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The African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) (https://bit.ly/37jYAtS) is providing a $965,000 grant to Morocco’s Société d’Ingénierie Energétique (SIE), to support its transition into the first Super Energy Service Company (ESCO) initiative in Africa. ​“This support from the African Development Bank will enable the operationalization of the new SIE as a Super ESCO, thus creating a model well aligned with the needs of the country’s energy efficiency sector,” said Ahmed Baroudi, SIE’s Chief Executive Officer. Amid growing demand, Morocco aims to meet its energy needs by combining large-scale energy efficiency strategies and renewable energy investments. Super ESCOs are vehicles for channelling funds into public sector energy efficiency investments such as hospitals, schools, and street lighting, laying the foundation for private investment later in the commercial and industrial sectors. As a Super ESCO, the SIE should be able to overcome many of the challenges in scaling up energy efficiency investments. It will also open market opportunities for local ESCOs, offer quality assurance support and build their reputation among end-users and investors. The grant will provide SIE with operational tools to develop a pipeline of bankable energy efficiency investment projects, said Brice Mikponhoue, Officer in Charge at the North Africa Regional Development and Business Delivery Office of the African Development Bank. “The implementation of Super ESCOs on the continent will gradually contribute to the expansion and strengthening of the energy efficiency financing ecosystem. The African Development Bank is proud to support the first Super ESCO in Africa and looks forward to supporting further projects in the future,” said Jalel Chabchoub, Chief Investment Officer and Energy Efficiency Specialist in the Department of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the African Development Bank.Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).Contacts: Kwasi Kpodo Communication and External Relations Department African Development Bank Email: w.kpodo@afdb.org Technical Contact: Jalel Chabchoub Chief Investment Officer/Energy Efficiency Specialist PERN2 African Development Bank Email: j.chabchoub@afdb.org About SEFA: SEFA (https://bit.ly/37jYAtS) is an African Development Bank-managed special fund, providing finance for renewable energy. SEFA’s overarching goal is to contribute to universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy services for all in Africa, in line with the Bank’s New Deal on Energy for Africa and the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7. SEFA was established in 2011 in partnership with the Government of Denmark (https://bit.ly/3ayGDdt) and has since received contributions from the Governments of the United States (https://www.usaid.gov/), United Kingdom (https://bit.ly/2KNEr6M), Italy (www.minambiente.it), Norway (http://bit.ly/2Zpq2Sw), Spain (www.mineco.gob.es), and Sweden (http://bit.ly/34BmYWq), the Nordic Development Fund (www.ndf.fi) and Germany (http://bit.ly/3u31xIS). SEFA is housed in the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Department (PERN) under the Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth (PEVP) complex.Media filesDownload logo

Africa’s first Super Energy Service Company in Morocco gets $965,000 grant boost from African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA)

