MIL Africa Engine

Source: APO

.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) issued the warning on Friday, citing latest analysis from the food security framework Cadre Harmonisé, the regional equivalent of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) that uses a one to five scale – with five spelling catastrophe/famine – to inform response. 

It projects that 13 million children are also expected to suffer from malnutrition this year while over three million people will face emergency levels of food insecurity – more than double the 1.5 million in 2020.

Communities cannot cope 

Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger account for 77 per cent of the food insecurity figures, including 15,000 people in Nigeria’s Borno state at risk of catastrophic hunger for the first time in nearly a decade. 

Although a combination of conflict, displacement, and economic turmoil has been driving hunger in West and Central Africa, the slashes to humanitarian funding are now pushing communities beyond their ability to cope. 

 “The reduced funding we saw in 2025 has deepened hunger and malnutrition across the region,” said Sarah Longford, WFP Deputy Regional Director. 

“As needs outpace funding, so too does the risk of young people falling into desperation.” 

Rations reduced, hunger soars 

WFP urgently requires more than $453 million over the next six months to continue its humanitarian assistance across the region, where the impacts of the aid budget cuts are evident. 

In Mali, when families received reduced food rations, areas experienced a nearly 65 per cent surge in acute hunger (IPC 3+) since 2023, compared with a 34 per cent decrease in communities that received full rations.  

Continued insecurity has disrupted critical supply lines to major cities – including for food – and 1.5 million of the country’s most vulnerable people are on track to face crisis levels of hunger.  

Malnutrition levels deteriorate 

In Nigeria, funding shortfalls last year forced WFP to scale down nutrition programmes, affecting more than 300,000 children.  Since then, malnutrition levels in several northern states have deteriorated from “serious” to “critical.” 

The UN agency will only be able to reach 72,000 people in Nigeria in February, down from the 1.3 million assisted during the 2025 lean season.  

Meanwhile, more than half a million vulnerable people in Cameroon are at risk of being cut off from assistance in the coming weeks.  

‘Paradigm shift’ needed 

WFP underscored the importance of having adequate funding for its operations, which have helped to improve food security in the region.   

For example, teams have worked with local communities in five countries to rehabilitate 300,000 hectares of farmland to support more than four million people in over 3,400 villages. 

WFP programmes have also supported infrastructure development, school meals, nutrition, capacity building and seasonal aid to help families manage extreme weather and security risks, stabilise local economies and reduce dependency on aid. 

“To break the cycle of hunger for future generations, we need a paradigm shift in 2026,” Ms. Longford said. 

She urged governments and their partners to step up investment in preparedness, anticipatory action, and resilience-building to empower local communities. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

Source: APO

.

A meeting with a view to reviewing the implementation of activities of 2025 was conducted on 15 January in the Central Region. The meeting also discussed programs for 2026, focusing on enhancing social welfare programs and community support.

Ms. Jim’a Ibrahim, head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare in the region, said that in 2025 commendable activities were conducted to improve the socio-economic capacity of citizens under the objective of equitable distribution of resources and services.

According to reports presented at the meeting, out of the 24.8 million Nakfa distributed to 1,167 citizens in the form of loans, 99.6% has been returned; over 53.5 million Nakfa has been disbursed to families of martyrs; and over 2 million Nakfa contributed by nationals inside the country and abroad has been distributed to 86 families of martyrs.

Furthermore, the report indicated that school material support was extended to 1,729 disadvantaged students; 684 thousand Nakfa was extended in support of foster families; and material support worth 122,420 Nakfa was provided to 25 disabled children.

Vocational training, in collaboration with Harat Transportation Company, was provided to 44 disadvantaged children.

Speaking at the occasion, Ms. Leul Gebreab, Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, commending the activities conducted by the office branch, urged reinforced efforts for better outcomes.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO

.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, today underscored the need for urgent humanitarian assistance and protection for people fleeing the brutal war in Sudan, and for greater support for refugees to rebuild their lives with dignity.

