NewzIntel.com

Category: Africa

  • MIL-OSI Global: Africa’s data workers are being exploited by foreign tech firms – 4 ways to protect them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Mohammad Amir Anwar, Senior Lecturer in African Studies and International Development, University of Edinburgh

    Data workers in Africa often have a hard time. They face job insecurities – including temporary contracts, low pay, arbitrary dismissal and worker surveillance – and alarming physical and psychological health risks. The consequences of their work can include exhaustion, burnout, mental health strain, chronic stress, vertigo and weakening of eyesight.

    Data work includes text prediction, image and video annotation, speech to text validation and content moderation.

    The world of data work is built on labour arbitrage – exploiting the fact that workers earn less and have less protection in some countries than in others.

    Large technology firms often outsource this work to the global south, including African countries like Kenya, Uganda and Madagascar, and also India and Venezuela. The result is complex production networks that are generally opaque and shrouded in secrecy.

    Workers and researchers have issued many warnings about data workers’ health. Despite numerous court cases in multiple jurisdictions, nothing much has been done to address these issues either by tech companies or by regulators.



    Read more:
    For workers in Africa, the digital economy isn’t all it’s made out to be

    Still, the news of the death of a Nigerian content moderator, Ladi Anzaki Olubunmi, who was found dead in her apartment in Nairobi, Kenya on 7 March 2025, came as a shock. While the circumstances of her death are still unclear, it has renewed calls for wider systemic change. Her death has sparked condemnation from the Kenyan Union of Gig Workers, which demanded an investigation.

    Since 2015, we have been studying the central role of African data workers in building and maintaining artificial intelligence (AI) systems, acting as “data janitors”. Our research found that companies rarely acknowledge the use of human workers in AI value chains, thus they remain “hidden” from the public eye. In other words, the world of AI is built on the toil of human workers most people are unaware of.

    In this article, we outline key steps needed to protect these data workers in Africa. They include business process outsourcing regulations, ensuring quality rather than quantity of jobs, and providing social protection. There is also a need to name and shame companies that maltreat data workers.

    Data work needs tighter regulation.



    Read more:
    Digital labour platforms subject global South workers to ‘algorithmic insecurity’

    Regulation

    Business process outsourcing is the practice of procuring various processes or operations from external suppliers or vendors. Firms that do this are sometimes trying to evade local regulations (like minimum wages) and responsibility towards workers’ welfare (via sub-contracting and the use of temporary employment agencies).

    This is happening in Africa as some data training firms and digital labour platforms circumvent local labour laws.

    But there is more to the story.

    Data work is also seen by lawmakers and practitioners as a solution to the rampant unemployment and informality across Africa. African governments have actively created regulatory environments that enable these practices to thrive, despite adverse outcomes for workers.

    Nonetheless, new regulations have been proposed lately, like the Kenyan government’s Business Law (Amendment) Bill, 2024 targeting the wider business process outsourcing and IT-enabled services sector. Particularly, it makes business process outsourcing firms responsible for any claim raised by employees. It ensures some accountability for firms bringing data work to Africa.

    Other governments should follow with similar measures ensuring worker rights are enforceable. Some data workers are hired on contracts as short as five days and get paid less than the local minimum wage. Firms found violating labour standards should be penalised.

    In fact, there is an urgent need to create regional or continent-wide regulatory frameworks covering the business process outsourcing sector, limiting the space for firms to exploit workers.

    It’s possible, however, that jobs might be lost as firms relocate to places with favourable laws, an everyday reality in the outsourcing networks.



    Read more:
    Most call centre jobs are a dead end for South Africa’s youth

    Quality, not quantity

    African governments should prioritise the quality of jobs and not quantity. Policymakers should think about wider national economic development plans, particularly structural diversification and upgrading of their economies.

    Historically, these strategies have resulted in success in some states, addressing social and economic issues such as unemployment, poverty and inequality.

    Another option for African governments is to enhance social protection among data workers. Financing this is a serious issue, so proper taxation and compliance among workers and employers is urgently needed.

    Finally, there is a role for naming and shaming firms that treat their data workers poorly. There is evidence that such efforts improve compliance and firms’ behaviour.



    Read more:
    Digital trade protocol for Africa: why it matters, what’s in it and what’s still missing

    Worker movements

    African data workers have taken risks in openly speaking about their experiences. But these kinds of approaches work well when combined with collective bargaining.

    Workers have historically won their labour and civil rights after long and hard-fought struggles. There is a long history of African worker movements and trade unions resisting the apartheid and colonial regimes across the continent.

    While the freedom of association is enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and most governments have legislation committed to collective bargaining, it is rarely implemented in the new outsourcing sectors, particularly data work.

    It is also difficult to organise workers in the industry, because of the high churn rate. For instance, data training firms like Sama offer short-term contracts to employees, often as short as five days.

    Some firms are hostile to workers’ organising activities.

    But numerous data worker-led associations have emerged in Africa recently, some led by the co-authors of this article. Techworker Community Africa, African Tech Workers Rising, African Content Moderators Unions and Data Labelers Association are among them.

    These initiatives are crucial to ensure workers have decent remuneration, work-life balance, adequate working hours, protection against arbitrary dismissal, safe working environments, and contributions towards their health and welfare.

    Several high-profile court cases are currently being pursued by African data workers against Meta and Sama. There is precedent. In 2021. Meta was ordered by a Californian court to pay US$85 million to 10,000 content moderators.

    AI-dependent tools such as ChatGPT or driverless cars would not exist without African data workers. They are tired of being “hidden”. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

    Mophat Okinyi, Kauna Malgwi, Sonia Kgomo and Richard Mathenge co-authored this article.

    Mohammad Amir Anwar receives funding from United Kingdom Research and Innovation, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and British Academy.

    – ref. Africa’s data workers are being exploited by foreign tech firms – 4 ways to protect them – https://theconversation.com/africas-data-workers-are-being-exploited-by-foreign-tech-firms-4-ways-to-protect-them-252957

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: World Tuberculosis (TB) Day: Minister West’s speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Speech

    World Tuberculosis (TB) Day: Minister West’s speech

    To mark World TB Day, Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, spoke at a reception hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Global TB.

    I wanted to thank everybody in this room for their efforts to fight this terrible disease, from finding and treating patients, to working on the new drugs and methods we need to combat TB. 

    We know it will take strong and united efforts to stamp out this age-old disease – so thank you for the important roles you play.  

    Now, I’ll begin by addressing the elephant in the room – the fact that the government will be lowering its spend on international development.  

    At this time of profound change, with conflicts overseas undermining security and prosperity at home, the Prime Minister had to make this very difficult decision. He was clear this was not an announcement he wanted make. 

    We are all proud of Britain’s record on development around the world, including when it comes to fighting TB. 

    Our support to the TB Alliance has led to game-changing research and development with new and better treatments being rolled out around the world – including within our own NHS. 

