Month: October 2022

GENEVA— The number of people forcibly displaced from their homes due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, and events seriously disturbing public order globally surged to 103 million in the first half of 2022, meaning that one in 77 people on Earth is forcibly displaced, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said.

This is an increase of 13.6 million, or 15 percent, compared to the end of 2021, more than the entire populations of Belgium, Burundi, or Cuba, according to the latest report from UNHCR.

According to the report, the total number of refugees and people in need of international protection worldwide rose by 24 percent from 25.7 million at the end of 2021 to 32 million by mid-2022. At the end of June this year, more than half (56 percent) of all refugees were Syrian, Venezuelan, or Ukrainian.

In mid-2022, the report showed, Türkiye hosted 3.7 million refugees, the largest refugee population worldwide. Colombia was second with 2.5 million and Germany third with 2.2 million refugees, followed by Pakistan and Uganda (1.5 million each).

The UNHCR report also showed that the number of asylum-seekers waiting for a decision had climbed to 4.9 million by mid-2022 from 4.6 million at the end of 2021.

In the first half of this year, more than 9.6 million new displacements due to conflict and violence were reported. The vast majority were in Ukraine, which accounted for 74 percent of all new internal displacements.

During the same period, significant displacements of people were also reported in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, as well as in Myanmar, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Source: Nam News Network

The European Union called on Russia to reverse its decision to pull out of the U.N.-led grain initiative and to allow the grain shipments to leave Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted on Sunday: “Russia’s decision to suspend participation in the Black Sea deal puts at risk the main export route of much needed grain and fertilizers to address the global food crisis caused by its war against Ukraine. The EU urges Russia to revert its decision.”
“Russia must go back to agreement to allow maritime corridor for food to reach the world. The EU will play its part to counter the global food crisis,” Borrell tweeted.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warned of catastrophic consequences of Russia suspending its participation in the U.N.-brokered grain deal. With the war in Ukraine altering the global patterns of food production and supply, inflation in low-income countries has surged to almost 90%. An estimated 345 million people will experience acute food insecurity this year, the agency said.
As tens of millions of people continue to experience extreme hunger in East Africa and Somalia teeters on the brink of famine as a result of the worst drought in 40 years, the renewed blockade will continue to impede the import of 80% of the grain imported from the Russia-Ukraine region, thereby driving further hunger, the IRC warned.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is “deeply concerned” about the grain initiative, has delayed his trip to Algiers for the Arab League Summit by a day to “engage in intense contacts aiming at the end of the Russian suspension of its participation,” U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on Sunday.
“The same engagement also aims at the renewal and full implementation of the initiative to facilitate exports of food and fertilizer from Ukraine, as well as removing the remaining obstacles to the exports of Russian food and fertilizer,” Dujarric said.
The Kremlin announced its action on Saturday, claiming that Ukraine staged a drone attack against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet off occupied Crimea. Ukraine has denied the allegation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the Russia’s exit “predictable.” He accused Moscow of “blockading” ships carrying grain since September, The Associated Press reported. Currently, 218 vessels are blocked from leaving Ukrainian ports as Russia says it cannot guarantee their safety.
Zelenskyy called for a tough response against Russia from international bodies like the U.N. and the G-20 group of the world’s major economies.
Speaking to reporters in Delaware Sunday, U.S. President Joe Biden called Russia’s decision to suspend participation from the Ukrainian grain deal “purely outrageous” and said it would increase starvation.
“There’s no merit to what they’re doing. The U.N. negotiated that deal and that should be the end of it,” Biden said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, “In suspending this arrangement, Russia is again weaponizing food in the war it started, directly impacting low- and middle-income countries and global food prices and exacerbating already dire humanitarian crises and food insecurity.”
Blinken said the U.S. is urging “Russia to resume its participation in the Initiative, fully comply with the arrangement, and work to ensure that people around the world continue to be able to receive the benefits facilitated by the Initiative.”

On Sunday, the United Nations, Turkey and Ukraine agreed to a movement plan for 14 vessels that are in Turkish waters, the AP reported.
In a statement, the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul, where Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish and U.N. personnel are working, said the three delegations had also agreed for inspections to be provided on Monday to 40 outbound vessels.
Wheat futures are expected to soar Monday as Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea corridor agreement puts Ukrainian exports at risk.
Wheat markets have been volatile due to developments in Moscow’s eight-month-old invasion of Ukraine, as both countries are among the world’s largest wheat exporters.
The Russian Defense Ministry blamed an alleged Ukrainian drone attack against ships of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet anchored off the coast of occupied Crimea for its exit from the agreement. Russia said the attack took place early Saturday; Ukraine has denied the attack.
“In connection with the actions of Ukrainian armed forces … the Russian side cannot guarantee the safety of civilian dry cargo ships participating in the Black Sea initiative and suspends its implementation from today for an indefinite period,” the Russian statement said.
The Russian declaration came one day after the U.N.’s Guterres urged Russia and Ukraine to renew the grain deal.
Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s first deputy representative to the U.N., also said Saturday that Russia had requested a meeting Monday of the U.N. Security Council because of the alleged attack on the Black Sea Fleet and the security of the grain corridor.

Source: Voice of America

HARARE— Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party has endorsed President Emmerson Mnangagwa as its leader for the next five years.

It means that he will also be the party’s presidential candidate in next year’s general elections – in what will be his second and likely final term as party leader.

There was little surprise at the news that his endorsement was unanimous. Mnangagwa’s was the only name put forward by provincial branches.

Addressing thousands of officials at the party congress on Friday, Mnangagwa pointed out their achievements since ousting former leader Robert Mugabe in a coup in 2017.

The country faces serious economic challenges,

Source: Nam News Network

Amid the worst drought in 40 years, Horn of Africa countries have been hit by outbreaks of cholera and acute watery diarrhea, while fighting in northern Ethiopia continues, a UN spokesman said.

The start of the October-December rains has been poor, and rainfall will likely continue to be below average. It would make this the fifth consecutive year of a failed rainy season, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday.

“This could lead to a greater spread of cholera and waterborne diseases,” Dujarric told a daily press briefing. “At least 29 countries have been impacted since January of this year.”

He said the World Health Organization reported a shortage of cholera vaccines due to strained global supplies resulting from the high number of outbreaks globally. Because of the outbreak, the two-dose vaccine strategy will switch to a single-dose approach to save lives.

“But this will further compromise the health and lives of vulnerable children and lactating women, who are severely malnourished,” he said.

The spokesman said that with thousands of people displaced in congested urban areas, there is limited access to water, health and malnutrition services — a recipe for greater and more outbreaks.

In Ethiopia’s Oromia region, 238 cases and seven deaths have been reported, while in the Somali region of Ethiopia, 35 cases and two deaths were recorded.

Kenya declared an outbreak on Oct. 20, and all counties were put on high alert, fearing the drought could worsen the situation. Six counties reported 94 cases and two deaths, he said.

Somalia reported, as of this month, approximately 11,300 cases of acute watery diarrhea or cholera since the beginning of the year, he said.

In northern Ethiopia, fighting continues.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that before the August resumption of hostilities in the northernmost Tigray region, 13 million people needed food and other assistance. With aid deliveries into Tigray suspended for more than two months, supplies are running low. Aid efforts also were disrupted in parts of neighboring Amhara and Afar regions, said the spokesman.

OCHA said humanitarian partners continue to work with all parties to try to get assistance to those who need it wherever they are, based on the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence, he said.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK