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UN warns millions in Nigeria to face food, nutrition crisis

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The United Nations Humanitarian agency has warned of a food and nutritional crisis in what it calls “catastrophic consequences” for millions of people in Nigeria, especially those in the northeast where jihadist insurgency has been rampant for years now.

The UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, who gave the warning on Wednesday, says he was “ringing the alarm bell now because the United Nations has received less than 20 percent of its $350 million appeal for Nigeria,” and if the funds needed to assist the people are not made available, the crisis could lead to dire consequences.

In a report, Schmale said people in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States, all in the northeast, are currently struggling to survive after 12 years of conflict and of the 8.4 million people who need humanitarian assistance, the UN plans to support at least 5.5 million of the most vulnerable.

He added that as it stands, nearly 600,000 people are already starving and go for days without food, with hundeeds of thousands of malnourished children becoming of particular concern for the agency

“Approximately, overall, 1.74 million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition across the northeast this year. Of these, over 300,000 are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition and are, indeed, at high risk of death,” said Schmale.

He added that about 80 percent of UN aid will be used to assist women and children who often suffer the most in conflict zones due as they are subject to violence, to abductions, to rape, and other forms of abuse.

“It is a serious crisis in the sense that there is no freedom of movement, in the sense that much of the countryside is under the control then or the influence of the various different factions of Boko Haram.

“So, that there are indiscriminate killings of civilians,” Trond Jensen, Head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria, also said.

The UN officials have recognized that the crisis in Nigeria has been overshadowed by the disastrous war in Ukraine and is in danger of being forgotten, but they also warn that ignoring the humanitarian needs of Nigeria would have far reaching consequences in further destabilizing the region.

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Chinese mining giant CNMC set for $1.6 billion investment in Zambia

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A Chinese mining giant, China Nonferrous Metal Mining Company (CNMC), has announced the investment of over $1.6 billion in Zambia, following successful discussions with President Hakainde Hichilema at the State House on Tuesday.

CNMC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Wen Gang, who held the discussions with Hichilema along with the Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, Han Jing, confirmed the company’s commitment to furthering Zambia’s economic development.

“We are actively investing in critical sectors of Zambia’s economy,” Gang said after the meeting.

He noted that CNMC was currently pumping water from Shaft 28 at Luanshya Copper Mine, where 29.9 million cubic liters have been cleared as part of intensified dewatering efforts, adding that the company plans to inject an additional $200 million to develop a greenfield mine on the Copperbelt.

President Hichilema who welcomed CNMC’s commitment, highlighted the potential economic impact of the firm’s investment which will include job opportunities for Zambians.

“This $1.6billion investment, alongside advanced technology and expansion, will extend operations and create more jobs and opportunities for Zambians, especially in mining contracting and supply,” the President said.

He also expressed gratitude to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese government for their shared commitment to fostering growth and cooperation between the two countries.

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Mpox immunisation scarcity slows Kinshasa’s epidemic fight

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A lack of mpox vaccine doses has prevented the Democratic Republic of the Congo from starting a campaign in the capital, Kinshasa, the response commander has confirmed.  However, the number of cases nationwide is still rising, particularly among youngsters.

 

In mid-August, a new strain of pox started to spread from the Congo to neighbouring countries, prompting the WHO to declare a global health emergency. However, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, donors have been hesitant to turn their pledges into cash and vaccines.

 

The head of operations for Congo’s mpox control program, Cris Kacita, stated on Tuesday that the country needed more than 162,000 doses of vaccine to start a vaccination campaign in the capital, but that 53,921 doses were still available for use in prisons, where inmates are at greater risk because of unsanitary conditions.

 

The capital, which is home to about 20 million people, has so far been less impacted than other parts of the nation. In six other provinces, vaccination campaigns are now underway.

 

Along with additional shipments from Germany and the African Union, France has committed to providing 100,000 doses.

 

He added the arrival of vaccines was also delayed by the administrative process, which includes sending an official request, manufacturing, creating documentation and gaining import authorisations.

 

“As long as we don’t have the necessary quantity, it’s going to be complicated to launch (vaccination) in the 14 health zones,” Kacita told Reuters, referring to areas of Kinshasa.

 

According to a health ministry study, from October 28 to November 2, 1,017 new suspected cases were registered nationwide in Congo, including 45 confirmed cases and 16 fatalities.

 

Since children are almost four times more likely than adults to die from the new strain of mpox, the charity Save the Children warned on Wednesday that targeted vaccines were necessary to halt the virus from spreading quickly among children.

 

“Children are especially vulnerable to mpox – they explore by touch and taste, don’t always understand health guidance, and have weaker immune systems than adults,” Katia Vieira de Moraes LaCasse from Save the Children said.

 

According to Africa CDC data, there have been over 42,000 suspected cases of Mpox in the continent, with 1,100 deaths reported so far this year.

 

The Mpox virus can spread from person to person via intimate contact and also from place to person through objects and surfaces that a person infected with Mpox has touched.

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