Archive for December 14th, 2022

14/12/2022

Europe’s Dash for Gas Presents Pitfalls for Africa

Human Wrongs Watch

ROME, Dec 14 2022 (IPS)* – One of the knock-on effects of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine is that European countries have embarked on a ‘dash for gas’ to find alternatives to Russian energy supplies.
 
One of the knock-on effects of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine is that European countries have embarked on a dash for gas to find alternatives to Russian energy supplies

Don’t Gas Africa protest during COP27. Credit: Don’t Gas Africa

A flurry of deals has ensued with several African States being enticed by the prospect of lucrative energy contracts.

A new report, however, has warned that helping Europe continue its addiction to imported fossil fuels risks having devastating long-term effects for African societies.

The Fossil Fuelled Fallacy: How the Dash for Gas in Africa will Fail to Deliver Development argues the pitfalls are plentiful.

14/12/2022

UN Appeals for $1.2 Billion to Support 66 Million Women and Girls in 65 Countries Affected by Crisis 

Human Wrongs Watch

(UN News)* — Amid rising humanitarian needs worldwide, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, on Tuesday [13 December 2022] launched a $1.2 billion appeal to support 66 million women, girls and young people in 65 countries affected by crisis.

UNFPA supports programmes to accelerate the abandonment of female genital mutilation in Kenya.
© UNFPA/Georgina Goodwin |  UNFPA supports programmes to accelerate the abandonment of female genital mutilation in Kenya.

The 2023 Humanitarian Action Overview is UNFPA’s largest appeal ever and includes $289 million in Afghanistan, $70 million in Ukraine, $62 million in Somalia, and $23 million in Haiti.

As the world faces multiple, intersecting crises, the agency calls for predictable and flexible humanitarian funding to save lives and ensure that the rights and needs of women and girls are protected and fulfilled.

The past year has seen a shocking increase in needs globally, with the number of people forcibly displaced worldwide surpassing 100 million for the first time in history.  

14/12/2022

More than 11,000 Children Killed or Injured in Yemen Conflict: UNICEF

Human Wrongs Watch

11 December 2022 (UN News)* —  More than 11,000 boys and girls have been killed or injured in the war in Yemen – an average of four a day since fighting escalated in 2015, though the number is likely to be far higher, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported.

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© UNOCHA/Giles Clarke | A boy looks out from his home in the volatile area of Al Gamalia in Taiz, Yemen. (file)

Agency chief Catherine Russell, who has completed a visit to the country, called for urgent renewal of the truce between the Government and Houthi rebels.

The landmark agreement was initially announced in April and led to a significant reduction in the intensity of the conflict. However, a further 62 children have been killed or injured in the period since it ended in early October and 30 November, UNICEF said.

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