Musings From Abroad

UN commission, agency rally aid for Sudan

Published

2 years ago

May 17, 2023

A senior official of the United Nations has revealed that the organization needs $2.56 billion to help people affected by the ongoing crisis in Sudan.

The Head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva and director of the Coordination Division, Ramesh Rajasingham, revealed that the crisis had displaced a lot of Sudanese.

“Today, 25 million people, more than half the population of Sudan, need humanitarian aid and protection. This is the highest number we have ever seen in the country,” he said.

“The funding requirements of nearly $2.6 billion is also the highest for any humanitarian appeal for Sudan.”

The fund is expected as part of the humanitarian response plan.

Equally, the UN refugee agency is seeking more funding to assist those forced to flee. UNHCR said it needed $472 million to assist more than 1 million people over the next six months.

“Sadly, we need once again to call on countries and individuals with the means to step up for innocent people who have lost everything through no fault of their own,” said Raouf Mazou, Assistant High Commissioner for Operations at UNHCR.

The conflict which has forced different evacuation exercises in the country is between the army under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s transitional government’s Sovereign Council, and army troops loyal to General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the council’s deputy leader who controls the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Musings From Abroad

Brazilian meatpacker JBS invests $2.5 billion in Nigeria, builds six facilities

Published

5 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Brazilian meatpacker JBS says it has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government for a $2.5 billion investment plan that will include the construction of six new plants in the African nation.

Three of the plants would deal in poultry, two in beef, and one in pork, according to a statement from JBS.

In accordance with the memorandum of understanding, JBS stated that it would develop a five-year investment plan in Nigeria, which would include budget estimates, feasibility studies, and an action plan for the development of the local supply chain.

The Nigerian government would then guarantee the sanitary, regulatory, and economic conditions required for the project’s viability, JBS continued.

Musings From Abroad

China’s Xi meets with Morocco’s Crown Prince

Published

5 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Morocco’s official media reports that Chinese President, Xi Jinping, visited Morocco briefly on Thursday.

According to Morocco’s MAP, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan welcomed Xi in Casablanca. The visit demonstrated the close ties of camaraderie, collaboration, and solidarity between the Moroccan and Chinese peoples, it said.

China’s official broadcaster, CCTV, said that Xi and Hassan had a “cordial conversation” at the airport after being received by the Crown Prince and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

After attending the G20 Summit in Brazil, Xi paid the visit.

In recent years, China has increased its investments in Morocco’s rail and infrastructure. Morocco is desirable for Chinese electric car battery manufacturers because of its proximity to Europe, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and an established automotive sector.

Morocco was chosen by Chinese EV battery company Gotion High Tech in June to establish Africa’s first gigafactory, which will cost $1.3 billion in total.