    Our support to brilliant organisations like MedAccess, Unitaid and the Clinton Health Access Initiative has driven down prices and improved access to critical drugs and diagnostics. All increasing the impact of our substantial investment in the Global Fund. 

    As the Prime Minister said, we will do all we can to move towards rebuilding our capacity when it comes to development. 

    And we remain determined to help the most vulnerable people.  

    As Minister for the Indo-Pacific region, I am painfully aware of the devastation that TB continues to wreak, particularly in the poorest communities. 

    This is one of the reasons why I am so committed to supporting the Global Fund, which provides more than three-quarters of all international funding to combat TB.  

    This is making a real impact – deaths have fallen by 40 per cent over the past two decades in countries where the Global Fund invests.  

    The UK is proud to be a founding and significant donor. And we are very glad that later this year we will co-host the Global Fund’s eighth replenishment together with South Africa. That joint convening role we’re looking forward to playing very much.

    Deputy High Commissioner, I am delighted that our countries are working together on this as the firmest of friends and partners on the international stage. 

    I know our teams will be collaborating closely behind the scenes to make the replenishment the biggest possible success. 

    And we want to work with all the people in this room. Everyone here has an important part to play in the fight against TB. 

    We know the stakes are high – we have to make this moment count. 

    Because the world is off-track when it comes to our goal of ending TB by the end of this decade. There is still time however, to make significant progress. 

    We are making big steps forward in finding the tools we need to prevent, diagnose and treat this disease. But we need much greater political will from countries with the ability to finance their own fight. 

    And we need a successful Global Fund replenishment to support those who need it most. There is a huge amount we can do by 2029 and we must continue to press our efforts to reduce new cases of TB by more than a quarter and deaths by more than a half, while finding and treating nearly 20 per cent more TB patients.  

    So, together with South Africa we will use our convening power to galvanise global efforts in this pivotal year. 

    I hope that by the time the world marks the next TB Day, we will have further progress to celebrate. 

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Dismisses Biden-Era Lawsuit Against Commonsense Georgia Election Law, Advancing President Trump’s Mandate to End Weaponization

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi directed the Department of Justice to dismiss its claims in In Re Georgia Senate Bill 202, a Biden-era lawsuit that falsely accused Georgia of intentionally suppressing Black voters’ votes.

    “Contrary to the Biden Administration’s false claims of suppression, Black voter turnout actually increased under SB 202,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Georgians deserve secure elections, not fabricated claims of false voter suppression meant to divide us. Americans can be confident that this Department of Justice will protect their vote and never play politics with election integrity.” 

    The Biden administration fabricated an untrue narrative following the passage of Senate Bill 202 and sued the state of Georgia, claiming without evidence that SB 202 was an intentional scheme to “depress the Black vote” and referring to the basic election legislation as “Jim Crow 2.0.”Some mainstream media outlets and corporate allies of the Biden Administration fueled this falsehood, demonizing Georgians for political gain and triggering boycotts—including Major League Baseball’s relocation of the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta—that, by some estimates, cost the state over $100 million in economic losses.

    In reality, SB 202’s commonsense reforms—photo ID for all voting, strengthened absentee ballot procedures, and rapid reporting of results—spurred record voter turnout, including among Black Georgians.

    “The Department of Justice is done with this disgrace,” said Acting Associate Attorney General and Department of Justice Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle. “There is nothing racist about protecting elections—baseless claims of Jim Crow-style discrimination are the real insult.” 

    President Trump and Attorney General Bondi are committed to dismantling weaponized litigation and ensuring fair, lawful elections for all Americans. Instead of wasting time on false, divisive lawsuits, the Department of Justice will continue to root out real discrimination, promote common-sense election safeguards, and ensure equality for every American. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Dismisses Biden-Era Lawsuit Against Commonsense Georgia Election Law, Advancing President Trump’s Mandate to End Weaponization

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi directed the Department of Justice to dismiss its claims in In Re Georgia Senate Bill 202, a Biden-era lawsuit that falsely accused Georgia of intentionally suppressing Black voters’ votes.

    “Contrary to the Biden Administration’s false claims of suppression, Black voter turnout actually increased under SB 202,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Georgians deserve secure elections, not fabricated claims of false voter suppression meant to divide us. Americans can be confident that this Department of Justice will protect their vote and never play politics with election integrity.” 

    The Biden administration fabricated an untrue narrative following the passage of Senate Bill 202 and sued the state of Georgia, claiming without evidence that SB 202 was an intentional scheme to “depress the Black vote” and referring to the basic election legislation as “Jim Crow 2.0.”Some mainstream media outlets and corporate allies of the Biden Administration fueled this falsehood, demonizing Georgians for political gain and triggering boycotts—including Major League Baseball’s relocation of the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta—that, by some estimates, cost the state over $100 million in economic losses.

    In reality, SB 202’s commonsense reforms—photo ID for all voting, strengthened absentee ballot procedures, and rapid reporting of results—spurred record voter turnout, including among Black Georgians.

    “The Department of Justice is done with this disgrace,” said Acting Associate Attorney General and Department of Justice Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle. “There is nothing racist about protecting elections—baseless claims of Jim Crow-style discrimination are the real insult.” 

    President Trump and Attorney General Bondi are committed to dismantling weaponized litigation and ensuring fair, lawful elections for all Americans. Instead of wasting time on false, divisive lawsuits, the Department of Justice will continue to root out real discrimination, promote common-sense election safeguards, and ensure equality for every American. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: 23% of South Africa’s children suffer from severe hunger: we tested some solutions – experts

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Leila Patel, Professor of Social Development Studies, University of Johannesburg

    A 2024 Unicef report found that 23% of South African children experience severe food poverty, eating less than two of the recommended five food groups per day. Unemployment, food insecurity, limited access to basic services and a lack of knowledge about nutrition all contribute to this. The lead researcher of this multidisciplinary study, Leila Patel, and collaborating researchers Matshidiso Sello and Sadiyya Haffejee suggest ways to tackle this dire situation.

    What’s in place to protect children from poverty?

    Since a call for prioritising the needs of children was adopted by the Mandela government in 1994, much progress has been made in expanding access to education, to immunisations, other primary healthcare services and social grants. Just over 13 million children now receive a child support grant. This has reduced child hunger rates from the high levels seen during the apartheid and immediate post-apartheid eras.

    But the grant doesn’t get to all the children who qualify for it. Around 17.5% of eligible children still don’t receive it. Reasons include a lack of proper documentation, lack of awareness of eligibility criteria and insufficient outreach by government agencies to reach vulnerable populations.

    Also, the grant isn’t close enough to the food poverty line, which is R796 (about US$43) per month per person based on the daily energy intake that a person needs. From 1 April 2025, the child support grant will increase to R560 (about US$30) per month per child.

