Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: APO

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Refugees in Eastern and Southern Africa remain in exile for a median period of almost 16 years, according to new analysis by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, underscoring the urgent need to expand solutions.

The analysis, based on UNHCR’s registration data between 2001 and 2025, shows that displacement in the region is rarely short-term. At the end of 2025, 6.4 million refugees and asylum-seekers were recorded in UNHCR’s registration system across the region. Many had escaped war, instability and persecution in countries such as Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, and continue to be hosted mainly by neighbouring countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya. The data will form part of UNHCR’s 2025 Global Trends Report, with updated global displacement figures, to be released on 11 June.

“Asylum saves lives, but after nearly 16 years of living in limbo, refugees need more than help; they need hope, opportunity and a way forward,” said Mamadou Dian Balde, UNHCR Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. “We need to move faster towards real solutions, helping refugees return home when it is safe to do so, and ensuring those who cannot return are able to study, work, support themselves and contribute to their communities.”

The data shows that most registered refugees and asylum-seekers in the region remain displaced long after the initial emergency, with three in four still displaced after five years and almost two in five still in asylum 20 years later.

Children and young adults are among the most affected. Refugees and asylum-seekers registered before the age of five remain in asylum for a median of over 18 years. This means many pass through early childhood, primary and secondary education and into adulthood without a solution.

“No child should have to grow up with their future clouded by uncertainty,” Balde said. “An entire generation of refugee children are starting their adult lives in exile. Young refugees need access to national education systems, documentation, skills and opportunities that will allow them to reach their potential wherever they are and contribute to the societies hosting them.”

The analysis also shows that larger families remain in asylum for longer, reflecting the complexity of finding solutions for entire households. Single people remain refugees or asylum-seekers for a median of just under six years, while families of five or more remain for nearly 19 years.

Women and girls also stay in asylum for a median duration of nearly 17 years, compared with just over 14 years for men and boys; a pattern that often reflects different protection risks, family responsibilities and barriers to mobility. UNHCR said the findings point to evidence that the impact of displacement on women and children lasts for a generation or more, laying a foundation for multi-generational dependency on aid.

Host countries in Eastern and Southern Africa continue to show solidarity and provide protection to millions of refugees despite limited resources. UNHCR is calling for donors, development actors and the private sector to step up support so that refugees and the communities that welcome them can rebuild and grow together in dignity.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Source: APO

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Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has disclosed that government has already released 85 percent of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s approved 2026 budget to accelerate food production, strengthen agro-industrialisation and improve food security across the country.

Speaking at the launch of the Ghana National Pact for Agriculture and Economic Transformation, Food Security and Employment (AGRICONNECT Compact) in Accra, Mr. Nyarko Ampem said the release of the funds demonstrated government’s strong commitment to transforming the agriculture sector into a major driver of economic growth and job creation.

“I am pleased to confirm that we have released GH¢1.677 billion, representing 85 percent of the approved 2026 Budget for Goods and Services and CAPEX for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture,” he stated.

According to him, the funds are being channelled into key interventions aimed at improving productivity, mechanisation, irrigation and agricultural value chains.
He explained that GH¢581.4 million had been allocated for the establishment of 50 Farmer Service Centres to support mechanisation and improve productivity, while GH¢110 million would be invested in irrigation infrastructure projects across the country.

Additionally, GH¢515.3 million has been earmarked for the supply of fertilisers and certified seeds to farmers, GH¢244.9 million for the Poultry Farm-to-Table Project, popularly known as Nkoko Nkitinkiti, and GH¢200 million invested through the National Food Buffer Stock Company to improve produce distribution and trading.

Mr. Nyarko Ampem stressed that agriculture remained central to Ghana’s economic transformation agenda, noting that the country could not continue spending billions of dollars annually importing food products that could be produced locally.

He said government was determined to move agriculture “from subsistence to scale, from production to productivity, and from farming to agribusiness.”

He further indicated that the interventions form part of a broader fiscal strategy to reposition agriculture as a commercially viable sector capable of absorbing a significant portion of Ghana’s youthful labour force.

According to him, government is deliberately aligning budgetary releases with priority value-chain projects to ensure that “every cedi released translates directly into measurable output, reduced import dependence, and improved rural incomes.”

“We are no longer interested in budget approvals that sit on paper. The focus now is execution, impact and accountability. Agriculture must pay, and it must pay sustainably for our farmers and for the economy,” he emphasised.

