South Sudan famine aid effort hampered by security fears

The fighting must stop in South Sudan if at least 100,000 people are to be saved from famine, UN aid agencies said on Monday. The World Food Programme (WFP) - one of the organizations to launch the joint appeal - said that the current crisis is man-made, in reference to the ongoing civil war. WFP’s Bettina Luescher spoke to Daniel Johnson about the need to pre-position aid around the country now, before the rainy season begins.

“Fall armyworm” pest spreading fast across Southern Africa from Americas

The so-called “fall armyworm” pest is a “new threat” to agriculture and the economy of Southern Africa which has already spread to seven countries since the beginning of the year. That’s according to an emergency meeting convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, last week, to work out how best to respond to the rapidly growing threat. The crop-eating armyworm is endemic in parts of the Americas, where the government of Brazil alone spends more than US$600 million each year trying to control it. East and Southern African countries agreed on an “urgent plan of action” to boost both regions capacity to manage emerging threats to crops and livestock. Sandra Ferrari asked David Phiri, FAO’s sub-regional coordinator for Southern Africa, to outline the array of different threats facing farmers and their livelihoods.

Learning languages gives you many chances in life, says South Sudan journalist

A radio journalist at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is highlighting the benefits of multilingualism. Sebbi Abdu, who speaks 10 languages, says he automatically feels at home in the places where they are spoken. Mr Abdu spoke to Sebbit William on International Mother Language Day, observed annually on 21 February. The two colleagues, who work for Radio Miraya, began by exchanging greetings in five of the languages spoken in South Sudan: Zande, Nur, Dinka, Madi and Bari.

Presenter: Lucy Dean

Production Assistant: Ana Carmo

Duration: 10'00″