In the past few years, millions of dollars held in secret accounts abroad have been sent back to some African countries, thanks to tighter international money laundering laws and calls for repatriation of money stolen from public coffers. In 2020, for example, the United States and the self-governing island of Jersey in the English Channel agreed to repatriate more than $300 million to Nigeria, which Nigeria’s military dictator Sani Abacha allegedly stole in the 1990s. Although Abacha, who died in 1998, was...
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Hunger emergency: Amidst a historic drought threatening 13 million people in East Africa with severe hunger, the rise in grain, fertilizer, and fuel prices resulting from Russia’s war in Ukraine is exacerbating an already dire problem. A gas shortage persists in some parts of Kenya despite government interventions. The cost of wheat has risen 80% over the past six months, causing the price of bread in Sudan to roughly double. Median food inflation across Africa is 10.6%. Fertilizer...
Job creation for today’s youth is essential to creating a better tomorrow. But as more and more young people enter the job market, many African governments are not doing their part to ensure that they have secure jobs.
That’s where our Jobs Now Africa campaign comes in. Keep reading to learn more.
The need for jobs
In Africa, about 2.3 million jobs are lost every year due to obstacles that are avoidable. If the right policies were in place to facilitate business...
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Bounce back bias: Low-income countries’ GDP would have been more than 5% higher in 2021 if they had been able to access vaccines at the same rates as high-income countries. The vaccination of one additional person out of every 100 would have boosted global GDP by 0.10%, according to modeling by the UNDP. While the COVID-19 vaccines have helped high-income countries economically, the growth outlook for low-income countries continues to trend downwards and is 10 times lower than that of upper-middle-income countries.
History...
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Desperate need: South Sudan is experiencing the worst refugee crisis in Africa. Triggered by floods, famine, and political violence, 2 million people have been displaced and 2.3 million people are currently refugees. 8.9 million people are in “desperate need” of humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, the $10 million in aid and 80,000 bags of rice intended for those who need it have instead been “looted” by political elites, according to a UN official. Rape and sexual violence are being used as “spoils...
African countries, which are still dealing with the pandemic’s economic effects, are now confronted with another economic shock from Russia’s war in Ukraine. Exports of wheat, fertilizer, and other agricultural products from Russia and Ukraine have been disrupted. This is driving up the prices of these commodities in African countries, making life for ordinary citizens, including farmers, a lot harder.
Russia’s war in Ukraine is severely impacting food security globally, and especially in many African countries that rely on wheat...
Over 10 million South Africans receive about R350 ($24) per month as part of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, which aims to support those impacted most by COVID-19. The programme started in April 2020 and is scheduled to end in March 2022.
Mapi Mhlangu, a Bloomberg journalist, spoke to Totsie Memela Khambula, the CEO of the South African Social Services Agency (SASSA), about how the agency administered this grant, as well as the challenges, successes, and lessons of...
Earlier this month, we celebrated International Women’s Day, where we highlighted a few women from around the world who are tackling the pandemic and working to end COVID-19. From inventors to leaders of major world organizations, these women have made strides in the fight against the pandemic.
But we also want to hear from you, our global supporters. We asked you to tell us in a few words about the amazing women in your lives who have inspired you through...
In Cape Town, South Africa, NewDay United has stepped up during the pandemic to make sure everyone has access to a bright future. As an after-school program, NewDay United is addressing some of the inequalities exacerbated by COVID-19 and helping children and young adults build a better future. They’re providing both hands-on learning and training, and tackling food security with homegrown solutions.
Here’s a look at how.
Giving students a second chance to learn
Abongile Bono, a 21-year-old from the township of...
Do you remember what you were doing on March 11, 2020? Whether you were watching Tiger King or celebrating Parasite’s Academy Award, that date will probably live in history books for a very long time.
That’s because March 11, 2020 was the day that COVID-19 was officially declared a global pandemic. A lot has happened in those two years — from putting blocks of feta into pasta and kicking off the Tokyo Olympics, to schools closing because of lockdowns and...