Category: English

Source: APO

In a new Child Alert report titled Darfur: 20 Years On, Children Under Threat, UN children’s agency UNICEF warns that while the horrors of 2005 are repeating, the scale of need is now far greater, and international attention is dangerously constrained.

A worsening crisis of violence

The report draws a chilling parallel between the past and the present. Homes, schools, and hospitals are again under fire, but the modern nature of the fighting between rival militaries has become even more lethal.

Since April 2024, more than 1,500 grave violations against children have been verified in the regional capital of El Fasher alone.

Over 1,300 children have been killed or maimed in the city – which was held by military Government forces until being overrun by RSF militia after a lengthy siege last October – many by explosive weapons and drones. 

Beyond the physical strikes, children face the trauma of abduction, recruitment into armed groups, and sexual violence.

“Twenty years ago, the world united in outrage at the suffering of children in Darfur. Today, a new generation of children is living through horrific violence, hunger and terror,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director.

Across the whole of Sudan, the UN has verified over 5,700 grave violations since the current war began. The trend is accelerating: in the first three months of 2026, child fatalities rose significantly compared with the previous year.

Barriers to lifesaving aid

Despite the collapse of infrastructure and the spread of famine, humanitarian efforts are being strangled by insecurity, bureaucratic hurdles, and a massive funding gap. Many families in North Darfur remain entirely cut off from food and safe water due to prolonged sieges.

While UNICEF and its partners continue to provide mobile health services and malnutrition treatment, the report warns that aid is not reaching those at the greatest risk.

“We cannot allow history to repeat itself,” Ms. Russell urged. “Children in Darfur need protection and sustained humanitarian access. The parties to this conflict must end this brutal war.”

UNICEF is calling for an immediate end to violations against minors and urging international donors to provide flexible funding to support those displaced both within Sudan and across its borders, particularly into overstretched communities in eastern Chad.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

Source: APO

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Families in Somalia are confronting a new catastrophe, with hunger and humanitarian needs soaring, a worsening drought, and aid levels at unprecedented lows, said Save the Children.

In a new report, When Aid Disappears, Childhood Disappears Too, Save the Children reveals how the collapse of international aid funding to Somalia in 2025 may soon lead to catastrophic outcomes for children not seen since the 2011 famine, which killed over 257,000 people [1].  

Early in 2025, projections estimated that 3.4 million people were facing crisis-level food insecurity. A year later, this figure has almost doubled with a projection of 6.5 million people — a jump directly correlated with massive cuts in international funding as well as the predicted poor October-December 2025 rains. 

Meanwhile, in 2024, Somalia’s Humanitarian Response Plan was 57.7% funded, which, while still below overall needs, was sufficient to sustain critical programmes. In 2025, coverage fell to just 28.8%. Now, in April 2026, only around 15% of the response plan is funded – the lowest level on record at this time of the year.  

As a result, food and nutrition services have been heavily reduced – including the closure of more than 300 nutrition facilities across the country, which are critical for treating child hunger and malnutrition – and preventive programmes have been significantly scaled back. 

Without immediate funding, more treatment centres will close, supply chains will be disrupted, and children in need of care will be turned away. At the same time, conflict in the Middle East risks further strain on global supply chains, increasing the likelihood of delays and shortages. 

The report also reveals that while Somalia’s children have grown up under the shadow of repeated crisis – such as the famine of 2011, recurrent droughts, conflict, and disease outbreaks – families have also shown extraordinary resilience. This includes sharing resources, improvising to meet basic needs, and supporting one another even when formal aid has been delayed, insufficient, or absent. The report confirms that while Somali families endure with remarkable strength, sustained external support is essential to prevent avoidable suffering and protect the next generation. 

Save the Children’s Country Director for Somalia, Mohamud Mohamed Hassan, said:  

“What we are seeing is not a slow deterioration, but a preventable crisis unfolding right now. In Somalia, the crisis is the result of a dire combination of protracted conflict and accelerating climate shocks, compounded by the decision to cut aid to record low levels in 2025. That choice was not inevitable; it had predictable, deadly consequences. Fifteen years of experience in Somalia show what happens when funding changes: when aid is scaled up, lives are saved; when it disappears, so do childhoods. 

“Drawing on lessons from the past 15 years, this report warns that current funding cuts risk reversing hard-won progress, including gains in immunisation and reductions in child mortality. Without immediate additional funding, more treatment centres will close, supply chains will break, and children who could have been saved will simply be turned away. Funding must return now — to protect children, prevent the crisis from worsening, and uphold the principle of “never again”. 

Fazia*, 15, attends a Save the Children-supported school in Baidoa. She has benefitted from humanitarian aid, but is concerned about the future:  

“Before, education was not something I thought about. My life has changed significantly. I used to feel uneducated and unaware, but now I have access to free education. 

“Now water is scarce, and the drought is extreme. Livestock are dying due to lack of water. Food has also become scarce, and the drought has deeply affected us.  

“For the past three years, we have been struggling with hunger.”  