    Secondly, although school feeding schemes are in place, many children fall outside the net. Close to 10 million children in low income communities in South Africa have access to a school lunch via the National School Nutrition Programme. This programme is an excellent intervention which improves the health of children. However, in 2024, about a quarter of the children who are eligible did not receive school meals. Some of the reasons are procurement issues, funding delays, problems with provisioning, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, when school feeding ceased. Uptake has recovered to some extent but there is a need to improve the quality and effectiveness of the school feeding programme to improve nutritional outcomes.

    You designed a system to help alleviate child poverty: what did it involve?

    The South African Research Chairs Initiative and the Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg implemented a study to strengthen social and care systems across health, education and social development. The project, which was started in 2020, involved tracking early grade learners and their caregivers in Johannesburg over a three-year period, looking at their health, material circumstances, food security, educational performance and mental health. Our research revealed a concerning picture of child hunger in Johannesburg, Africa’s wealthiest city.

    The number of children in our study who went to bed hungry in the past week decreased from 13.7% in 2020 to 4.9% in 2022. Zero hunger was achieved in 2021 but it increased again in 2022 due to broader economic pressures like rising food prices and unemployment. While stunting rates showed a slight downward trend over the three years (from 13.5% in 2020 to 11.1% in 2022), we observed worrying increases in wasting, a severe form of malnutrition (from 5.6% in 2020 to 20.3% in 2022), and underweight (from 5.6% in 2020 to 11.4% in 2022).

    Increases in wasting may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic and slow economic recovery. Nevertheless, the fluctuating figures underscore the complex interplay of factors contributing to severe child hunger.

    The teams who worked on the project – called the Community of Practice intervention – set about creating a tighter, more supportive net around children experiencing severe and moderate risk. This integrated approach brought together government agencies, NGOs, schools, social workers, families and community leaders, to build sustainable solutions for child wellbeing.

    The focus was on strengthening existing systems and fostering collaboration to ensure that children’s needs were identified and addressed effectively. On average, 157 children were reached each year over a three year period.



    Read more:
    COVID-19 has hurt some more than others: South Africa needs policies that reflect this

    What did you find?

    Several promising practices emerged from the collaborations, demonstrating the potential for positive change. These included:

    • Strengthening school nutrition programmes by improving the quality and consistency of meals received and providing nutrition education through radio and WhatsApp messaging. More children had access to school meals.

    • Tailored interventions: The team conducted screenings to assess the needs of children and their families. Children requiring specific interventions were referred to appropriate services such as child protection services and grants. Caregivers facing mental health challenges were connected to psychosocial support services, and families experiencing hunger were provided with food parcels by NGOs. Providing food top-ups for children resulted in zero hunger in the second year of the pandemic.

    The number of children experiencing learning and social and emotional difficulties decreased between 2020 and 2022. Access to food and nutrition improved, higher vaccination rates were achieved and caregivers were more responsive to their health needs.

    What does this tell you about what needs to change?

    A significant barrier in addressing severe child poverty is the fragmentation of services across the Departments of Health, Basic Education and Social Development. Since the departments run standalone programmes, the synergies between the different social systems are not optimised. Children and their families who need additional support are often referred to the appropriate services, but there is poor follow-up.

    The Integrated School Health Policy of 2012 makes provision for better coordination between these departments. But implementation has been uneven and poor in some instances. Improving and strengthening these inter-connected social systems of service provision across government departments is critical to improving child food poverty outcomes.

    While managing food inflation, economic growth, job creation, and reduced inequality are important longer-term goals, immediate interventions are essential to address severe child food poverty. Failure to do so will compromise school progression and delay their overall health and social wellbeing. Simply improving economic indicators will not automatically translate to food on the table for every child; targeted interventions are vital.

    Ending severe child hunger in South Africa demands a comprehensive and coordinated response, involving government, NGOs, community organisations, schools, and families themselves.

    Leila Patel receives funding from the National Research Foundation for the Communities of Practice (CoP) study for social systems strengthening for better child wellbeing outcomes.

    Matshidiso Valeria Sello receives funding from the Centre of Excellence in Human Development for a project on Household Economic Shocks.

    Sadiyya Haffejee receives funding from the National Research Foundation.

    – ref. 23% of South Africa’s children suffer from severe hunger: we tested some solutions – experts – https://theconversation.com/23-of-south-africas-children-suffer-from-severe-hunger-we-tested-some-solutions-experts-252566

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: 23% of South Africa’s children suffer from severe hunger: we tested some solutions – experts

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Leila Patel, Professor of Social Development Studies, University of Johannesburg

    A 2024 Unicef report found that 23% of South African children experience severe food poverty, eating less than two of the recommended five food groups per day. Unemployment, food insecurity, limited access to basic services and a lack of knowledge about nutrition all contribute to this. The lead researcher of this multidisciplinary study, Leila Patel, and collaborating researchers Matshidiso Sello and Sadiyya Haffejee suggest ways to tackle this dire situation.

    What’s in place to protect children from poverty?

    Since a call for prioritising the needs of children was adopted by the Mandela government in 1994, much progress has been made in expanding access to education, to immunisations, other primary healthcare services and social grants. Just over 13 million children now receive a child support grant. This has reduced child hunger rates from the high levels seen during the apartheid and immediate post-apartheid eras.

    But the grant doesn’t get to all the children who qualify for it. Around 17.5% of eligible children still don’t receive it. Reasons include a lack of proper documentation, lack of awareness of eligibility criteria and insufficient outreach by government agencies to reach vulnerable populations.

    Also, the grant isn’t close enough to the food poverty line, which is R796 (about US$43) per month per person based on the daily energy intake that a person needs. From 1 April 2025, the child support grant will increase to R560 (about US$30) per month per child.

    Secondly, although school feeding schemes are in place, many children fall outside the net. Close to 10 million children in low income communities in South Africa have access to a school lunch via the National School Nutrition Programme. This programme is an excellent intervention which improves the health of children. However, in 2024, about a quarter of the children who are eligible did not receive school meals. Some of the reasons are procurement issues, funding delays, problems with provisioning, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, when school feeding ceased. Uptake has recovered to some extent but there is a need to improve the quality and effectiveness of the school feeding programme to improve nutritional outcomes.

    You designed a system to help alleviate child poverty: what did it involve?

    The South African Research Chairs Initiative and the Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg implemented a study to strengthen social and care systems across health, education and social development. The project, which was started in 2020, involved tracking early grade learners and their caregivers in Johannesburg over a three-year period, looking at their health, material circumstances, food security, educational performance and mental health. Our research revealed a concerning picture of child hunger in Johannesburg, Africa’s wealthiest city.

    The number of children in our study who went to bed hungry in the past week decreased from 13.7% in 2020 to 4.9% in 2022. Zero hunger was achieved in 2021 but it increased again in 2022 due to broader economic pressures like rising food prices and unemployment. While stunting rates showed a slight downward trend over the three years (from 13.5% in 2020 to 11.1% in 2022), we observed worrying increases in wasting, a severe form of malnutrition (from 5.6% in 2020 to 20.3% in 2022), and underweight (from 5.6% in 2020 to 11.4% in 2022).

