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Global Issues:
Humanitarian needs across Southern and Eastern Africa have reached alarming levels this year鈥 nearly 85 million people now need urgent assistance. But at the same time, brutal funding cuts are severely undermining humanitarian efforts, forcing aid agencies to scale back or suspend life-saving assistance. As a result, millions of people lack access to essential services and protection. By July, only 21 per cent of the US$10.5 billion required had been received. Your donation through the Regional Humanitarian Fund can help save lives and bring hope to the most vulnerable communities in Southern and Eastern Africa. .
On the International Day for Women and Girls of African Descent, powerful voices highlight resilience, call out injustice, and demand meaningful, intersectional action.
World Kiswahili Language Day, celebrated on 7 July each year, honours Kiswahili as one of the most widely spoken African languages, with over 200 million speakers. It is a vital tool of communication and integration across East, Central, and Southern Africa. More than just a means of communication, Kiswahili is a carrier of identity, values, and a worldview, representing the rich cultural tapestry of the African continent. From its role in liberation movements to its modern use in education, diplomacy, and media, Kiswahili continues to foster regional cohesion and global cultural understanding.
With calls for reparations for the historical legacies of enslavement and colonialism growing louder, this year's held a session titled "Africa and People of African Descent: United for reparatory justice in the age of artificial intelligence鈥. Participants emphasised that the injustices of colonialism and systemic racism continue to affect African nations and people of African descent. They highlighted that reparative justice should include formal apologies, truth-telling processes and various forms of reparations, in order to foster reconciliation, justice, equality and solidarity in society.
Nana Hadiza recalls the day armed assailants attacked her village, killing many men and forcing her to flee with her youngest child, seeking refuge at the Sossokoira displacement site in Gao. Like thousands from Talataye village, she now lives in a tent with other displaced women, far from home. Families across central Mali share similar stories, fleeing violence and finding temporary shelter in Bandiagara and Mopti regions. Many arrived with nothing and cannot return due to ongoing threats. The 2025 highlights that 4.7 million people, primarily women and children, urgently need assistance. Humanitarian partners aim to raise $771.3 million for emergency assistance this year. Flexible, long-term funding is essential to help families in Mali and the wider Sahel to rebuild their lives, provide children with education and nutrition, and offer hope to those who need it most. Every contribution makes a difference.
Joseph Yambo, in his sixties, lives in Fada N鈥橤ourma, in eastern Burkina Faso. An attack on his village in 2019 turned his life upside down. He lost his wife after fleeing, and his eldest daughter was forced to drop out of school to care for the family. She joined a radio education programme set up by the Government and implemented by the charity Children Believe. The programme offered her a second chance. Like Joseph, more than 2 million people in Burkina Faso 鈥 about 10 per cent of the population 鈥 had to flee their homes due to the security crisis affecting the country since 2019. The violence also forced thousands of schools to close. The Government reports that more than 1 million people returned home in the last year, and more than 2,000 schools reopened, but urgent needs remain. The , managed by , has invested in education projects to address the needs of displaced children.
Experts emphasize the significance of establishing a second Decade for People of African Descent for the period 2025-2034, building on the progress made during the first decade (2015-2024).
They argue that such an initiative is essential to addressing ongoing challenges faced by people of African descent globally, including racial inequality, discrimination, and the need for greater inclusion. By focusing on areas like education, employment, health, and human rights, the proposed second decade aims to further empower African communities, promote social justice, and enhance their contributions to societies worldwide
Esther Munani Kyalo, a mother of three from Miambani ward in Kitui County, Kenya, has changed her routine over the past few months. Every Tuesday, she joins around 35 other women at the Kavakaky Farmer Field School to breed chicks in a new poultry house. Under a large mango tree, the community gathers to discuss and improve their husbandry practices. In Kenya's arid and semi-arid regions, livestock production, including beekeeping and chicken brooding, is vital for family income. Transitioning to commercial farming can improve incomes and reduce rural poverty, and Farmer Field Schools are key to this change. The Food and Agriculture Organization () supported , reaching nearly 300,000 farmers in eight years.
As Abdoulaye collapsed under a desert tree, his priorities shifted when he encountered neighbors fleeing from militia attacks. They had found two small children whose mother was killed, leaving them abandoned. Abdoulaye, determined not to leave the terrified children behind, welcomed them and continued his escape with his wife, Hawaye. After the conflict in Sudan escalated in April 2023, Abdoulaye and Hawaye sent three children to safety in Chad. Upon arriving at Arkoum refugee camp, in eastern Chad, they found their children, who embraced their new siblings. Now, Abdoulaye and Hawaye participate in a foster family program by the Jesuit Refugee Service, supported by the UN Refugee Agency (), which includes eight other refugee families in Arkoum and 55 in the Hadjer Hadid region.
As Abdoulaye collapsed under a desert tree, his priorities shifted when he encountered neighbors fleeing from militia attacks. They had found two small children whose mother was killed, leaving them abandoned. Abdoulaye, determined not to leave the terrified children behind, welcomed them and continued his escape with his wife, Hawaye. After the conflict in Sudan escalated in April 2023, Abdoulaye and Hawaye sent three children to safety in Chad. Upon arriving at Arkoum refugee camp, in eastern Chad, they found their children, who embraced their new siblings. Now, Abdoulaye and Hawaye participate in a foster family program by the Jesuit Refugee Service, supported by the UN Refugee Agency (), which includes eight other refugee families in Arkoum and 55 in the Hadjer Hadid region.
Augustina Akosua Asor Tufuor鈥檚 entrepreneurial journey started at the University of Ghana Business School. She founded Tropical Snacks to create all-natural plantain chips from surplus local produce, aiming to bridge the gap between small farmers and consumers. However, she faced challenges in accessing finance and market information. To address this, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations () and the International Trade Centre launched a program called Empowering Women and Boosting Livelihoods through Agricultural Trade () in 2021. This program aims to increase women鈥檚 competitiveness in trade through strengthened knowledge, skills, and access to finance.
Fonio is an ancient West African cereal that is a staple food for many families in northern Ghana. It's versatile and, once boiled, can be consumed as couscous, porridge, or turned into flour for baking. It is a versatile crop that generations have relied on, for both food and livelihoods. Christabel Kwasi, a 29-year-old farmer, is eager to teach people across Ghana how to grow fonio and prepare dishes with it, so they can have food always. 鈥淥ur grandparents were telling us, [in] our forefather's time there was a lot of hunger. So fonio is the type [where] if you don't even have money to buy chemicals [fertilisers], you can still farm it, feed on it鈥, Christabel recalls.
The overall long-term strategic objective of the The General History of Africa programme is to promote inclusive African societies which are just, democratic, respectful of human rights and the rule of law. See more information on .
Boulsa City, in Burkina Faso, has become a reception center for people fleeing surrounding villages due to blockades, poor road conditions, and lack of basic services. Over 50,000 displaced people have arrived in the city, and the authorities are acquiring land to set shelters up temporary shelters. Schools and administrative buildings are currently being used to house the displaced, but overcrowding and lack of hygiene facilities remain a challenge. The humanitarian community assisted 2.9 million people in 2023, but an estimated 6.3 million people will require assistance this year in Burkina Faso.