UN and Africa

Learning the lessons of the 400-year transatlantic slave trade involves grasping the universal effects of its legacy, as well as recognizing and celebrating the contributions to society of the African diaspora and people of African descent.

For this latest edition of our UN & Africa podcast, we speak to two leading voices from the diaspora, who took part in a major youth event on the issue last month at UN Headquarters, for a powerful discussion over its consequences and challenges.

The international community is being urged to provide greater support to Zimbabwe as it strives to achieve development goals.

Making the case is Bishow Parajuli, UN Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative in Zimbabwe for the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

He spoke to Dianne Penn during a recent visit to UN Headquarters in New York.

Welcome to our latest UN and Africa podcast, from UN News.

Before the arrival of the Aamin Free Ambulance Service in Somalia’s capital twelve years ago, victims of car crashes or terror attacks, were taken to hospital in wheelbarrows.

The volunteer service operates around the clock, and Michael Keating, who’s in charge of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), is calling for more support for the vital “first-responder”, which has saved hundreds of lives across the capital Mogadishu.

Welcome to our latest UN and Africa podcast, from UN News.

The signing of the first ever Free Trade Area agreement by 44 African nations has been hailed as a “giant stride forward” by the UN. We’ll talk about what it means for the continent, and hear from the first Force Commander of the mission in Liberia as operations wrap up, together with the man responsible for the UN’s civilian protection work across South Sudan.

Welcome to our latest UN and Africa podcast, from UN News.

We’ll be hearing from Sudan, where a micro-financing project is changing the lives of rural women farmers, and we hear from the deputy chief of the UN mission in the Central African Republic on how armed groups are “spreading terror” stoking fear and anger among civilians forced to flee their homes.

Welcome to our latest ‘UN and Africa’ podcast from UN News.

We talk to some of the people involved in two small-scale projects supported by the UN, which have helped transform their communities, in rural Uganda, and South Sudan.

Music by Kitengesa Library Band.

Welcome to the first episode of our revised ‘UN and Africa’ podcast.

We talk to Gloria Browne-Marshall, a constitutional law professor and author, about the status of people of African descent across the world.

Music Credit:  Studio Mali - Youssou N'Dour's  Wake UP - "It's Africa Calling"  Remix by IntraHealth International

First closure of civilian protection site in South Sudan

Hundreds of families who had been sheltering at a UN camp in South Sudan are returning home due to improved security.  That's according to the UN mission in the country, UNMISS, which for the first time has closed one of its protection of civilian sites, or POCs.  These locations provide sanctuary for internally displaced people (IDPs) who have fled conflict which broke out four years ago.  Irene Lasu has been speaking to Sam Muhumure, the mission's Senior Coordina

More than two-thirds of emergency response fundinggoing to Africa

More than two-thirds of UN emergency response funding is still likely to go to alleviate humanitarian crisis in Africa.  That’s according to Chief of CERF, Lisa Doughten, who said after the recent annual pledging conference for 2018 at UN Headquarters that a total of $383 million had been registered for next year.  With funding this year likely to be the highest since CERF’s inception in 2006, she said next year’s total was especially important since global needs have “skyrocketed”.  A total of $22.5 billion is requ

Raising the profile of UN Volunteers in Sudan

Building roads, empowering young people and contributing to peace and development efforts: those are just some of the duties performed by more than 200 international and local volunteers working with the UN in Sudan.  Roughly half of these UN Volunteers are serving at the joint African Union-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), in areas such as human rights, child protection and community stabilization.  However, whether they are l