    Increases in wasting may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic and slow economic recovery. Nevertheless, the fluctuating figures underscore the complex interplay of factors contributing to severe child hunger.

    The teams who worked on the project – called the Community of Practice intervention – set about creating a tighter, more supportive net around children experiencing severe and moderate risk. This integrated approach brought together government agencies, NGOs, schools, social workers, families and community leaders, to build sustainable solutions for child wellbeing.

    The focus was on strengthening existing systems and fostering collaboration to ensure that children’s needs were identified and addressed effectively. On average, 157 children were reached each year over a three year period.

    Read more: COVID-19 has hurt some more than others: South Africa needs policies that reflect this

    What did you find?

    Several promising practices emerged from the collaborations, demonstrating the potential for positive change. These included:

    • Strengthening school nutrition programmes by improving the quality and consistency of meals received and providing nutrition education through radio and WhatsApp messaging. More children had access to school meals.

    • Tailored interventions: The team conducted screenings to assess the needs of children and their families. Children requiring specific interventions were referred to appropriate services such as child protection services and grants. Caregivers facing mental health challenges were connected to psychosocial support services, and families experiencing hunger were provided with food parcels by NGOs. Providing food top-ups for children resulted in zero hunger in the second year of the pandemic.

    The number of children experiencing learning and social and emotional difficulties decreased between 2020 and 2022. Access to food and nutrition improved, higher vaccination rates were achieved and caregivers were more responsive to their health needs.

    What does this tell you about what needs to change?

    A significant barrier in addressing severe child poverty is the fragmentation of services across the Departments of Health, Basic Education and Social Development. Since the departments run standalone programmes, the synergies between the different social systems are not optimised. Children and their families who need additional support are often referred to the appropriate services, but there is poor follow-up.

    The Integrated School Health Policy of 2012 makes provision for better coordination between these departments. But implementation has been uneven and poor in some instances. Improving and strengthening these inter-connected social systems of service provision across government departments is critical to improving child food poverty outcomes.

    While managing food inflation, economic growth, job creation, and reduced inequality are important longer-term goals, immediate interventions are essential to address severe child food poverty. Failure to do so will compromise school progression and delay their overall health and social wellbeing. Simply improving economic indicators will not automatically translate to food on the table for every child; targeted interventions are vital.

    Ending severe child hunger in South Africa demands a comprehensive and coordinated response, involving government, NGOs, community organisations, schools, and families themselves.

    – 23% of South Africa’s children suffer from severe hunger: we tested some solutions – experts
    – https://theconversation.com/23-of-south-africas-children-suffer-from-severe-hunger-we-tested-some-solutions-experts-252566

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Oando PLC Joins Afreximbank’s AfrexInsure Portfolio

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    CAIRO, Egypt, March 31, 2025/APO Group/ —

    AfrexInsure, the wholly-owned Specialty Insurance Subsidiary of African Export-Import Bank (“Afreximbank” or the “Bank”) (www.Afreximbank.com), has announced its onboarding of Oando PLC as one of its strategic clients, further strengthening the business relationship between Oando PLC and the Bank.

    With Oando on board its clientele portfolio, this new development aligns with Afreximbank’s financial support to the company, with critical risk management solutions, ensuring that the Bank’s investment in Oando PLC’s operations in Nigeria is safeguarded through tailored Specialty Insurance Solutions. By mitigating operational and geopolitical risks, the collaboration would enhance Oando’s resilience, promote sustainable energy development and reinforce Afreximbank’s commitment to economic growth and regional stability in the trade ecosystem.

    Commenting on the partnership, Jonas Mushosho, CEO and Principal Officer of AfrexInsure, said: “This strategic collaboration between Oando and AfrexInsure will help promote local content in Africa’s oil and gas sector. The collaboration, which also underscores a shared commitment aimed at fostering economic empowerment and contributing to the sustainable development of Africa’s natural resources, will also strengthen the African insurance sector by retaining premium flows within the continent and fostering Africa’s financial sustainability.”

    Mr. Mushosho, who noted that Oando PLC and Afreximbank had established a significant business relationship aimed at enhancing trade development in Africa’s energy sector, added that, many multinationals doing business in Africa face high levels of risk in the current volatile and uncertain environment. Greater availability of affordable trade and trade related specialty insurance solutions could mitigate those risks and encourage firms to engage in enhanced industrialisation and export development activities. “This win by AfrexInsure shows how we are supporting the growth of trade and development in Africa by providing required Insurance management services, giving investors the confidence to make investments in Africa. By using African securities, specialty insurance premiums raised in Africa are retained on the continent and are used to contribute to its overall trade and economic development,” he said.

    Commenting on this announcement, Wale Tinubu CON, Group Chief Executive, Oando PLC, said: “We have a longstanding relationship with Afreximbank where we have seen the Bank support our vision for energy in Africa, not only with essential financing but also with invaluable guidance and advisory support. Following our recent acquisition, a tailored risk identification and mitigation approach is paramount. We are confident that our collaboration with AfrexInsure will provide the necessary oversight to ensure both the adequacy and comprehensiveness of our risk management strategy.”

    Afreximbank’s partnership with Oando has included a pivotal role in financing the company’s strategic initiatives in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, including:

    • Facilitating a US$650-million financing for Oando PLC’s acquisition of Nigerian Agip Oil Company Assets in August 2024, which is expected to enhance Oando’s production capacity from 20,000 to 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, boosting Nigeria’s oil output and economic growth; and
    • Oando PLC’s June 2024 participation, through its Oando Trading subsidiary (“Oando Trading”), in Project Gazelle, the US$3.3-billion structured crude oil-backed finance facility sponsored by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, in which Oando Trading contributed US$550 million to a US$925-million accordion facility arranged by Afreximbank.

    Established by Afreximbank, AfrexInsure provides specialty insurance products to ensure that right-fit insurance solutions are secured for African clients. The subsidiary provides comprehensive and tailored solutions that secure assets owned by clients and that meet bankability requirements of project funders. It draws on expertise, personalized approach and market knowledge to guarantee that Intra-African Trade Champions and multinationals receive value from programmes backed by top rated insurers capable of paying claims.

    By placing its programme with pan-African (re)insurers and strong local underwriters, AfrexInsure achieves the retention of premiums in Africa, making it possible for such funds to be invested on the continent where African businesses can access them at lower cost.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Panama Canal’s other conflict: Water security for the population and the global economy

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Karina Garcia, Researcher and Lecturer in Climate, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá

    The Panama Canal carries cargo ships between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, cutting weeks off shipping time. Danny Lehman/The Image Bank via Getty Images

    The Panama Canal is one of the most important waterways in the world, with about 7% of global trade passing through. It also relies heavily on rainfall. Without enough freshwater flowing in, the canal’s locks can’t raise and lower ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Droughts mean fewer ships per day, and that can quickly affect Panama’s finances and economies around the world.

