Opposition groups in Swaziland have condemned South Africa’s decision to offer an economic bailout to their country, Africa’s last absolute monarchy. On Wednesday, South Africa announced a bailout package worth more than $350 million to its cash-strapped neighbor. The package contains so-called “confidence building measures” aimed at persuading Swazi leader King Mswati to make economic […]
Swaziland Activists Criticize South African Bailout
Posted August 4th, 2011 at 8:05 am (UTC-5)
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Famine Declared in 3 New Parts of Somalia
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 12:55 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations says famine has spread to three new parts of southern Somalia, including areas in the capital, Mogadishu. A statement Wednesday said famine conditions are present in two districts of the Middle Shabelle region, the Afgoye corridor displaced persons settlement, and in the Mogadishu displaced persons community. The statement says rates of acute […]
Famine Declared in 3 New Parts of Somalia
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 12:20 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations has declared a famine in three new areas of Somalia. A statement Wednesday said famine conditions are present in two districts of the Middle Shabelle region , the Afgoye corridor displaced person settlement, and the Mogadishu displaced persons community. The statement was issued through the U.N. and U.S-funded Famine Early Warning Systems […]
UN: Somali Refugees Top 860,000
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 8:35 am (UTC-5)
The United Nations says the number of Somali refugees in the Horn of Africa has topped 860,000, many of them forced out by the ongoing drought and famine. The U.N. refugee agency says another 1.5 million Somalis are internally displaced, mostly in Somalia’s south-central region. A report issued Wednesday says many Somalis fled their homes […]
South Africa Offers Bailout to Swaziland
Posted August 3rd, 2011 at 8:10 am (UTC-5)
South Africa has agreed to bail out its cash-strapped neighbor Swaziland. South Africa’s central bank said Wednesday that the loan is worth nearly $370 million, but did not provide further details on the package. Activists in Swaziland and labor unions in South Africa have said any economic bailout should be tied to political reforms by […]
UN Predicts Famine Across Somalia
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 4:20 pm (UTC-5)
The United Nations says it expects famine to reach all regions of southern Somalia within the next four to eight weeks. A refugee agency spokeswoman told VOA Tuesday the U.N. analysis predicts conditions in the drought- and conflict-stricken nation will only worsen in the coming weeks as food prices rise and the dry season approaches. […]
Oxfam: Horn of Africa Needs Faster Drought Aid
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 12:20 pm (UTC-5)
The United States says aid workers will not be prosecuted if they deliver food to parts of Somalia controlled by militant group al-Shabab. Senior Obama administration officials said Tuesday that they are issuing new guidelines in hopes of increasing aid to the drought- and famine-stricken country. U.S. sanctions make it a crime to provide any […]
South African Gold Miners End Strike
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 11:10 am (UTC-5)
South African gold miners have ended a five-day strike after reaching a new wage deal with four mining firms. Unions say their workers will receive raises of between 7.5 and 10 percent under the two-year deal, announced Tuesday. More than 100,000 miners went on strike last Thursday after negotiations reached a stalemate. Solidarity, one of […]
Oxfam: Horn of Africa Needs Faster Drought Aid
Posted August 2nd, 2011 at 7:55 am (UTC-5)
A prominent relief agency says governments and donors are not acting fast enough to address the drought crisis in the Horn of Africa. London-based Oxfam said Tuesday that donors must immediately fulfill pledges of aid to help more than half a million people who are at risk of starvation in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Oxfam […]
AU Calls Donor Summit for Famine Victims
Posted August 1st, 2011 at 8:15 pm (UTC-5)
The African Union has announced it will hold a donor summit in an attempt to raise money for the millions of drought-affected people in Somalia. AU Deputy Chairman Erasmus Mwencha Monday said African heads of state, regional economic blocs and international organizations will gather in Addis Ababa on August 9. The World Food Program says […]
