Famine Takes Grip in Africa’s Prolonged Conflict Zones
An estimated 163 million Africans are facing acute food insecurity—sustaining the record numbers of Africans experiencing food crisis. This total is nearly triple the number from 5 years ago, highlighting the rapid escalation in Africa’s food emergency. Some 130 million (80 percent) of those facing acute food insecurity are in countries experiencing conflict, many of which have persisted for years and have eroded community and national coping mechanisms…13 of the 16 African countries with the largest number of people experiencing acute food insecurity are in conflict. This pattern underscores that conflict continues to be the primary driver of acute food insecurity in Africa. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Southern Africa Is Enduring Its Worst Hunger Crisis in Decades Due to El Niño, the UN Says
Months of drought in southern Africa triggered by the El Niño weather phenomenon have had a devastating impact on more than 27 million people and caused the region’s worst hunger crisis in decades, the United Nations’ food agency said Tuesday. The World Food Program warned it could become a “full-scale human catastrophe.” Five countries — Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe — have declared national disasters over the drought and resultant hunger. The WFP estimates that about 21 million children in southern Africa are now malnourished as crops have failed. AP
Floods Leave 10 Million Children Out of School in West and Central Africa
An estimated 10 million children across Nigeria, Mali, Niger and the Democratic Republic of Congo are unable to attend school after devastating regional flooding, the charity Save the Children has said. The severe rains, which have damaged or destroyed schools and displaced families, have left the education system in crisis. Displacing nearly one million people, the floods have worsened an already fragile situation…The situation is especially dire in Niger and Mali, where the start of the school year has been postponed for weeks, affecting millions of learners. RFI
Spiraling Sudan Bloodshed Sparks Refugee Surge into Chad
In a sign of the worsening conflict in Darfur, some 25,000 people — 80% of whom were women and children — crossed into eastern Chad in the first week of October, a record number for a single week in 2024. And more than 20,270 crossed into Chad in the whole of September. Chad is host to 681,944 Sudanese refugees — more than any other country. However, it is also one of the poorest countries in the world and is lacking the basic services to accommodate such numbers, said [Mamadou Dian Balde, the U.N.’s Sudan regional refugee coordinator], while highlighting the generosity shown by Chadians towards their fleeing neighbors…Balde said he expected “very unfortunately, in the coming weeks, to have many more refugees in Chad,” due to both the conflict intensifying in Darfur and the drop in water levels as the rainy season ends. AFP
Sudan Rescuers Say Airstrike Killed 23 in Khartoum Market
A Sudanese network of volunteer rescuers said on Sunday the military carried out an airstrike a day earlier on a marketplace in Khartoum, leaving 23 people dead. The market is near one of the main camps in the Sudanese capital, where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting the military as part of a civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people…The military is advancing towards Khartoum from nearby Omdurman, where clashes erupted on Saturday, eyewitnesses said. AFP
Years of War in Congo Have Created a Dire Mental Health Crisis. But Little Support Is Available
More than 100 armed groups have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda. The violence has escalated as the M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda, has reemerged. The fighting has displaced millions. Over 600,000 shelter in camps near Goma. More people are experiencing anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as well as insomnia and excessive alcohol and drug consumption, psychologists say…But little mental health support is available. Less than 30% of the requested $180 million for protection — which includes mental health services — in the humanitarian response plan has been funded this year, said the United Nations, which calls Congo one of the world’s most neglected crises. AP
How Congolese Journalists Displaced by the M23 War Are Keeping the Airwaves Alive
Among the displaced [in and around Goma] are hundreds of local journalists who escaped the fighting or direct censorship from the rebels, who occupy vast swathes of territory in the east and regularly use local media to disseminate propaganda. Some journalists have abandoned their work as a result of the upheaval, though others…have struggled on, broadcasting in the camps often at their own expense…Displaced journalists…said they are tailoring their shows to the needs of the camps, providing space for communities to discuss events and issues in the sites, from sports competitions to gender-based violence. Displaced people who listen to the radio said they receive vital information from the shows…Earlier this year, around 100 journalists organised themselves into a union called the Synergy of Displaced Journalists, according to Justin Bizimana, the coordinator of the group. The New Humanitarian
Bill to Establish Nigerian Coast Guard Scales Second Reading in Senate
A bill to establish the Nigerian Coast Guard has scaled second reading in the Senate…[Wasiu Eshilokun (APC- Lagos)] said the bill sought to establish the Nigerian Coast Guard to be charged with the responsibility of securing maritime zones within Nigeria. He said the bill was also aimed at maintaining a state of readiness as a specialised service in support of the Nigerian Navy in war situations. The senator added that the overriding intent of the bill was to enact legislation that sought to contribute to the country’s security, with a special focus on the country’s maritime interests and regional coastal security. He said that it was also to ensure adherence to global norms and standards as they relate to maritime security. News Agency of Nigeria
IPU: Why Nigeria Seeks Responsible Use of AI – Reps Deputy Speaker
[The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ben Kalu,] spoke on Monday at the 149th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) General Debate in Geneva, Switzerland…Mr Kalu said the federal government is moving towards adopting a National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy Framework…“The integrity of universal electoral processes is a global imperative, and recent developments in Artificial Intelligence are posing threats, especially in the spread of disinformation and cyber vulnerabilities in election systems,” Mr Kalu said. “We call for the responsible use of AI to safeguard the integrity of democratic processes, particularly against threats such as deepfakes and the spread of disinformation,” he added. Premium Times
Kenyan Deputy President’s Impeachment Trial Begins
Kenya’s parliament has begun the final step to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office…The deputy president faces 11 charges including corruption, inciting ethnic divisions and undermining government – all of which he denies…Gachagua’s trial is being conducted before the full house of the Senate after it abandoned a process to set up an 11-member committee to investigate the charges…At least two-thirds of the 67 Senate members must approve the motion for Gachagua to be removed from office. Should that happen and his impeachment stands, he would be barred from ever holding public office. He is expected to challenge the impeachment in the courts if it passes. BBC
Kenya in Talks for a $1.5 Bln Commercial Loan with UAE, Finance Minister Says
A $1.5 billion loan that Kenya is discussing with the United Arab Emirates is a commercial one with an 8.25% interest rate and a seven-year tenor, Kenya’s Finance Minister John Mbadi said on Wednesday. In late September a source familiar with the situation told Reuters Kenya’s government was close to agreeing to the loan, aimed at bridging the East African nation’s financing gap. “This loan is cheaper than the Eurobond we borrowed at 10.7%,” Mbadi told a news briefing on Wednesday, referring to a $1.5 billion dollar-denominated bond issued in February to partially buy back a portion of a $2 billion Eurobond that was settled in June. Reuters
Africa Must Continue to Rise,’ Says General Assembly President
In a speech delivered during a debate on African development, Assembly President Philémon Yang addressed the continent’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s (AU) related framework, known as Agenda 2063…He called for a more just financial system, expressing that the current system “prioritises high interest rates and debt servicing over investments in resilience and social services.” The continent will need about $194 billion in additional financing annually to achieve the SDGs. While acknowledging the bleak economic outlook, Mr. Yang also praised Africa’s resilience as economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to increase from 2.6 percent in 2023 to 3.8 percent by 2025. UN News