    But the same freshwater is also essential for Panama’s many other needs, including drinking water for about 2 million Panamanians, use by Indigenous people and farmers in the watershed, as well as hydropower.

    When the region experiences droughts, as it did in 2023-2024, the resulting water shortages can lead to increasing water conflicts.

    One of those conflicts involves a new dam the Panama Canal Authority plans to begin building in 2027. It would be designed to secure enough water to keep the canal, which contributes about 4.2% to the country’s gross domestic product,, operating into the future, but it would also submerge farming communities and displace over 2,000 people from their homes.

    The Panama Canal Authority plans to build a new dam and reservoir that would submerge the village of Limon and hundreds of homes in the region.
    AP Photo/Matias Delacroix

    This recent drought wasn’t an anomaly. As an academic who studies the effects of rising temperatures on water availability and sea level rise, I’m aware that as the climate warms, Panama will likely face more extremes, both long dry spells and also periods of too much rain. That will force more trade-offs between residential needs and the canal over water use.

    Complex engineering remade the landscape

    The Panama Canal was built over a century ago at the narrowest point of the country and in the heart of its population center. The route was historically used by the Spanish colonies and later for a rail line between the oceans.

    The idea of a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans began as a French endeavor, led by architect Ferdinand D. Lesseps, designer of the Suez Canal in Egypt. After the French effort failed, the U.S. government signed a treaty with newly independent Panama in 1903 to take over the project.

    The U.S. acquired the rights to build and operate the Panama Canal in exchange for US$10 million and annual payments of $250,000. Later, the Torrijos-Carter Treaty in 1977 committed the U.S. to transfer the control of operations to Panama at the end of 1999.

    One week of shipping on the Panama Canal. Source: Maps.com using World Economic Forum data.

    The canal project was designed to take advantage of the region’s tropical climate and abundant average rainfall.

    It harnessed the water of the Chagres River basin to run three sets of locks – chambers that, filled with fresh water, act like elevators, lifting or lowering ships to compensate for the difference in water levels between the two oceans.

    To ensure enough water would be available for the locks, the canal’s designers changed the shapes of the region’s mountains and rivers to create a large watershed – over 1,325 square miles (3,435 square kilometers) – that drains toward the canal’s human-made lakes, Gatun and Alajuela.

    About 65% of the water that flows from the watershed today goes to operate the locks. The majority of that water is quickly lost to the oceans.

    Even the two newest locks, built in 2016, only reuse about 60% of water on each transit – 40% is flushed to avoid saltwater from the oceans intruding into the watershed.

    Threats to water security

    Panama’s wet tropical weather is predominantly influenced by its location near the equator, the trade winds and the oceans. Most of its rain falls during the wet season, from May to November. However, weather records show a drop in average precipitation starting around 1950.

    The driest years resulted in dangerously low water levels in Gatun Lake that made canal operations difficult, including in 1998, 2016 and most recently 2023-2024. El Niño weather patterns can mean particularly low rainfall.

    Water levels at Gatun Lake since 1965 show how low 2023 and 2024 were.
    EIA

    In December 2023, the Panama Canal Authority was forced to limit the number of daily transits to 22, compared with 36 to 38 usual crossings, because too little freshwater was available.

    To avoid steep financial losses, the Panama Canal Authority raised prices and auctioned transit opportunities to the highest bidders. Without those measures, the authority estimated it would lose $100 million a month from reduced ship traffic because of the water shortage.

    Ecosystems also need enough water, and changes in forest tree composition have become evident on Barro Colorado Island in Gatun Lake in response to rising temperatures and more frequent droughts.

    Climate change is also creating greater variability in rainfall. Too much rain can also be a problem for canal operations. In December 2010, the biggest storm on record caused landslides and $150 million in damage that interrupted transits on the canal.

    Sustaining Panama’s canal and its people

    Temporary measures for saving water have been already implemented. The Panama Canal Authority shortened the chamber size in some of its locks to use less water for smaller vessels and minimized direction changes.

    In January 2025, the authority approved plans to build the new dam on the Indio River to increase water available for the canal. The dam could solve some water concerns during drier periods for the canal.

    However, it also illustrates the country’s water conflicts. Once filled, the dam’s reservoir will submerge over 1,200 homes by some counts, and more people in the region will lose access to land and travel routes. The Panama Canal Authority promises that residents will be relocated, but some of those living in the region fear they will lose their livelihoods, along with the communities their families have lived in for generations.

    Panama Canal representatives explain to community members in El Jobo in 2024 how a planned dam on the Indio River would affect the future of their community.
    AP Photo/Matias Delacroix

    Residents across Panama, meanwhile, regularly hear media campaigns that encourage them to save water. An Environmental Economic Incentives Program promotes forest conservation and sustainable family agriculture to conserve water resources.

    The Panama Canal is a crucial part of international trade, and it will face more periods of water stress. I believe responding to those future changes, as well as market and societal demands, will require innovative solutions that respect ecosystem limits and the needs of the population.

    Karina Garcia does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The Panama Canal’s other conflict: Water security for the population and the global economy – https://theconversation.com/the-panama-canals-other-conflict-water-security-for-the-population-and-the-global-economy-253100

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crystal Visions

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    In 2022, a multi-institutional team of American scientists traveled to Tokyo to take a spin on a high-powered X-ray laser. 

    Led by UConn chemistry assistant professor J. Nathan “Nate” Hohman, they hoped to use the machine’s unique capabilities to study new materials whose molecular structure had never been understood before. The team had been awarded 60 hours of highly coveted “beam time” on the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free-electron LAser X-FEL laser (referred to as SACLA). 

    “They were going to let us squirt through the nozzle anything we wanted,” Hohman says, “as long as we told them the name of the chemical first.”

    The research team included five scientists working in chemical synthesis, X-ray crystallography, and AI-powered data interpretation – all prepared for the scientific equivalent of an ultramarathon. Once the machine powered on, they needed to work continuously until the 60 hours had elapsed.  

    “If we ran out of stuff to shoot, we were going to be wasting those precious photons,” Hohman explains. So, the team brought as many samples of new materials as they could.  

    David Moreau and a SACLA scientist working with the machine. (Courtesy of Phil MacDonald)

    Working in round-the-clock shifts, they carefully prepared their samples and loaded them into the machine. SACLA shot jets of their crystalline molecular samples into a chamber where they were struck by an intense beam of X-ray light.  

    Like prisms throwing rainbows, these crystal samples diffracted the light, each into its own signature pattern. By analyzing the light pattern, the scientists could determine the precise molecular makeup of the crystals they were studying. 

    By the end of their three-day journey with SACLA, the researchers had solved the structures of four materials – and have gone on to solve more than 50 in eight more experiments around the world over the last two years.  

    This scientific breakthrough is chronicled in the new short documentary “BEAMTIME: Crystal Hitters,” co-directed by Jonathan Turton and Phil MacDonald. 

