Author: Amnewsworld

The Federal Government of Somalia is calling on donors to provide sufficient and early funding to scale up of emergency response as the projected poor rainfall, the impact of the flooding, desert locust and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic are again pushing up to 2.7 million people across the country towards a major humanitarian emergency. In addition to the compounding effects of poor and erratic rainfall distribution in 2020 and the projected poor performance of the 2021 Gu’ (April-June) rains already show signs of severe pre-drought conditions in Gedo region of Jubbaland, South West State, Puntland, Galmudug and Somaliland, pushing…

Over the past three years almost one in four civilian casualties in Yemen were children. In 2018, one in five civilian casualties were children, but in 2019 and 2020, that jumped to one in four. In addition, the conflict is getting deadlier for children. In 2018, one in five civilian casualties were children, but in 2019 and 2020, that jumped to one in four. It’s a stark reminder that children and families are paying the heaviest price for this brutal war through no fault of their own. As Yemen marks six years of conflict, its people are suffering the biggest…

Beijing has said it will sanction several EU officials, including parliamentarians, for “harming” China’s sovereignty. The EU, the US, the UK and Canada all slapped sanctions on Beijing for abuses in Xinjiang. China on Monday said it had decided to impose sanctions on 10 European Union citizens, including politicians, for “gross interference” in its internal affairs, and for “flagrantly violating international law.” In a statement, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would endorse sanctions against the individuals and four EU entities for “maliciously spreading lies and false information.” On the list of individuals to be sanctioned are five members of the EU parliament — Reinhard Butikofer, Michael…

China’s response to Western sanctions is “unacceptable and will have consequences” said the EU parliament speaker amid the Uyghur row. Politicians around Europe condemned China’s retaliatory sanctions after the EU moved against several top officials in China on Monday. “Rather than change its policies and address our legitimate concerns, China has again turned a blind eye and these measures are regrettable and unacceptable,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said, commenting on China targeting EU officials and lawmakers. Earlier on Monday, the European Union, United States, United Kingdom, and Canada imposed sanctions on Beijing over human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. ‘Unacceptable’…

Germany will enter a strict shutdown for five days over Easter as it fights soaring infection rates fuelled by variants in a “new pandemic”, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday after marathon talks with regional leaders. As well as extending existing measures including keeping cultural, leisure and sporting facilities shut through to April 18, Merkel and Germany’s 16 state premiers agreed a tougher shutdown between April 1 and 5. Almost all shops will be closed during the five days, and religious services will be moved online over Easter. Only grocers will be allowed to open on Saturday April 3. “The situation…

A gunman killed at least 10 people, including a police officer at a grocery store in Colorado on Monday, police said, in the latest shooting to hit the western state–the scene of two of the most infamous US mass murders. The shooter is being held in custody and was injured, told Michael Dougherty, district attorney for Boulder County, located 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of the state capital Denver. Among those dead was “heroic” police officer Eric Talley, 51, who was the first to respond to the scene at a King Soopers supermarket, said police chief Maris Herold. “We know…

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that the US must lift all sanctions against Iran before Tehran returns to the 2015 nuclear deal. Speaking in a televised address to mark the new Persian year, he hit out at former US president, Donald Trump, for his “major crime” in abandoning the treaty negotiated with world powers. “He [Trump] went away in that infamous way, bringing disgrace to his country,” Khamenei said. “They must know ‘maximum pressure’ has failed so far, and if the current US administration wants to continue, it will also fail.” Volume 90%   Iran nuclear inspections: IAEA…

After another week during which women in sport were reminded of the prejudices they still face, Jonathan Harding writes that it is time for teams and organizations to make genuine change. How much longer is sport going to tell women that it wants them to play professionally but then commit to actions that suggest otherwise? That leading players felt the need to write a letter to the German Football Association (DFB) after the discriminatory actions of a youth coach is telling.  Jonathan Harding People who feel supported and respected in their environment don’t need to write open letters to their associations asking them to take…

IOM estimates that more than 650,000 undocumented migrants will return in 2021 all in dire need of humanitarian support at a time when donor funding is a small fraction of what is needed. Over the last year, more than one million Afghan migrants have returned or been deported to Afghanistan from neighboring Pakistan and Iran as COVID-19 continues to deprive many of employment and health care. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 650,000 undocumented migrants will return in 2021 — all of whom will be in dire need of humanitarian support at a time when donor funding…

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Accra, Ghana, working in close collaboration with Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) this week organized the safe return of 13 child survivors of trafficking to their home country, Côte d’Ivoire. The youths, now reunited with their families on March 15, had been exploited by traffickers on farms in Ghana’s Volta Region after being brought to the country by traffickers. “” Regardless of where someone comes from, victims are victims, and must be given the best support possible,” said Abena Annobea Asare, Head of the Human Trafficking Secretariat of the…