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The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the African Development Fund (ADF) – the concessional arm of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) – on Tuesday signed a loan agreement of 73.6 billion Japanese yen ($668.1 million) to support the 15th replenishment of the African Development Fund (ADF-15). During a virtual ceremony, African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina and Japanese Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire Kuramitsu Hideaki signed an Exchange of Notes, while the loan agreement was signed by the JICA Chief Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, Fujino Kojiro, and Acting African Development Bank Group Senior Vice President Swazi Tshabalala, in her capacity as Chief Financial Officer. The concessional donor loan will support the 15th replenishment of the African Development Fund, approved in December 2019 by ADF donor countries. JICA is extending the loan – the largest to ADF-15 – on behalf of the Government of Japan. Ambassador Kuramitsu Hideaki, whose country has been the fifth-largest contributor to the ADF in cumulative terms, said the loan formed part of Japan’s commitment to promote industrial human resource development, innovation and investment, and to invest in quality infrastructure to enhance connectivity, expressed at the TICAD 7 conference in August 2019. At the same conference, Japan also announced that it would contribute to phase 4 of the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance Initiative (EPSA), a joint flagship project with the Bank. “I sincerely hope that this loan in yen will allow the (African Development Fund) to execute concessional financing and grants for African countries facing emerging challenges caused by COVID-19 and contribute to the economic and social development of these countries,” he said. JICA President Kitaoka Shinichi said: “The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated global structural changes. Africa is still in the midst of this crisis, facing serious challenges from coronavirus variants and the cold storage requirements for vaccines. Only a united Africa can defeat this threat to humanity. We should not allow this virus to jeopardize the steady progress of freedoms, independence and democracy that African countries have made so far. I firmly believe that today’s contribution to ADF-15 will further boost our cooperation with African countries and strengthen our partnership with the African Development Bank Group.” Mimura Atsushi, Deputy Director-General/ADF Deputy, International Bureau, Ministry of Finance Japan, said: “The African Development Fund is a key source of financing for Africa’s low-income countries heavily affected by COVID-19. The Yen Loan we are providing today has a higher grant-element compared to the Yen Loan provided for the last ADF replenishment, with a lower interest rate and longer maturity. Going forward, I would like to see our partnership further developed with the African Development Bank Group.” Dr. Adesina highlighted the African Development Bank’s long-standing partnership with the Government of Japan, including the Enhanced Private Sector Assistance Initiative, which was launched in 2005. As of February 2021, Japan’s total contribution to the initiative amounts to $4.6 billion. Adesina pointed out that Japan’s concessional donor loan was almost 10% of the total ADF-15 resources of $7.5 billion. “This is a continuation of the strong leadership role of Japan in providing concessional loans to the African Development Fund. Japan was the largest provider of concessional donor loans to the African Development Fund’s 15th replenishment, just like Japan was also under the African Development Fund’s 14th replenishment,” he said. “Japan continues to add great value to the overall replenishment cycles of the African Development Fund,” Adesina said, adding that the latest loan “will greatly boost the liquidity of the African Development Fund and allow us to ramp up much-needed support to the ADF countries…especially now at this critical time when they are struggling to cope with and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.” By the end of the ADF-15 period (2020-2022), it is expected that the ADF’s projects will have changed the lives of millions of Africans. Up to 28,000 km of new or improved power distribution lines will have been installed, around 9 million people will have improved access to water and sanitation and up to $1.6 billion of turnover will have been generated from investments in micro, small and medium-size enterprises. The fifteenth replenishment of the ADF will deliver investments to support Africa’s poorest countries in building economic resilience and reducing systemic vulnerability. It will pay special attention to gender equality, climate change, the private sector, and promoting good governance principles, while emphasizing two Strategic Pillars: sustainable and quality infrastructure that bolsters regional integration; and governance and institutional capacity development to boost decent job creation and inclusive growth. The African Development Fund is made up of 32 contributing states. It benefits 37 countries, including fragile states that need special support to ensure basic service delivery, and countries that in recent years experienced higher growth rates. The Fund’s resources are replenished every three years.Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).Media Contact: Gershwin Wanneburg Communication and External Relations Department African Development Bank Email: g.wanneburg@afdb.orgMedia filesDownload logo

African Development Fund: Japan, African Development Bank Group, sign JPY 73.6 billion loan agreement

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FIFA (FIFA.com) President Gianni Infantino has arrived in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the first stop on an itinerary that will see him visit FIFA member associations in several African countries along with heads of state and African Union (AU) Chairperson Félix Tshisekedi over the coming days. Upon arrival, the FIFA President was welcomed by the President of the Mauritanian Football Federation (FFRIM) Ahmed Yahya, and travelled to the Stade Municipal de Nouadhibou to officially inaugurate the venue which was featuring a new artificial turf pitch that received FIFA Forward support. “We have enjoyed some impressive youth football in a modern and well-equipped stadium which is a very good and concrete example of how FIFA Forward funds are used to develop football all over the world, and particularly in Africa,” the FIFA President said following the inauguration, which was also attended by Taleb Ould Sid´Ahmed, the Mauritanian Minister of Employment, Youth and Sports. “FIFA is very proud that the FIFA Forward programme was used to invest in the new Stade Municipal de Nouadhibou which and is an excellent setting for the CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations. I compliment the FFRIM and its President Ahmed Yahya, and also CAF, on staging this competition especially given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The competition is a great platform to showcase the amazing young talent of African football, and I look forward to seeing who will take the U20 trophy.” “This facility, both the stadium and the technical centre, are important facilities for the development of football in Mauritania, and I would like to thank FIFA for helping to make this project come to life through FIFA Forward,” FFRIM President Ahmed Yahya added. Stade Municipal de Nouadhibou, along with Nouakchott’s Cheikh Boidiya Stadium and Stade Olympique, is currently hosting the CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations, which runs from 14 February until 6 March 2021. In staging the event, CAF also benefitted from FIFA COVID-19 Relief Fund support with funding provided for the maintenance and running of stadiums, as well as training of referees and security officers for tournaments. On the pitch, CAF’s WAFU B champions Ghana recorded a 4-0 success against CECAFA runners-up Tanzania, before Morocco’s Young Atlas Lions, returning after a seven season hiatus from the competition, faced Gambia’s Baby Scorpions. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA).Media filesDownload logo