    [embedded content]

    Small Scale, Huge Payoff

    High-profile projects like this are nothing new to Hohman, whose research has been sponsored by the US Department of Energy for its potential to unlock new, better sources of energy.  

    Hohman doesn’t work on the quantum technology side of things – using new materials to assemble devices like quantum computers and lasers – but the semiconductors he studies are integral to this process. 

    “Every new technology has a new material at its core,” he says. 

    Hohman’s specialty is self-assembly. His work revolves around understanding the geometry of molecules, planning how they crystallize, and using that to influence their properties. The materials he’s interested in tend to form crystals at the microscopic level, thousands of times smaller than grains of sand. 

    Understanding the structure of these crystals – what’s known as “solving” the crystal structure – is the key to understanding how these materials can be used in technological applications spanning energy production, quantum computing, and beyond.  

    A famous example of crystallography is Rosalind Franklin’s discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. Since no microscope was powerful enough to allow her to literally see the double-helix, Franklin relied on X-ray crystallography to mathematically solve the structure. 

    For this project, Hohman deployed a unique approach called small-molecule serial femtosecond crystallography, or smSFX. 

    “Our collaboration led the first-ever use of serial crystallography to fully solve true unknown crystal structures of small-molecule systems,” Hohman says. “This solved a huge problem in our field – before, if you were making materials that formed small crystals, then you couldn’t easily solve the crystal structure.” 

    Before using this technique, Hohman jokes, “life with my tiny crystals was mostly just despair.” 

    The materials he was interested in studying – known as MOChas, or metal–organic chacogenolates – would form crystals that were simply too small to solve using conventional methods. They possessed interesting properties, like luminescence, that seemed potentially useful in applications like solar cells or LEDs; but without understanding their molecular structure, scientists couldn’t figure out how to harness these properties. 

    “You can control all the photonic, electronic, and quantum properties of systems synthetically in the laboratory by editing a molecule or changing the design of that molecule,” Hohman says. “But if you don’t know what the structure of something is, then all you have is a little pile of stuff that sort of glows when you shine a UV light on it.” 

    The team’s “big breakthrough” was using smSFX to solve the structures of very small molecules. They are hopeful that this will pave the way for developing new materials for green energy and climate change mitigation technologies. Some of the materials they solved show potential for applications like solar power and carbon sequestration.  

    More broadly, the smSFX technique could be used in future trials to analyze all manner of new materials, from quantum semiconductors to cancer treatments. 

    Hohman is now turning his focus to publishing the library of materials solved on this trip.  

    “The materials are really quite cutting-edge; it’s hard to say exactly what they will be used for,” Hohman says. “The scientific community, collectively, is just starting to discover this stuff.” But he notes that the materials his group has solved may offer “a lot of material advantages” for quantum information science. 

    The Tokyo Shift

    Clockwise from center: Vanessa Oklejas, Nate Hohman, Aaron Brewster, Maggie Willson, and Masha Aleksich share a meal in Tokyo. (Courtesy of Phil MacDonald)

    Hohman was joined on the 2022 trip to SACLA by colleagues from various institutions, including Aaron Brewster, Daniel Paley, and David Mittan-Moreau of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Elyse Schriber, a then-graduate student researcher in Hohman’s lab who is now a project scientist at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; and Vanessa Oklejas, who has moved to a new role at Lockheed Martin. 

    Three current members of Hohman’s lab were also on the team: Maggie Willson, Patience Kotei, and Masha Aleksich, now third- and fourth-year doctoral students. 

    For Willson, who received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Central Oklahoma, it was her first time traveling out of the country. 

    “That whole trip was very surreal for me,” she says. “I had graduated the May before that trip, so I hadn’t even started grad school yet.” 

    As Hohman tells it, one of the first things he asked Willson to do after accepting her into his lab was “hop on a plane to Japan.” Thankfully, she rose to the occasion – and gained experience that proved pivotal in her career path. 

    “After this trip, I have done seven more of these experiments (in CA, the UK, and another in Japan) and have dedicated the majority of my work here in grad school to these types of crystallography experiments,” Willson says. “Before graduate school, I was planning on becoming a professor at a primarily undergraduate institution in order to focus on teaching, but I am now working towards a career at a synchrotron or an X-ray free electron laser in order to do these types of experiments for other research groups.” 

    For Kotei, who received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Kwame Nkruma University of Science and Technology in Ghana, the trip was similarly propulsive. 

    “My graduate research primarily focuses on serial crystallography, and my visit to SACLA broadened my perspective on ultrafast dynamics and advanced structural characterization techniques,” says Kotei. “Experiencing world-class research infrastructure firsthand reinforced my motivation to pursue high-impact research. Currently, I am in discussions with leading scientists and experts at SACLA regarding potential research opportunities after completing my degree.” 

    Aleksich, a fourth-year chemistry PhD candidate specifically focusing on MOChas, credits the trip to Tokyo with shifting her goals and her understanding of herself as a scientist. 

    “Having the opportunity to conduct research at this level as a second-year graduate student really grew my confidence and took off any limitations I have had about the caliber of research I would be able to work on in my lifetime,” she says. “Growing up, of course I looked up to the greats like Marie Curie and Rosalind Franklin, but I figured that I was not qualified to truly advance the scientific field. But this experience showed me that if an idea is there, and it’s able to be well communicated, then people are interested in funding it. And for every one great scientist we remember, there were hundreds who helped along the way.” 

    “BEAMTIME: Crystal Hitters” is available to stream on YouTube.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/SOUTH KOREA – Archbishop Nappa celebrates the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Korean Pontifical Mission Societies in Seoul