The Deputy Minister added that the Ministry of Finance is working closely with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to tighten monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, ensuring that implementing agencies adhere strictly to timelines and performance benchmarks.

He disclosed that a digital tracking system is being rolled out to monitor the disbursement and utilisation of agricultural funds, particularly at the district level, to reduce leakages and improve transparency.

The event brought together policymakers, development partners, agribusiness leaders and farmer-based organisations, all of whom underscored the need for sustained collaboration to achieve food security and economic transformation goals.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Finance – Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO

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Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem has called on investors and development partners to commit long-term capital towards transforming Ghana’s rice sector into a major driver of economic growth, food security and industrialisation.

Speaking at the 2026 West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, the Deputy Minister said Ghana was repositioning agriculture, particularly strategic value chains such as rice as a central pillar of economic transformation.

The high-level forum brought together representatives from governments across the sub-region, the private sector, development finance institutions, investors and regional bodies including ECOWAS.

Addressing participants on behalf of Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, Mr. Nyarko Ampem stressed that Ghana was creating the right policy and macroeconomic environment to attract investment into the rice value chain.

“Ghana’s message to investors is straightforward: we are doing the policy work, we are strengthening the enabling environment, and we are creating the conditions for long-term capital to thrive,” he stated.

According to him, government was focused on reducing import dependence while expanding domestic production, agro-processing and value addition within the rice sector.

He noted that despite West Africa’s enormous agricultural potential, the region continues to spend between US$3 billion and US$4 billion annually importing rice, a situation he described as economically unsustainable.

“West Africa continues to spend about US$3-4 billion annually importing rice. That is billions in foreign exchange leaving our economies each year to finance demand we should increasingly be meeting ourselves,” he said.

Mr. Nyarko Ampem argued that the challenge facing the region was not the lack of land, water resources or farmers, but rather insufficient investment capable of transforming rice production at scale.

He said the region requires what he described as “transformational capital”, long-term financing that goes beyond seasonal farming support to include investments in irrigation systems, storage facilities, logistics, milling and agro-processing infrastructure.

The Deputy Minister said Ghana’s economic reset agenda under President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang places strong emphasis on productive transformation, food security and private sector-led growth.

He indicated that government interventions were currently focused on strengthening agricultural value chains, improving market coordination, supporting price stability mechanisms and creating a predictable investment climate for businesses.

He said improving macroeconomic stability and renewed investor confidence were also contributing to Ghana’s efforts to attract long-term investment into critical sectors of the economy.

Mr. Ampem further urged stakeholders within the sub-region to move beyond discussions and begin mobilising practical financing arrangements capable of driving large-scale rice production.

“West Africa does not need more declarations. We need to create pipelines of bankable projects capable of crowding in long-term capital at scale,” he stated.

He expressed optimism that the Roundtable would help generate strategic partnerships and investment commitments that would strengthen regional food systems and reduce dependence on imported rice.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Finance – Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO

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In Lolmolong village, in Samburu County in northern Kenya, Neshoo Leaungokiok laboured through the night, far from the nearest health facility.

With no transport available and a six-hour journey on foot to reach care, she had no choice but to give birth at home, assisted only by a traditional birth attendant. In this remote part of Kenya, long distances, difficult terrain and insecurity continue to limit access to skilled care during childbirth, placing mothers and newborns at significant risk.

But this time, help arrived.

As labour intensified, Lucy Makena, a reproductive health officer from a nearby mobile outreach clinic supported by World Health Organization (WHO), reached the home. These clinics operate from off-road trucks fitted with a consultation room, patient beds, a small laboratory, and a pharmacy, designed to bring essential care directly to communities far from any permanent facility. Trained in emergency obstetric and newborn care through programmes also supported by WHO, she quickly assessed Leaungokiok’s condition and began monitoring the progress of labour.

“I found her already in active labour” Makena recalls. “I stayed with her, monitored her progress closely and supported the delivery.”

Makena’s presence came at a critical moment. In settings where complications can go unrecognized and timely care is often out of reach, skilled support can mean the difference between life and death.

With Makena’s support and care, Leaungokiok safely delivered a healthy baby girl.

Shortly after birth, however, Leaungokiok began to bleed heavily, a potentially life-threatening complication if not managed quickly. Acting immediately, Lucy administered lifesaving medicine to control the bleeding. She also supported the mother to initiate breastfeeding within the first hour, an essential step in protecting the newborn’s health.

