Metro

Tigrayan crisis worst man-made humanitarian disaster on earth – WHO

Published

2 years ago

August 18, 2022

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has described the current crisis in Tigrayan region of Ethiopia as the worst man-made humanitarian disaster on earth.

Ghebreyesus who raiser the alarm on Wednesday, said so far, more than six million people have been under siege by Ethiopia and Eritrea for nearly two years with the country sealed off from the outside world with “no electricity, no banking services, and only limited fuel supplies.”

The WHO chief noted that a trickle of food aid and medicine has managed to reach the conflict-ridden northern Ethiopian province since a truce between the Ethiopian government and Tigray rebel forces was declared in late March, but the population is still facing multiple outbreaks of diseases, including malaria, anthrax and cholera.

“Nowhere in the world would you see this level of cruelty, where a government punished six million of its people for more than 21 months by denying them basic services,” Ghebreyesus who is a native of the troubled region said.

Ghebreyesus who once served as a Tigray regional health official in the early 2000s, and later spent more than a decade in the Ethiopian government, first as minister of health, then as minister of foreign affairs, also lamented the fact that though peace talks for the Tigray conflict are ongoing, they are “leading nowhere because powerful countries in the developed world are not using their influence to make it happen.”

“The humanitarian crisis in Tigray is more than Ukraine without any exaggeration. And, I said this many months ago, maybe the reason is the color of the skin of the people in Tigray

“This is the worst disaster on Earth as we speak. I am from Tigray. It is not because I am from Tigray I am saying this. That is the truth,” he said while appealing to the Ethiopian government to resolve the conflict in Tigray peacefully.

Related Topics:#crisis Ethiopia Featured Tigray WHO

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Metro

Zambia: Expert warns of food security threat due to climate change

Published

5 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A prominent Zambian climate-smart agriculture expert, Oliver Bulaya, has warned of a collapse of the county’s agricultural sector with a potential threat to food security due to the worsening impact of climate change.

Bulaya, who bared his mind in an interview with Zambia Monitor on Friday, warned that ignoring the crisis could lead to severe disruptions in the country’s food supply and economy.

“Unless concerted efforts are made, the country will continue facing dire consequences from climate change,” the expert noted.

He lamented a growing trend of farmers relocating to regions experiencing above-normal rainfall, such as the northern block, as they struggle with losses caused by climate variability.

Bulaya emphasized that the once-reliable rainfall areas like North-Western Zambia are now experiencing lower precipitation, as seen during the 2023/2024 farming season and cautioned that poor farming practices, which had already strained the Southern region, could lead to similar challenges in other parts of the country if proactive measures were not implemented.

Metro

Outrage over murder of Nigerian beaten to death by South Africans inside estate security office

Published

10 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Nigerian community, under the auspices of Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA), has raised the alarm over the murder of a 37-year-old Nigerian, Julius Chukwunta, who was beaten to death by four South Africans inside an estate.

According to the association, Chukwunta, a native of Aninri Local Government Area in Enugu State, was reportedly attacked on Saturday, December 7, while driving to his residence in Midrand Protea Estate.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the President-General of NICASA, Dr Frank Onyekwelu, Chukwunta was blocked by the four men while approaching his residence.

Onyekwelu stated that information available to the association noted that after attempting to pass through, Chukwunta was met with resistance by the assailants, prompting him to seek help at the security office of the estate.

“At that moment, the four men allegedly attacked him, leaving him severely injured with a head wound,” the PG said.

“His female companion, who was sitting in the car, rushed to the security office and discovered him bleeding on the ground.

“In spite of attempts to call for help, the security office and residents did not assist in calling the police or an ambulance.

“After an hour, Chukwunta’s partner contacted her father, who, along with other family members, took him to Tembisa General Hospital.

“Chukwunta was placed on life support but later succumbed to his injuries and died at the Tembisa General Hospital on December 10, 2024.”

Onyekwelu also confirmed that the case was reported to the police by Chukwunta’s partner at the Midrand Police Station and was registered under file number 262/12/2024.

The NICASA President said the four suspects, aged 20, 24, 27, and 28, were arrested, and the case was presented in Alexandra Magistrate Court on December 13, 2024, where they were charged with murder.

“The court proceedings on December 18, 2024, saw three of the suspects granted bail of R10,000 each, while the fourth had not yet applied for bail. The case was adjourned to February 3, 2025.”

Onyekwelu however, expressed disappointment at the proceedings, wondering why three of the suspects were released on bail and vowed that the Nigerian community would continue to demand justice for Chukwunta and support his family.

He emphasised that the community would not rest until justice was served and the value of Nigerian lives was upheld in South Africa.