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Don Marco Kim

    Seoul (Agenzia Fides) – “It is with great emotion that I visit this land of martyrs that is Korea, a unique country in the history of the Church, where the faith took root spontaneously before the arrival of the missionaries.” With these words, Archbishop Emilio Nappa began his homily at the commemorative Mass for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Korean National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS). The Eucharistic concelebration was presided over this morning, Monday, March 31, by Bishop Mathias Iong-hoon Ri, President of the Korean Bishops’ Conference, in the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Seoul, in Myeongdong.Archbishop Nappa, current Secretary General of the Governorate of the Vatican City and former President of the Pontifical Mission Societies, concelebrated the Mass at 10 a.m., in the presence of Cardinal Andrea Yeom, Archbishop Emeritus of Seoul; Archbishop Giovanni Gaspari, Apostolic Nuncio to South Korea; and numerous prelates, priests, former national directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies, religious sisters and lay missionaries, as well as hundreds of faithful. “Your ancestors in the faith,” said Archbishop Nappa, “kept their faith under severe persecution, dreaming of eternal life. Nobles and servants sat together, calling each other brothers and sisters.” The former PMS president “gave thanks and praise to God” for all those who have served the Korean PMS throughout their history, inviting the faithful to “implore with the same ardent intention […] so that the steadfast faith that animated your ancestors in the faith may be awakened in you.”In his welcoming address, Cardinal Andrew Soo-jung Yeom, Archbishop Emeritus of Seoul, retraced the history of the Korean PMS, recalling that the Pontifical Mission Societies of Korea were established on June 29, 1965, under the name ‘Pontifical Commission for the Propagation of the Faith’.He also emphasized that in 60 years, we have moved from a “Church that receives” (referring to the period when Korea was still poor and seminaries benefited from PMS subsidies) to a “Church that gives.” Indeed, “the Church on mission,” the Cardinal explained, “is a Church on the move, a Church that spreads the fragrance of Christ through the charity of daily life.”The Eucharistic celebration was followed by a conference on mission and several testimonies from consecrated and lay missionaries. Thomas Aquinas Seong-ho Song and Rosa Eun-hyung Rosa Yang, a Consolata lay missionary couple and grandparents of three grandchildren, recounted how they were called at the age of 60 to a mission in Tanzania after a previous experience in Mozambique. “Living with people and loving them” in order to “be able to proclaim Christ” were the main characteristics of the mission witnessed by the couple. As administrators at the Mission Center, he and her vice-directors, Thomas and Rosa, also reiterated the importance of learning the language and obtaining a driver’s license to begin interacting with the local community and becoming accustomed to its cultural expressions. They also emphasized that the situation they have embraced is “a place where it is difficult to live without prayer.”Another significant testimony came from Sister Anna Kang, a member of the Conceptionist Teaching Missionaries and a missionary in the Philippines from 2018 to 2023. With the help of the PMS and thanks to the support of many other donors, Sister Anna continued a daycare project, created specifically to provide a place of welcome and education for children who come from these homes where “a single room serves as a kitchen, dormitory, and bathroom.”During the lecture given by Father Peter Dong Won Kim, head of the Department of Mission ad Gentes of the Archdiocese of Seoul, he recounted his missionary experience in Taiwan, working with an aboriginal parish in the mountains, emphasizing that “missionary travel is not dictated by personal preferences (even if it seems so), but by the missionary’s response to God’s call.””We hope that the missionary spirit you experienced as President of the Pontifical Mission Societies will continue to accompany you in fulfilling your new mission,” expressed Father Marco Sungsu Kim, official of the Dicastery for Evangelization (section for the First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches), who accompanied the Archbishop during his visit to Japan and South Korea. The former President of the PMS took the time, at the end of his homily, to thank the Korean Church, which places its priests at the disposal of the universal Church.Archbishop Nappa’s visit to South Korea began on March 26 with a visit to the Apostolic Nunciature and a meeting with the Nuncio, Msgr. Giovanni Gaspari, and ended this morning. During his stay, Archbishop Nappa participated with a message of good wishes in the Mass celebrated on March 26, also in Myeongdong, for the 12th anniversary of the papal election of Pope Francis, with all the Korean bishops gathered for the Ordinary Plenary Assembly of the Korean Bishops’ Conference.The Archbishop also celebrated a Mass with the Salesian Sisters (about 30 sisters) on March 27 and took the opportunity to thank them for their commitment to North Korean youth. On the same day, he visited the Korean Bishops’ Conference where he was welcomed with “deep gratitude” by Secretary General Stefano Cheol-soo Lee and conveyed the greetings of Cardinal Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization.The day’s program concluded with a meeting with Catholic secondary school students. On March 28, he then visited the Diocese of Daegu, where he celebrated Mass, had a brief meeting with Bishop Thaddeus Hwan-kil Cho, and visited the Daegu Archdiocesan Major Seminary, Gwandeokjung (Museum of Martyrdom), the cathedral, the headquarters of ‘Catholic Times’, and the regional headquarters of the ‘Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation’. On the 29th, he visited the Diocese of Suwon, where Bishop Mathias Iong-hoon Ri, president of the Korean Bishops’ Conference, is bishop. In the afternoon, after visiting the Marian Shrine of Namyang (dedicated first to the anonymous martyrs, and later, in 1991, to the Virgin Mary), he concelebrated Mass with approximately 200 children at the parish of St. Pio of Pietrelcina in Hwaseong (Dongtan Bansong-dong Catholic Church). He then returned to the Seoul Major Seminary on Sunday, March 30, and visited the Seosomun Martyrs’ Shrine, the site where many early Korean Catholics were martyred, including the first to be baptized, Peter Seung-hun Yi.The gifts that Archbishop Nappa brought to the bishops and collaborators in Japan and Korea consisted of a wooden reproduction of the crucifix offered by Saint John Mary Vianney to Blessed Pauline Jaricot (prepared by the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith, POPF) and booklets on the life of the foundress of the societies and of Jeanne Bigard (foundress of the Pontifical Society of Saint Peter the Apostle, POSPA), as well as the missionary rosaries of the Dicastery. (PR) (Agenzia Fides, 31/3/2025)
    Don Marco Kim

    Don Marco Kim

    Don Marco Kim

    Don Marco Kim

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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/SOUTH SUDAN – “South Sudan risks becoming a battlefield for foreign interests, and this will have devastating consequences for future generations”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Monday, 31 March 2025

    Juba (Agenzia Fides) – South Sudan risks becoming a battlefield for foreign forces. This is the warning of the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Sudan and South Sudan (SSCBC) in light of the situation in the young country following the arrest of Vice President Riek Machar (see Fides, 27/3/2025). “The arrest of opposition leaders and the involvement of foreign military forces, especially the deployment of the Ugandan People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), has only served to heighten fears and mistrust. Such actions risk turning our beloved country into a battleground for external interests and political manipulation,” reads the statement issued on March 28 on the escalation of violence and political tensions in South Sudan. “We warn our leaders: If South Sudan falls back into large-scale violence, the consequences will be catastrophic,” reads the document sent to Fides. “The loss of life, the breakdown of national unity, and the collapse of already fragile institutions will have devastating consequences for future generations.” The bishops call on civil society groups, young people, women’s organizations, and the international community to join forces against the war and for peace. They urge the people of South Sudan to resist incitement to hatred, incitement to tribal conflict, and disinformation, especially on social media. “We remain ready to mediate dialogue, to be a voice for the voiceless, and to work hand in hand with all who seek genuine peace,” reads the message signed by Cardinal Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, President of the Bishops’ Conference and Archbishop of Juba. Meanwhile, on March 28, former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga traveled to Juba to meet with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir. Odinga, who had been tasked by IGAD (the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union’s regional economic community) to mediate between Kiir and Machar, was unable to meet with the latter.The former Kenyan prime minister then traveled to Uganda for a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni. At the end of the Angelus prayer yesterday, Sunday, March 30, Pope Francis “once again I renew my heartfelt appeal to all leaders to do their utmost to lower the tension in the country.””We must put aside our differences and, with courage and responsibility, sit around a table and engage in constructive dialogue. Only in this way will it be possible to alleviate the suffering of the beloved South Sudanese people and to build a future of peace and stability,” the Pope said. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 31/3/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Minister Hlabisa announces the allocations for disaster funds disbursed to Provinces

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements-2)

    Minister Hlabisa announces the allocations for disaster funds disbursed to Provinces

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72ziNJAPXeY

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Our early human ancestors were surprisingly slow

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Computer simulated anatomy, used in the study, of the lower limb of Australopithecus afarensis. Bates et al.