“The baby is feeding well now. I am grateful to have delivered safely and to have a healthy baby,” says Leaungokiok, cradling her daughter.  

For Makena, moments like this reflect the importance of reaching women wherever they are.

“In many of these communities, there may be no doctor nearby” she explains. “The training we receive helps us to act quickly, manage complications and support mothers safely through delivery.”

Through collaboration with county health authorities, WHO is supporting the expansion of emergency obstetric and newborn care services in northern Kenya, including training health workers and strengthening outreach services to reach remote communities.

In the past year, WHO has supported 14 of the 47 counties in Kenya to develop a pool of facility-based mentors of emergency obstetric and newborn care, helping ensure that more women can access skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth, even in the most hard-to-reach areas. While access to skilled birth care remains limited in some parts of the African Region, targeted investments in health workforce training and service delivery are helping to close the gap, as in Leaungokiok’s case.  

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization – Kenya.

Source: APO

According to JustMarkets’ (www.JustMarkets.com) latest market research, currency movements are increasingly being influenced not only by interest rate expectations, but also by the relative pace of economic growth across leading economies. With the United States expanding faster than the Eurozone, the United Kingdom, and Japan, FX markets are beginning to reflect a broader shift in capital flows, earnings expectations, and investor positioning.

The analysis follows a period of synchronized global monetary tightening, during which central bank policy dominated market sentiment. However, as inflation pressures moderate and economies begin to move at different speeds, JustMarkets notes that relative growth performance is becoming a more important factor for traders assessing medium-term currency trends.

US Growth Outperformance Comes Into Focus

IMF projections point to US GDP growth of 2.4% in 2026, compared with 1.3% for both the Eurozone and the United Kingdom, and 0.7% for Japan. This places the US growth advantage at approximately 1.1 percentage points over the Eurozone and 1.7 percentage points over Japan.

JustMarkets’ research indicates that this growth gap is already visible across major currency pairs. EUR/USD declined from around 1.20 in late January 2026 to approximately 1.145 by mid-March, while GBP/USD remained in the 1.31–1.34 range following weaker UK GDP data. USD/JPY also stayed elevated above the 155–160 range in March, reflecting the continued US-Japan growth differential.

“These moves suggest that the FX market is increasingly pricing in macroeconomic divergence rather than reacting solely to individual central bank decisions,” JustMarkets stated in its analysis. “Relative growth is becoming a central lens for understanding currency performance.”

A Broader Framework for FX Market Analysis

The research highlights that traders are increasingly monitoring forward-looking indicators such as composite PMIs, retail sales, real wage growth, corporate investment plans, and relative earnings revisions. These indicators can provide early signals of economic momentum before official GDP data is released.

The company notes that similar dynamics were visible in 2022, when weakening Eurozone growth indicators, pressure from the energy crisis, and stronger relative US resilience contributed to EUR/USD reaching parity for the first time in two decades.

According to JustMarkets, the current environment reinforces the importance of analyzing currencies as relative instruments. Rather than assessing whether a single currency is strong or weak in isolation, traders need to compare the economic strength of one region against another and identify which FX pairs best reflect that divergence.

JustMarkets Expands Access to Multi-Asset Market Opportunities

JustMarkets emphasizes that a broad instrument range is essential in a market environment shaped by macro divergence. The company provides access to major, minor, and exotic FX pairs, alongside indices, commodities, and metals, allowing traders to express market views across multiple asset classes.

In periods of US growth outperformance, traders may look beyond traditional USD crosses and consider related opportunities across equity indices, commodities, and regional market exposures. This flexibility allows market participants to apply a more comprehensive approach to macro-driven trading strategies.

Growth Divergence Becomes a Defining Market Theme

The research concludes that growth divergence is emerging as a quiet but increasingly influential market regime. Unlike sudden policy shocks or headline-driven volatility, this type of shift tends to develop gradually through economic data, investor expectations, and capital allocation trends.

As global economies move at different speeds, www.JustMarkets.com expects traders to place greater emphasis on comparative growth indicators when evaluating currency opportunities.

For traders seeking to explore these market dynamics, JustMarkets offers a free demo account (https://apo-opa.co/4dKXdHa) with access to multiple FX pairs, indices, commodities, and metals.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of JustMarkets.

Contact:
Name: Kardo Dlir Farhan
Email: kardo.farhan@justmarkets.com

Risk Warning: Trading financial instruments involves significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Market conditions can change rapidly, and losses may exceed deposits. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.