During his first official overseas trip as High Commissioner, Salih met Sudanese refugee families who had fled the vicious fighting in Darfur only days earlier; many had been displaced multiple times since the conflict began. They described years of violent attacks and human rights abuses. Salih spoke with women who had been raped, and to people whose parents had been killed, arriving in Chad with only what they could carry and the hope of safety.

“What is unfolding in Sudan is a humanitarian calamity of overwhelming scale. Chad’s generous welcome of refugees is a powerful act of solidarity,” Salih said. “By keeping its borders open and protecting refugees, Chad is offering people safety, dignity and legal status. These are the foundations on which solutions can be built so refugees can start to rebuild their lives and contribute to society.”

Since April 2023, more than 900,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in eastern Chad, with new arrivals every day. Sudan is now the world’s largest and most devastating displacement crisis, with 12 million people currently displaced, including more than 4.3 million refugees across the region. Salih made a strong plea for the international community to make every effort to bring peace to Sudan, paving the way for refugees to return home.

UNHCR continues to support the life-saving response in this part of Chad, but conditions in refugee settlements remain harsh, impacted by the dwindling funding. Many families lack shelter, water supplies are far below emergency standards, and overcrowded sanitation facilities pose increasing health risks. Trauma levels are high and mental health support reaches only a fraction of those in need, while many children remain out of school.

“People in eastern Chad are in acute need, but due to a lack of funds, the assistance provided is nowhere near the minimum level required. The responsibility to host these refugees has fallen on Chad, but other countries must rally to support it: it cannot be expected to shoulder such responsibility alone,” added Salih. “Refugees here may be safe from immediate harm, but they need opportunities through education, work and livelihoods to build a future.”

Salih visited programmes that build self-reliance for both refugees and host communities. In Iridimi, he spoke to refugee learners acquiring digital and language skills to support their education and access the job market. In Farchana, he visited market gardens where refugees and host communities grow and sell crops together. In Abeche, he met a group of lawyers, doctors and teachers displaced from Sudan who are now able to practise their professions in Chad.

Despite its challenges, Chad continues to uphold international protection and provide access to asylum at scale. Salih met President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno in N’Djamena, and reaffirmed UNHCR’s commitment to supporting refugees and host communities alongside the Government, paying tribute to communities that have generously welcomed refugees despite economic hardship and environmental pressures. Furthermore, Salih reiterated UNHCR’s readiness to work with the Government and all other stakeholders to implement the Integrated Settlement Approach, through which services are established or enhanced for both refugees and host communities, and economic opportunities are shared.

“Visiting Chad and Kenya this last week, both countries clearly demonstrate how, with sustained international support, inclusive policies can move us from responding to displacement emergencies towards providing solutions,” Salih said. “When refugees are protected and included, they can rebuild their lives and contribute to the societies that host them. This is what I am seeing here, and this is the direction in which we must travel.”

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

Source: APO – Report:

.

That’s according to UN human rights chief Volker Türk, who had discussions with over 40 leaders of Sudanese civil society in Northern State’s capital, Dongola, this week. 

“But these representatives have also found the solution,” Mr. Türk said in a video on X. “There needs to be an all-out effort, both within Sudan and by the international community to help them, to facilitate their work.”

The conflict in Sudan which erupted in 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the armed group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has uprooted some 9.3 million people and has brought about one of the world’s largest hunger crises. 

Mr. Türk began his visit on Wednesday and is meeting with Sudanese authorities, civil society, humanitarian partners and people displaced by the conflict in Darfur and Kordofan. He will be holding two press conferences at the end of his visit on 18 January.

Chad shows ‘act of solidarity’ 

Since April 2023, more than 900,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in eastern Chad, with new arrivals every day, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday. 

The newly-appointed UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih visited Chad this week for the first time in this capacity, where he met with Sudanese refugee families and local authorities.

Many of the refugees he met had been displaced multiple times since the conflict began. They described years of violent attacks and human rights abuses. 