FIFA President kicks-off African visit with stadium inauguration in Mauritania

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Africa Union Member States (55) reporting COVID-19 oases (3,760,854), deaths (98,962) and recoveries (3,305,491) by region: Central (94,750 cases; 1,668 deaths; 79,592 recoveries): Burundi (1,849;3; 1,155), Cameroon (31,394; 474; 29,501),CAR (4,997; 63; 4,908), Chad (3,664; 131;3,182), Congo (8,419; 122; 7,012), DRC (24,386; 655; 15,544), Equatorial Guinea (5,694; 86; 5,426),Gabon (12,865; 75; 11,750), Sao Tome and Principe (1,482; 19; 1,114). Eastern (381,925; 7,199; 305,867): Comoros (3,358; 132; 2,911), Djibouti (5,981; 63; 5,865), Eritrea (2,566;7; 1,914), Ethiopia (147,825; 2,209; 128,946), Kenya (103,014; 1,795; 85,250), Madagascar (19,598; 292; 18,915),Mauritius (601; 10; 554), Rwanda (17,484; 239; 15,125), Seychelles (1,987; 9; 1,534), Somalia (5,273; 154; 3,876), South Sudan (5,710; 79; 3,769), Sudan (27,956; 1,858; 22,485), Tanzania**(509; 21; 178), Uganda (40,063; 331; 14,545). Northern (1,132,445; 31,549; 982,699): Algeria (110,802; 2,945; 76,108), Egypt (174,426; 10,050; 135,349), Libya (128,036; 2,051; 111,864), Mauritania (16,996; 430; 16,265), Morocco(478,595; 8,491; 459,549).Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (41; 7; 34),Tunisia (223,549; 7,575; 183,530). Southern  (1,787,188; 53,944; 1,621,-322): Angola (20,381; 493; 18,884), Botswana  (24,926; 202; 21,214), Eswatini (16,576; 634; 12,307), Lesotho (10,254; 243; 2,990),Malawi (29,181; 958;14,196),Mozambique (50,691;547;31,947),Namibia (36,225;389;34,261), South Africa (1,492,909;48,094;1,391,155), Zambia (70,823; 974; 63,609), Zimbabwe (35,222; 1,410; 30,759) Western (364,6; 4,602;316,011): Benin (5,039;62;3,950), Burkina Faso (11,630; 138; 10,979), Cabe Verde (14,761;139; 14,240),C6te d&#39;Ivoire (31,235; 175; 29,446),Gambia (4,414; 138;3,901),Ghana (76,492; 542;68,100),Guinea (15,020; 85; 14,512),Guinea Bissau (2,924;46;2,464), Liberia (1,985;85;1,775), Mali (8,235;342; 6,200),N iger (4,702; 169;4,155), Nigeria (146,928;1,761; 123,009), Senegal (31,476;760;25,685), Sierra Leone (3,823; 79;2,578), Togo (5,882;81;5,007).Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).Media filesDownload logo

Coronavirus: African Union Member States reporting COVID-19 cases as of 16 February 2021, 6 pm EAT

