hour City Challenge.The Earth Hour City Challenge is a year-long competition to promote renewable energy and prepare for climate change. It is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Cape Town received this year’s award at a special ceremony in Vancouver on Thursday night.Chicago, Copenhagen, Seoul and Stockholm were also recognized by the jury for their achievements.In a joint statement, Gino Van Begin, Secretary-General of the global cities network ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability,…
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — IOM has completed a three-month project to build capacity and mentor 35 community-based organizations in Tripoli in the field of psychosocial support.The project, funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), was implemented in partnership with Libya’s Ministry of Culture and Civil Society.Activities included a mapping and analysis of civil society organizations (CSOs) associated with psychosocial support; the selection of the right organizations, who received a total of eighteen training sessions; and on the job mentoring to ensure that the tools acquired through the training were appropriately applied.Training topics covered…
TUNIS, Tunisia, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A unique, Africa-led fund designed to improve food security across the continent has become a reality for the first six countries slated to benefit from the initiative.The Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mali, Niger and South sudan signed agreements in Tunis with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to receive $2 million each from the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund.”The Africa Solidarity Trust Fund shows that African countries are ready to step up and work with their neighbours to build a sustainable and food secure region, and to…
KHARTOUM, Sudan, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund has approved a Staff-Monitored Program (SMP) for sudan covering the period January-December 2014. An SMP is an informal agreement between country authorities and Fund staff to monitor the implementation of the authorities’ economic program. SMPs do not entail financial assistance or endorsement by the IMF Executive Board.Sudan’s economy has been facing major challenges since the July 2011 secession of South Sudan, with low economic growth, high inflation largely driven by the financing of high fiscal deficits, a deterioration in external and fiscal accounts,…
JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, March 28, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Rotary Family Health Days (http://www.rotary.org) – an innovative international campaign providing free health-care services to underserved families — launches its fourth edition in April 2014, aiming to reach 350,000 people in Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/rotary.pngPhoto: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=916 (Marion Bunch, director and managing partner of RFHD and a Rotary club member from Georgia, USA, became active in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa after losing a son to the disease)B-Roll package – Rotary Family Health Days: http://bit.ly/1iExmh1Rotary Family Health Days (RFHD) promotes healthy living and disease prevention…
KHARTOUM, Sudan, March 27, 2014/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Joint statement attributable to the UNAMID Deputy Joint Special Representative, Mr. Joseph Mutaboba, and the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Mr Ali Al-Za’tariWe express deep concern at the increasing violence in Darfur. In the last month, a wave of violence has been underway in Darfur, affecting tens of thousands of people. Since the beginning of 2014, more than 215,000 people in Darfur have been displaced from their homes. Many people in Darfur have no choice but to flee their homes in fear. It is particularly troubling that, in…