Musings From Abroad

Over 2 million children require humanitarian attention in Niger— UNICEF

Published

1 year ago

August 21, 2023

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that more than two million children are “in need of humanitarian aid” in the Niger Republic.

Niger has been at the centre of political instability following the recent coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

The organization said in a statement, “More than two million children have been affected by the crisis and are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.

“Before the recent civil unrest and political instability in Niger”, UNICEF already estimated in 2023 “at 1.5 million the number of children under 5 suffering from malnutrition, including at least 430,000 suffering from the deadliest form of malnutrition.”

UNICEF warned that the numbers might increase “if food costs rise more and an economic crisis affects families, households, and incomes.”

In addition, “electricity shortages” – already frequent in Niger and multiplied by the sanctions imposed on the country by the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS), in response to the coup – affect the cold chain and can compromise the effectiveness of “infant vaccines” stored in health structures.

UNICEF recalls that it “continues to provide humanitarian assistance to children throughout the country”. However, it warns that its “vital supplies remain blocked at the various entry points of the country”, such as at the border with Benin.

Since gaining independence in the 1960s, many countries in the Sahel have experienced violent extremism due to the confluence of weak and illegitimate governance, economic decline, and the worsening effects of climate change.

The epicentres of violence and humanitarian disaster are in the Liptako-Gourma and Lake Chad Basin subregions, with Niger’s neighbours, Nigeria, Chad and some parts of Cameroon all sharing in the jihadist crisis.

Musings From Abroad

Swiss company Mercuria partners Zambia’s IDC in new metals trading firm

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by Swiss commodities trader, Mercuria, on Thursday, it has established a metals trading arm with Zambia, the second-largest producer of copper in Africa.

The trading unit is jointly owned by Mercuria and an arm of Zambia’s Industrial Development Company (IDC), and its purpose is to allow Zambia to engage directly in the minerals trading market.

The joint venture “envisages the establishment of a vehicle to market and trade Zambian copper by mutual leverage,” according to a statement from Cornwell Muleya, the CEO of IDC.

The southern African nation wants to increase copper output to roughly 3 million metric tonnes within the next ten years, and in 2023, it produced roughly 698,000 tonnes of copper, down from 763,000 metric tonnes the year before.

In June, the Zambian government announced that it would establish a minerals trading unit.

Investors including First Quantum Minerals and Barrick Gold are ramping up production, with output set to receive a further boost once Vedanta Resources’ Konkola Copper Mines restart activity.

“Our joint venture with IDC marks a significant milestone for Zambia as it positions itself more strategically in the global minerals market,” Kostas Bintas, Mercuria’s global head of metals and minerals, said in the statement.

Musings From Abroad

Blinken to reveal UN Sudan funding additions

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Additional financing for humanitarian aid to Sudan and initiatives to strengthen civil society in the nation, where a conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, will be announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the United Nations on Thursday.

Blinken will make many announcements when he leads a UN Security Council meeting on Sudan on Thursday, which will centre on humanitarian aid and civilian protection, Deputy U.S. Representative to the UN Ned Price told reporters on Wednesday.

According to Price, the announcements would include more money for humanitarian help, initiatives to strengthen civil society, and the return of democracy.

“Sudan, unfortunately, has risked becoming a forgotten conflict,” Price said.

“So part of the reason the secretary … opted to convene a signature event on this very topic is to make sure it remains in the spotlight,” Price said.

For almost 18 months, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and Sudan’s army have been engaged in combat, resulting in a severe humanitarian crisis that has forced over 12 million people from their homes and made it difficult for U.N. organisations to provide aid.

A power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces preceded a planned shift to civilian administration, which sparked the conflict in April 2023.

Although the army declined to join this year’s U.S.-mediated peace negotiations in Geneva, the warring parties did pledge to increase assistance access, which prevented any movement towards a ceasefire.

Price stated that before President Joe Biden’s term ends next month, the United States would keep collaborating with allies to enhance humanitarian access in Sudan and eventually end hostilities.

“We are going to leave nothing on the field in our efforts to work with allies, with partners, with the Sudanese stakeholders themselves, on the issues that matter most – humanitarian access, the provision of humanitarian assistance, ultimately, the process by which we can work to get to a cessation of hostilities, which is most urgently needed,” he said.