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Download logoThe AgrInvest initiative of FAO aims at attracting private investments into agri-food systems aligned with the SDGs by leveraging public funds. Under AgrInvest, FAO is implementing the project “AgrInvest-Food Systems ” (AgrInvest-FS) to foster sustainable investments in agri-food systems in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Niger, which contribute to sustainable economic growth and boost rural employment, particularly for women and youths. At the end of 2020, as part of the AgrInvest-FS project, FAO organized the workshop “Enabling inclusive and efficient private sector investments in the Burkinabè agri-food systems” in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The event&#39;s objectives were to present the project to key stakeholders from the private and the public sectors and collaboratively identify two agri-food value chains to be prioritized with the support of AgrInvest-FS. To comply with the safety measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of participants was restricted to 27 attendees. The event also served to present and validate the first study developed under Burkina Faso&#39;s project, the “Political economy analysis of the Burkinabè food systems” carried out in partnership with The European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM). This analysis proposes rice and aquaculture as the key value chains to be prioritized, given their potential to improve socio-economic outcomes and the sustainability of the country&#39;s food systems and their complementarity at the territorial level, particularly in the western regions of Burkina Faso. As a result of a series of round-table discussions and group work identifying constraints and opportunities in the selected value chains, the participants validated the study and confirmed their interest in prioritizing aquaculture and rice. “Fish farming is a sector with strong economic and social potential in Burkina Faso. The Government has shown its interest in the sector by formulating a national development strategy for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for 2025”, pointed out Ms. Huguette Bama, Director-General of the Investment Agency of Burkina Faso (Agence Burkinabè des Investissements) and moderator of the event, during the discussions. This workshop&#39;s results will serve as a basis for a technical study, analyzing the two value chains in greater detail.Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FAO Regional Office for Africa.

FAO organized a workshop in Ouagadougou “AgrInvest – Enabling inclusive and efficient private sector investments in the Burkinabè agri-food systems”

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Download logoThe WHO Guidelines for malaria, launched today, bring together the Organization’s most up-to-date recommendations for malaria in one user-friendly and easy-to-navigate online platform (http://bit.ly/3bg8bmF). They are designed to support malaria-affected countries in their efforts to reduce and, ultimately, eliminate a disease that continues to claim more than 400 000 lives each year. Through the new platform, MAGICapp, users will find: 	 	All official WHO recommendations for malaria prevention (vector control and preventive chemotherapies) and case management (diagnosis and treatment). Recommendations for elimination settings are in development. 	 	 	Links to other resources, such as guidance on the strategic use of information to drive impact; surveillance, monitoring and evaluation; operational manuals, handbooks, and frameworks; and a glossary of key terms and definitions. 	 Users can access the evidence that underpins each WHO recommendation through the new web-based platform. There is a feedback tab to help identify recommendations that may need an update or further clarification, and inputs from stakeholders are also welcome by email (gmpfeedback@who.int). Delivering timely, evidence-informed guidance “These consolidated guidelines represent an important step in our efforts to deliver timely, evidence-based guidance to malaria-endemic countries,” said Dr Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme. “They will soon become a living resource that is updated periodically as new evidence becomes available, and as WHO guideline development groups bring forward proposals for new or revised recommendations,” he added. The first version of the Guidelines for malaria – available online only – is a compilation of existing WHO recommendations on malaria and supersedes 2 previous WHO publications: the Guidelines for the treatment of malaria, third edition and the Guidelines for malaria vector control. Four WHO guideline development groups focused on vector control, chemoprevention, treatment and elimination are currently convening to develop new or updated recommendations, and other groups will convene this year to address additional relevant topics. Recommendations on malaria will continue to be reviewed and, where appropriate, updated based on the latest available evidence through WHO’s transparent and rigorous guidelines review process (http://bit.ly/3pqYcjk). Any updated recommendations will always display the date of the most recent revision in the MAGICapp platform. With each update, a new PDF version of the consolidated guidelines (http://bit.ly/3puYk1c) will also be available for download on the WHO website. Clear, evidence-informed WHO recommendations guide managers of national malaria programmes as they develop polices and strategic plans to combat the disease tailored to the local context; they support decisions around “what to do”. WHO also develops implementation guidance – such as operational and field manuals – to advise countries on “how to” deliver the recommended tools and strategies. The consolidation of WHO’s malaria guidelines is one of a number of actions the Organization has undertaken in recent years to make its guidance more accessible to end users in malaria-endemic countries. The overall aim is to deliver timely, high quality recommendations through processes that are more transparent, consistent, efficient and predictable. Key definitions A WHO guideline is defined broadly as any information product developed by WHO that contains recommendations for clinical practice or public health policy. A recommendation tells the intended end-user of a guideline what he or she can or should do in specific situations to achieve the best health outcomes possible, individually or collectively. It offers a choice among different interventions or measures having an anticipated positive impact on health and implications for the use of resources.Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO launches consolidated guidelines for malaria

