Africa

WFP food convoy

UN agency welcomes safe return of two missing staff in Ethiopia

30 June 2011
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed today that two Ethiopian staff members who went missing after a deadly incident in mid-May have been safely recovered.
African Union member States hold their annual Summit at the Sipopo Conference Centre, Malabo, Republic of Equatorial Guinea

Youth education and employment key to progress in Africa – Migiro

30 June 2011
The United Nations today urged African countries to empower the continent’s youth through schooling and jobs, stressing that the foundation for peace and development lay in giving young people opportunities to build better lives for themselves.
Southern Kordofan residents outside UNMIS Kadugli compound after fleeing fighting that erupted during the first week of June 2011

Sudan: UN chief welcomes agreement on security in north-south border regions

30 June 2011
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the signing of an agreement between the governments of Sudan and Southern Sudan on border security and a joint political and security arrangement, urging both parties to conclude and implement a cessation of hostilities pact as well.

Regional drought causing ‘alarming’ overcrowding at Kenyan refugee camp: UN

30 June 2011
The United Nations humanitarian agency reported today that the numbers of new arrivals of Horn of Africa drought victims at an already overcrowded refugee camp in north-eastern Kenya is growing “at alarming rates.”
Thousands of people displaced by conflict in Kordofan State have sought refuge in an area secured by UNMIS.

Ban welcomes accord on Sudan’s Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states

29 June 2011
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the agreement reached between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM-North) on political and security arrangements for Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, two states along the country’s north-south border.
A growing number of people in the Horn of Africa are in need of food assistance in the wake of a hard drought and ongoing conflict in Somalia

UN official appeals for resources to help millions facing hunger in Horn of Africa

29 June 2011
The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today voiced concern over the plight of nearly 10 million people facing severe food shortages as a result of a prolonged drought in the Horn of Africa, adding that resources for the relief effort in the region are dwindling at a time when assistance needs to be stepped up.

Additional UN troops and helicopters to stay on in Côte d’Ivoire

29 June 2011
The Security Council today extended the deployment of the additional 2,000 troops and the air assets it sent to reinforce the United Nations peacekeeping force in Côte d’Ivoire in the wake of the violence that erupted following last November’s elections.
The Security Council meets on the situation in DR Congo

Security Council extends mandate of UN mission in DR Congo

28 June 2011
The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for a year, with the force now scheduled to stay at least until 30 June 2012.
UNIOGBIS head Joseph Mutaboba addresses the Security Council

Political and security gains in Guinea-Bissau still fragile, warns UN envoy

28 June 2011
While Guinea-Bissau has witnessed improvements on the political and security fronts, the authorities need to do more to consolidate the gains achieved and to address issues such as impunity, drug trafficking and organized crime, a senior United Nations official said today.
Millions of people are being pushed closer to destitution by factors beyond their control in the Horn of Africa

Millions facing severe food crisis amid worsening drought in Horn of Africa – UN

28 June 2011
An estimated 10 million people across the Horn of Africa are facing a severe food crisis following a prolonged drought in the region, with child malnutrition rates in some areas twice the emergency threshold amid high food prices that have left families desperate, the United Nations reported today.