The UN has announced that Madagascar is on the brink of experiencing the world’s first “climate change famine”. Tens of thousands of people are suffering “catastrophic” levels of hunger. Climate hazard scientist, Chris Funk, provides insights into the causes. How significant has the drought been in Madagascar? Out of the last six years in Madagascar, five […]
General
NRC update on suspension of operations in Ethiopia
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is continuing dialogue with the authorities while operations remain suspended. Following the temporary suspension of NRC’s activities by authorities in Ethiopia on 30 July, NRC’s Secretary General Jan Egeland visited Addis Ababa in August for meetings with the Federal Government. “Our Secretary General held constructive discussions with senior government officials […]
Desert Locust situation update 8 September 2021
LOCUSTS IN NORTHERN ETHIOPIA OVERVIEW. New reports indicate that hoppers bands are forming in eastern Amhara region of northern Ethiopia and swarms were seen in Tigray southwest of Mekele. Hopper bands are almost certainly forming in the Afar region but breeding areas cannot be accessed due to conflict. A few immature swarms persist in the hills […]
African tropical mountain forests store far more carbon than previously thought – new research
Tropical forests are well known for being the “lungs” of our planet. Through photosynthesis, the trees in these forests produce oxygen and remove enormous amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate global warming. The world’s most famous tropical forests found on lowlands, like those of the Amazon or Borneo, are celebrated for their ability to store carbon. The […]
Arms Flown to Sudan from Ethiopia were Legal, Says Ministry
Sudan’s interior ministry said on Monday that more than 70 boxes of weapons seized by authorities had turned out to be part of a legal cargo imported by a licensed arms trader. Sudanese authorities had confiscated the weapons after they arrived by air from neighboring Ethiopia on suspicion that were destined for use in “crimes […]
Desert Locust situation update 3 September 2021
BANDS LIKELY IN INACCESSIBLE AREAS OF NE ETHIOPIA A few small immature swarms persisted in northern Somalia where control operations declined. Although small-scale breeding was underway in Sudan, Chad, and Yemen, no breeding was detected in other summer breeding areas in West Africa and along the Indo-Pakistan border despite good rains. The primary concern remains […]