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Download logoThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)’s Regional Office for Africa and the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) have stepped up support to the Fishery Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) by providing laptops for fisheries data analysis.    At a COVID-safe ceremony at the FCWC Secretariat in Tema, Ghana, six laptops were provided to the FCWC to support the capture, analysis and reporting on fisheries data in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo. Funded by FAO through a Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), the initiative is part of FAO’s broader work with CECAF to support regional institutions to better transform fisheries recommendations into policy action and to improve artisanal fisheries’ data frameworks across the CECAF region. “The provision of the devices will support beneficiary countries to capture and analyse catch data on vessels, landings sites and related fishing activities which will strengthen our understanding of capture fisheries in the region,” Ndiaga Gueye, FAO Senior Fishery and Aquaculture Officer and Secretary of CECAF, said. “With this knowledge, countries can better monitor illegal fishing and the heath of key fish stocks,” he said. The General Secretary of the FCWC, Séraphin Dedi, welcomed the laptops and the ongoing partnership between FAO, CECAF and the FCWC. Fisheries vital for food security Fisheries are vital to food security and national economies in many African coastal countries. Seafood is the main source of protein for around a quarter of the population in West Africa and the fishing sector employs more than seven million people in the region. CECAF is a statutory body of FAO, and was founded in 1967 with the aim of promoting sustainable use of marine living resources.Distributed by APO Group on behalf of FAO Regional Office for Africa.

Fighting illegal fishing with laptops

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The UN Secretary-General has underlined his concern for Africa’s Sahel region, where deteriorating security and violence are aggravating an already difficult humanitarian situation that is unfolding amid the COVID-19 pandemic and climate emergency.  António Guterres addressed heads of State from the Group of Five for the Sahel, known by the diplomatic shorthand ‘G5 Sahel’, meeting on Tuesday during their summit this week in Chad.  The UN chief noted that despite recent promising developments, including the peaceful holding of elections, civilians continue to pay the price for ongoing insecurity in the region, which has displaced more than two million people.  “COVID-19 has exacerbated existing vulnerabilities, including economic and health challenges, and has pushed more than six million people into extreme poverty,” he said in a video message to the summit. “The G5 Sahel has a key role to play in addressing this crisis.”  Fund Joint Force  The G5 Sahel comprises Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.  The countries established a Joint Force four years ago to combat terrorism and other cross-border threats, which receives assistance from international partners, including the UN’s peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA.  The Secretary-General observed that although the Joint Force continues to grow in strength, it must have stable and predictable funding.  “MINUSMA support for the transition process and the stabilization of Mali must be a priority for partners in the region,” he added, while condemning last week’s deadly attack against UN peacekeepers serving in the country.  UN support for good governance  Mr. Guterres further pointed to development, the rule of law and good governance as “cornerstones of stability” in the Sahel region.  “Governments must regain the confidence of their citizens, and we are determined to support all efforts towards that end,” he said.  The Secretary-General underscored the need to address the root causes of conflict, given the multidimensional and inter-related nature of the many challenges in the region.  He has appointed a Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel, Mar Dieye, who will work together with the UN Special Representative for West Africa and the region, Mohammed Ibn Chambas, to advance peace and stability there. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.Media filesDownload logo

Secretary-General underscores need for peace and stability in Africa’s Sahel region

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Results of COVID-19 tests done on 15 February 2021 confirm 26 new cases. The cumulative confirmed cases are 40,089. The breakdown of the new cases are: 25 contacts and alerts: Kampala (15) Wakiso (2) Masaka (1) Arua (1) Amuru (3) Gulu (1) Jinja (1) Kyotera (1). 1 Truck Driver from Mutukula. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health &#8211; Republic of Uganda.Media filesDownload logo

Coronavirus – Uganda: COVID-19 update (15 February 2021)

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Tests conducted: 8,712,844 Positive cases identified: 1,492,909 Total recoveries: 1,391,155 Total deaths: 48,094 New cases: 1,102Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa, Department of Health.Media filesDownload logo