Save the Children is calling on the international community to urgently increase humanitarian funding to meet the needs of over 6.5 million people requiring assistance, prioritise support for nutrition and health programs to prevent child deaths, invest in education to give children the skills they need now and into the future,  invest in longer-term resilience programming, and ensure aid reaches the most affected populations. 

Save the Children has been working in Somalia since 1951, delivering life-saving health, nutrition, education and protection services. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.

Source: APO

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Waheed Abbasi, Senior Vice President, Gas Services: Europe and Africa at Siemens Energy, has joined the Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) Conference and Exhibition as a speaker. Abbasi’s participation comes at a time when Siemens Energy is deepening its footprint in Angola through major power infrastructure and local capacity investments, positioning itself as a key enabler of the country’s evolving oil and gas market. At the event this September (9-10), Abbasi is expected to bring insights into how power technology and gas infrastructure are converging to support Angola’s next phase of industry growth.

With a long-standing presence in Angola, Siemens Energy has played a central role in strengthening power and infrastructure systems through projects in the oil, gas and renewable energy sectors. The company is currently developing an 80 MW power generation plant for the Kaminho FPSO – part of the first large deepwater development in the Kwanza Basin. The FPSO, currently 50% complete, will be installed in 2027 with first oil produced from the Cameia field in 2028. By integrating advanced power generation systems into offshore infrastructure, Siemens Energy is supporting more efficient, lower-emission production while ensuring reliable operations in deepwater environments.

At the same time, Siemens Energy has strengthened its on-the-ground presence with the launch of its Angola Service Shop in 2026. The facility brings service execution, project support, training and critical spare parts closer to customers, enabling faster response times and improving operational reliability across Angola’s oil and gas sector. By anchoring its services locally, Siemens Energy is not only supporting existing projects but also building the infrastructure needed to sustain long-term industry growth, reinforcing supply chain resilience and technical capacity within the country.

Siemens Energy’s activities in Angola form part of a broader continental strategy, with the company active in more than 50 African countries and leading initiatives across power generation, renewable energy and hydrogen development. This pan-African footprint positions Siemens Energy as a key partner for governments seeking to balance industrial growth with energy transition goals. In Angola, this is particularly relevant as the country looks to diversify its energy mix while leveraging its hydrocarbon resources to drive economic development.

Angola’s strategy to increase the share of gas in its energy mix to 25% is creating new opportunities for companies like Siemens Energy to deploy gas-to-power solutions. The start of key projects, including the country’s first non-associated gas project – led by the New Gas Consortium –, is expected to unlock greater gas flows, supporting both LNG exports and domestic power generation. As gas availability increases, the need for efficient power generation, grid infrastructure and industrial energy solutions will become more critical. Siemens Energy’s technology portfolio, spanning gas turbines, power systems and integrated energy solutions, positions the company to play a central role in enabling this transition.

Stepping into this picture, Abbasi’s participation at AOG 2026 comes at a time when Angola is aligning upstream growth with downstream and power sector expansion, creating a more integrated energy ecosystem. The event will provide a platform for discussions around gas monetization, power infrastructure and industrial development, areas where Siemens Energy is actively contributing.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

Source: APO

This morning, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi conducted an inspection tour of the construction works for the Pyramids Station project in Giza Governorate. This project is part of the first phase of the Metro Line 4. 

Upon his arrival at the project site, the President was received by Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Transport Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel El-Wazir, Giza Governor Dr. Ahmed El-Ansary, as well as Japan’s Ambassador to Cairo Iwai Fumio, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) office in Egypt Mr. Ebisawa Yo, and representatives of the Egyptian companies implementing the project.

Spokesman for the Presidency Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy stated that President El-Sisi began his tour by inspecting the tunnel boring machine. The President then listened to a briefing by Chairman of the National Authority for Tunnels Dr. Tarek Goueily, regarding Metro Line 4 and the Pyramids Station project, which is part of its first phase and is scheduled to open in the first half of 2028. Dr. Goueily explained that Line 4 will serve as a key link connecting 6th of October City and New Cairo to the Greater Cairo Metro network. It will also provide transportation services to densely populated areas such as Haram, Faisal, Omraneya, Giza, Nasr City, Al-Azhar University, and New Cairo. He noted that the line is expected to carry around 2 million passengers daily and will integrate with the 6th of October Monorail.

Following inspecting the tunnel boring machine, the President pressed the start button to signal the resumption of excavation. The President then observed the machine after it had completed drilling the final section of the tunnel between the “Hadayek Al-Ashgar” and “Pyramids” stations, spanning 6.35 kilometers. Furthermore, the President inspected part of the prepared tunnel.

President El-Sisi also listened to an explanation from the Minister of Transport of the stages of tunnel preparation, including the installation of concrete segments, railway tracks, signaling systems, and electrical connections, as well as updates on the implementation of Metro Line 4 and the comprehensive plan by the Ministry of Transport to establish a network of sustainable green mass transit.

President El-Sisi directed continuous follow-up on the construction works of the Cairo Metro project, particularly the first phase of Line 4. The President emphasized the need for swift completion, adherence to the highest standards of quality and safety, and compliance with the implementation timeline. The President also stressed the importance of linking high-density population centers to an environmentally friendly mass transit network

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.