“What is unfolding in Sudan is a humanitarian calamity of overwhelming scale. Chad’s generous welcome of refugees is a powerful act of solidarity,” Mr. Salih said. 

From displacement to solutions 

Mr. Salih also acknowledged the host communities that have welcomed refugees despite economic hardship and environmental pressure. 

He reiterated UNHCR’s readiness to work with the Government and others to facilitate economic opportunity and provide services for both refugees and the host communities.

“Visiting Chad and Kenya this last week, both countries clearly demonstrate how, with sustained international support, inclusive policies can move us from responding to displacement emergencies towards providing solutions,” Mr. Salih emphasised.

“When refugees are protected and included, they can rebuild their lives and contribute to the societies that host them. This is what I am seeing here, and this is the direction in which we must travel.”

– on behalf of UN News.

Source: APO – Report:

.

The President of the Republic, Dr. Patrick Herminie, has reaffirmed Seychelles’ global leadership in climate and ocean governance as Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker at the Blue Forum, held on the margins of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2026.

Delivering the keynote address at the Forum’s inauguration on Thursday 15th January, President Herminie issued a strong call for collective global action, urging governments, financiers, and innovators to work together through cooperation, innovation, and sustained investment to build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable water and ocean systems.

The President underscored that water—freshwater, coastal, and ocean systems alike—has become one of the world’s most critical and vulnerable natural resources, underpinning food security, energy production, trade, livelihoods, and ecosystems. He cautioned that decades of fragmented governance, where land, water, and ocean systems have been planned and financed in isolation, have weakened global resilience and increased exposure to climate and economic shocks.

“As climate impacts intensify, resilience cannot be built in silos,” President Herminie stated, emphasizing the urgent need for integrated, systems-based ‘source-to-sea’ management that recognises the interdependence of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine environments.

Speaking from the perspective of a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), the President highlighted Seychelles’ unique vulnerabilities, while positioning the country as a practical global leader in climate action and the Blue Economy. He outlined Seychelles’ achievements, including the designation of over 30 per cent of its ocean territory as marine protected areas, surpassing global biodiversity targets, and the implementation of marine spatial planning, sustainable fisheries management, and coastal protection initiatives.

President Herminie also drew attention to the recent severe drought experienced by Seychelles, using it as a stark illustration of the interconnected challenges of climate change, water security, and ocean health. He stressed that addressing these risks requires innovative financing mechanisms, cross-sectoral policy alignment, and the strategic use of digital technologies to strengthen adaptation and resilience.

The President expressed appreciation for Seychelles’ strong international partnerships, notably with India, China, and the United Arab Emirates, highlighting the UAE’s recent support for desalination projects that have significantly enhanced Seychelles’ drought resilience and water security.

Concluding his address, President Herminie reaffirmed Seychelles’ readiness to collaborate globally, share lessons learned, and advocate for aligned policies, scaled and predictable financing, and technological advancement to safeguard water and ocean systems.

President Herminie is attending the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026 accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Mr. Barry Faure; the Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Energy and Natural Resources, Ms. Marie-May Jeremie; the Minister for Investment and Industries, Ms. Geralda Desaubin; and the Ambassador of the Republic of Seychelles to the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Gervais Moumou.

– on behalf of State House Seychelles.

Source: APO – Report:

.

President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted Colonel Michael Randrianirina, President of the Refoundation of the Republic of Madagascar, for a briefing at Mahlamba Ndlopfu, the Official Residence in Pretoria.

Colonel Randrianirina briefed President Ramaphosa on the steps being taken towards a peaceful transitional process, which includes a national dialogue amongst all the people of Madagascar. 

President Ramaphosa welcomed the briefing and, in line with the decision of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), took the opportunity to reiterate the need to support Madagascar’s transition to constitutional democracy with an inclusive national dialogue that will lead to elections as soon as possible.

In this regard, President Ramaphosa reaffirmed SADC’s decision to deploy the Panel of the Elders to Madagascar. 

– on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.