Coronavirus – South Africa: COVID-19 update (15 February 2021)

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Download logoThe International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has donated essential personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies, worth 1.5 million Egyptian Pounds, to the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC), which has been directed for use in health facilities in North Sinai. This is the third ICRC donation to the ERC since the onset of the coronavirus crisis. “As we enter the second year of the pandemic, the ICRC continues to support the ERC and health facilities in their tireless efforts during this exceptional time,” said Jerome Fontana, head of the ICRC Cairo Delegation. The ICRC aid includes masks, gowns, gloves, body bags and non-touch thermometers. The donation comes in light of the partnership between the ICRC and the ERC, through which both organizations respond to humanitarian needs in Egypt and the wider region. The ICRC and the ERC are part of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, which works on alleviating human suffering, especially during emergencies. Since the onset of the coronavirus in Egypt, the ICRC has worked on supporting health facilities and the ERC in its response to the pandemic. Last year, the ICRC donated medical supplies and protective equipment to the health facilities in North Sinai and to the ERC’s emergency response teams to support their efforts in combating Covid-19. The ICRC is an impartial, neutral, and independent organization, present in more than 90 countries around the world, including Egypt, where it has been working for over 100 years.Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Coronavirus – Egypt: ICRC donates medical supplies, protective gear to health facilities in North Sinai

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Download logoHealth facilities and health staff have had a difficult year in Mozambique. The health system has been the double victim of Cyclone Kenneth and a large-scale outbreak in violence which has seen the flight of healthcare workers and the destruction of more health facilities. That includes facilities that were rehabilitated after being damaged by the cyclone. According to an assessment made by ICRC health experts, 39 health facilities out of 55 – or 71% of them &#8212; in nine conflict-affected Cabo Delgado districts are non-operational. Moreover, 686 health professionals have fled their places of work due to insecurity. The violence and lack of health care has forced more than 500,000 people to flee their homes in the Cabo Delgado region. Other health facilities have had to take up the slack. “We are seeing displaced people from the district of Moeda, Medumbe, Macomia, almost the entire northern area. And so, the number of diseases has risen significantly”, said Rodrigo Armanda, the director of the Mahate Health Center. The ICRC is assisting the victims of armed conflict who are have been displaced from their homes, including by opening a COVID-19 treatment center and helping residents prevent transmission of the disease through masks and hygiene. President Peter Maurer of the International Committee of the Red Cross is visiting the region to meet with those in need and see ICRC’s programs. He was also to meet with the President of the Republic of Mozambique, H.E. Felipe Jacinto Nyusi, on Monday. “The people of Mozambique are today facing a triple humanitarian crisis with persistent threats due to climate change, an upsurge of violence, the COVID-19 pandemic and cholera. We remain at the side of Mozambique in these challenging times and will scale up our support,” President Maurer said. In 2021, the ICRC will rehabilitate nine primary health facilities serving more than 175,400 patients in Pemba, and support hospitals in Montepuez and Pemba specialized in the treatment of trauma wounds.Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Mozambique: Violence and extreme weather curb health care for thousands

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New cases: 146 Total active cases: 13,818 Total currently admitted: 165 (6 new) Total number of tests conducted: 172,124 (929 new) Total confirmed cases: 29,181* Total recovered: 14,195 (588 new) New discharges from treatment units: 8 Total deaths: 958 (6 new)Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health and Population, Republic of Malawi.Media filesDownload logo

Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (15 February 2021)

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Daily: Laboratory test: 5,001 Severe cases: 307 New recovered: 204 New deaths: 15 New cases: 733 Total: Laboratory test: 2,051,853 Active cases: 16,668 Total recovered: 128,946 Total deaths: 2,209 Total cases: 147,825Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Ethiopia.Media filesDownload logo

Coronavirus – Ethiopia: COVID-19 update (15 February 2021)

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Download logoThe latest clashes in the Central African Republic began in December 2020. They involve armed groups and government forces and have forced over 180,000 people to flee their homes, seeking a semblance of safety. Some are living in camps for displaced persons near the town of Kaga-Bandoro. But whether they have just arrived or been here for months – or even years – everybody in these camps shares the same painful experiences. The stories of pillaging, rape and summary execution are endless, and they are all similar. We hear them from men and women, and also from children who, like their parents, are in real need of psychological support. In addition to losing their familiar surroundings, many of these children have been deeply affected by what they have experienced or witnessed. Many have lost family or friends. Fabrice (13) had to watch, powerless, as his brother was murdered in 2019. “They shot at my brother. He fell. He lay dying on the ground. It hurts when I think of him. I sleep very badly. I have lots of nightmares.” In a country where psychiatric services are virtually non-existent (there is only one psychiatrist practising in the whole of the Central African Republic), and the health system suffers from chronic under-funding, traditional healers, marabouts and shamans are the usual option when it comes to treating psychological trauma. Parents turn to these practitioners when their child suffers from nightmares or from images they cannot shake off, when deep depression makes them avoid their friends, or when they faint for reasons their families cannot understand. Romaric Debas, a Central African Red Cross volunteer: “The most common emotions are fear, sadness and anger. Some children are really sad, and some even refuse to speak.” Since 2014, ICRC mental health specialists in the Kaga-Bandoro region have been in dialogue with traditional healers and parents, to convince them that the traditional approach and “modern” treatment can be complementary. Healers are now sending children to the ICRC, either immediately – without taking action themselves – or when a child’s condition fails to improve despite their rituals. In all cases, the aim is to make the child better, while respecting everyone’s beliefs. When the parents give their consent, the ICRC’s therapists can get to work. By replying to a questionnaire, parents provide the information needed to assess the psychological state of their child. Psychological support is provided once a week in the camps for displaced persons, with the aid of Central African Red Cross volunteers, either in groups or with individual children. Therapists use stories, drawing, breathing exercises or simply the spoken word during individual sessions at Kaga-Bandoro Hospital. Karine (10) has been deeply affected by her family’s forced displacement and the recent death of her mother. She tells us that talking to the therapy team has helped: “I went to see the people from the Red Cross and they comforted me. I don’t have nightmares any more. I can have fun with the other children.” Parents are always involved in the therapy. The ICRC sets up an oral contract with them, enabling its therapists to monitor the child’s progress. On average, therapy lasts three months. Over 550 children in the three camps for displaced persons at Kaga-Bandoro underwent therapy in 2020. The needs remain enormous, with the result that none of the children affected by the most recent displacements have been able to receive psychological support so far. But the results are encouraging. Parents living in the town are starting to contact the ICRC, asking the organization to treat their children. ICRC president Peter Maurer was in Kaga-Bandoro on 11 February to see the results of the mental health programme for himself. “When we started thinking about a more holistic approach to health problems, we began talking about psychological problems, the kinds of mental health problem that people are exposed to during war. I’m very encouraged to see that the first programmes are now under way. Because it’s true that in the past, we perhaps paid too much attention to the physical aspect. We saw the physical wounds and we treated them. But we didn’t see the invisible.” The ICRC hopes that the Central African government will be able to start providing adequate mental health services in the not too distant future, if stability and development replace violence.3 So that Central African society – children and adults alike – can finally overcome its deep psychological traumas.Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Central African Republic: Children traumatized by violence confront their fear and anger

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group. 
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is alarmed at ongoing atrocities carried out by armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which have become part of a systematic pattern to disrupt civilians’ lives, instill fear and create havoc. In 2020, UNHCR partners registered a record of more than 2,000 civilians killed in the three eastern provinces (1,240 in Ituri, 590 in North Kivu and 261 in South Kivu). The majority of these attacks were attributed to armed groups. The killings and kidnappings have continued in North Kivu in 2021, where attacks have also been directed against displaced civilians. On 24 January, an armed group killed two men and seriously injured six others in an incursion into a site for forcibly displaced people in North Kivu’s Masisi Territory. A week prior to the recent attack, three people living in Kivuye displacement site in Masisi Territory, which is supported by UNHCR, were kidnapped during raids by an armed group. This group has also imposed a 7 p.m. curfew in the area, after which they visit the residents’ houses to force ‘security’ payments. UNHCR and its partners have heard numerous testimonies from people who have survived this targeted violence. Between December 2020 and January 2021, at least seven incursions by armed groups into five different sites have been reported in Masisi Territory. More than 88,000 displaced people reside in 22 sites supported by UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Many others live in spontaneous sites – while some 90 per cent are accommodated in host communities. Attacks by armed groups are carried out on the suspicion of collaboration with other groups or the Congolese security forces. Some of these sites are under threat from multiple armed groups. Civilians find themselves trapped in the middle of confrontations between different groups. UNHCR has received reports of armed groups forcibly occupying schools and homes, prohibiting school activities, and attacking health centers, in Mweso, Masisi Territory and Lubero Territory. In November 2020, armed groups introduced illegal taxes on people who want to access their farms in their villages of origin in Rutshuru Territory. This has cut off many from their only source of food and income. The displaced people cannot afford to pay these imposed taxes as they have no income, thereby compounding the situation. While the Congolese army’s military operations against militia groups are more often successful than in the past, the armed forces do not have the capacity to maintain control of the areas they secure, thus leaving space for armed actors to reclaim those areas and to impose themselves on the local population. UNHCR calls on all actors to respect the civilian and humanitarian character of displacement sites and is advocating for swift and independent investigations into the crimes committed so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice. UNHCR is working together with local authorities and communities to protect civilians in the affected areas by strengthening local capacity and creating synergies between different local authorities and grassroots initiatives. We are also closely monitoring the situation in most areas through local and international partners. More than five million people have been uprooted by insecurity and violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last two years, with nearly two million displaced in North Kivu Province alone, according to UN estimates. UNHCR’s efforts to help internally displaced people is facing severe funding shortfalls. So far only six per cent of the US$195 million that UNHCR needs for its vital operations in the DRC have been funded.Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).Media filesDownload logo

UNHCR alarmed at armed atrocities in eastern DR Congo

Content provided by APO Group. CNBC Africa provides content from APO Group as a service to its readers, but does not edit the articles it publishes. CNBC Africa is not responsible for the content provided by APO Group. 
147 people have tested positive to the disease, out of a sample size of 2,063 tested in the last 24 hours. The total confirmed positive cases are now 103,014. The cumulative tests so far conducted are 1,243,431. Nairobi has 107 cases, Kiambu 9, Mombasa 4, Uasin Gishu 4, Laikipia 3, Kajiado 3, Meru 3, Machakos 2, Makueni 2, Nakuru 2, Nyamira 1, Nyeri 1, Trans Nzoia 1, Busia 1, Embu 1, Isiolo 1, Kilifi 1 and Kitui 1. 242 patients have recovered from the disease. 151 from the Home-Based Isolation and Care while 91 are from various health facilities. The total recoveries now stand at 85,250. There is no reported death, therefore our cumulative fatalities remain 1,795. 254 patients are admitted in various health facilities countrywide. 1,227 patients are on Home Based Isolation and Care. 34 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit, 15 of whom are on ventilatory support and 17 on supplemental oxygen. 2 patients are on observation. Another 8 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen with all of them in the general wards.Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.Media filesDownload logo

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Africa’s first Super Energy Service Company in Morocco gets $965,000 grant boost from African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA)

African Development Fund: Japan, African Development Bank Group, sign JPY 73.6 billion loan agreement

FIFA President kicks-off African visit with stadium inauguration in Mauritania

Coronavirus: African Union Member States reporting COVID-19 cases as of 16 February 2021, 6 pm EAT

FAO organized a workshop in Ouagadougou “AgrInvest – Enabling inclusive and efficient private sector investments in the Burkinabè agri-food systems”

WHO launches consolidated guidelines for malaria

Fighting illegal fishing with laptops

Secretary-General underscores need for peace and stability in Africa’s Sahel region

Coronavirus – Uganda: COVID-19 update (15 February 2021)

Coronavirus – South Africa: COVID-19 update (15 February 2021)

Coronavirus – Egypt: ICRC donates medical supplies, protective gear to health facilities in North Sinai

Mozambique: Violence and extreme weather curb health care for thousands

Coronavirus – Malawi: COVID-19 update (15 February 2021)

Coronavirus – Ethiopia: COVID-19 update (15 February 2021)

Central African Republic: Children traumatized by violence confront their fear and anger

UNHCR alarmed at armed atrocities in eastern DR Congo

Coronavirus – Kenya: COVID-19 update (15 February 2021)

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