    By Tom O’Mahoney, Anglia Ruskin University

    Imagine the scene, around 3 million years ago in what is now east Africa. By the side of a river, an injured antelope keels over and draws its last breath. The carcass is soon set on by hyenas, who tussle with a crocodile. The crocodile surfaces and grabs part of the animal.

    The hyenas win and the crocodile retreats with only a leg. After having their fill, the hyenas slope off. Some funny-looking apes approach, walking upright. They have what appear to be stones with sharp edges in their hands. They hurriedly cut off some scraps of meat and start chewing at them.

    Their squabbling attracts the attention of a nearby Homotherium (an extinct, scimitar-toothed big cat) who creeps up and suddenly breaks cover. Will these strange apes survive the encounter? Can they run fast enough, and far enough?

    Our team’s research modelled the anatomy of these early humans, Australopithecus afarensis, to find out how well they could run. Australopithecus afarensis is one of the best-known early human ancestors dating from 2.9-3.9 million years ago.

    The partially complete Australopithecus afarensis skeleton Lucy, or Dinkʼinesh (Amharic: ድንቅ ነሽ, lit.“you are marvellous”) is globally iconic as a representation of early bipedalism (the ability to walk on two legs). Found in the Afar Depression in north east Ethiopia, this discovery received worldwide attention when it was made in 1974. It was evidence that brain expansion evolved after human ancestors started walking on two legs, as scientists had long believed.

    Reconstruction of the fossil skeleton of Lucy the Australopithecus afarensis. Wikimedia/Author 120, CC BY-SA

    Some researchers have also linked Australopithecine anatomy to an, as yet unknown, knuckle-walking common ancestor of humans, gorillas and chimpanzees. This hypothesis has since been refuted.

    Scientists now believe that knuckle-walking probably evolved several times in apes, as the style of walking and internal architecture of ape hands and elbows are subtly different from each other. Researchers also think that the anatomy we see in hominins reflects an adaptation for upright movement in trees in a distant ancestor.

    Early bipeds, such as Ardipithecus kadabba which looked a bit like a gorilla, lived in Africa between 5.8 and 5.2 million years ago. They lived in mosaic habitats (a mixture of open and wooded landscapes) so some adaptation to moving in trees would make sense.

    Until recently, scientists thought that only animals of the genus Homo, which emerged around 2 million years ago, made stone tools. The discovery of cut-marked bones in Dikika, Ethiopia (in 2009) dated at 3.4 million years, and in 2011 of stone tools at Lomekwi, Kenya from 3.3 million years ago, changed scientists’ ideas of how much access Australopithecus had to meat.

    The debate is now more a matter of whether Australopithecus regularly killed animals themselves, or if they were eating from carcasses after other predators (secondary access).

    For primary access and regular kills, they needed to be able to do two things. Run fast (bursts of speed to outpace an unaware animal), and run for long amounts of time (to wear down a prey animal).

    This is the endurance running hypothesis. The emergence of this behaviour is thought to coincide with more modern anatomy, such as seen in Homo erectus, who lived from around 2 million years ago to around 1 million years ago. The best way to test if Australopithecus was capable of endurance running at what we consider “modern” speeds is to reconstruct the skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis and simulate how they may have moved.

    To try and answer this question, my team reconstructed the complete skeleton of Lucy, using 3D modelling. Where parts were missing, we estimated these using scaled versions of other Australopithecus skeletons. Since Lucy is closely related to chimpanzees as well, we also morphed Australopith and modern human and chimpanzee skeletal material, using an analytical technique called geometric morphometrics.

    We then started putting muscles onto the bones of the pelvis and lower limbs of Australopithecus and a modern human model, using the open source software Gaitsym. Muscles and other soft tissues are not preserved in fossils so we varied the muscle properties from chimpanzee-like to human-like, producing a range of estimates for running speed and economy.

    We also ran multiple simulations where we added and removed a long Achilles tendon, which chimpanzees don’t have, as it is thought to affect running speed and energy use by enhancing recovery.

    This was a team effort, with reconstructions across multiple labs. The simulations were run on the high performance computing facilities at the University of Liverpool.

    These simulations revealed that Lucy wasn’t as good at running as modern humans. The top speed our simulations could produce was 11mph, with a minimum of about 3.35mph. Elite sprinters, however, can reach peak speeds of more than 20mph. Even non-elite sprinters can reach around 17.6mph.

    We also found that the metabolic cost of transport (how much energy it takes to move) was between 1.7 and 2.9 times higher in Lucy than in a modern human. The more “ape like” you make the muscle architecture and the shorter you make the Achilles tendon, the higher this cost is.

    It appears that modern human limb proportions, combined with key changes in architecture of the calf muscle (such as relatively short fibres and large cross sectional areas), plus a long Achilles tendon, enabled much faster running in the genus Homo.

    This means that it was probably not physiologically possible for Australopithecus afarensis to engage in persistence hunting, unlike later species of the genus Homo species.

    Going back to our story at the start, it is likely the Australopithecines in this group wouldn’t have escaped the big cat. They simply couldn’t run fast enough, or for long enough.

    Tom O’Mahoney, Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

    If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM remarks at the Organised Immigration Summit in central London: 31 March 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    PM remarks at the Organised Immigration Summit in central London: 31 March 2025

    The Prime Minister’s remarks at the Organised Immigration Summit in central London today (Monday 31 March).

    It’s great to welcome you all to Lancaster House. It was right here, earlier this month that the UK convened leaders from across Europe together with President Zelenskyy to support a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

    Because we know that Ukraine’s security is our security. And we can only deliver it by taking bold action at home, with the biggest increase in defence spending since the Cold War.

    And also, by working together with our international partners. 

    Now – the same is clearly true for the security of our borders.

    Illegal migration is a massive driver of global insecurity. It undermines our ability to control who comes here. And that makes people angry. 

    It makes me angry, frankly because it is unfair on ordinary working people who pay the price, from the cost of hotels to our public services struggling under the strain.

    And it’s unfair on the illegal migrants themselves. Because these are vulnerable people being ruthlessly exploited by vile gangs.

    So look, we must each take decisive action in our own countries to deal with this. Nobody can doubt that the people we serve want this issue sorted.

    But the truth is – we can only smash these gangs, once and for all if we work together.

    Because this evil trade, it exploits the cracks between our institutions. Pits nations against one another. Profits from our inability at the political level to come together.

    And that’s why from the moment I took office we said the UK would convene this Summit.

    And I’m delighted today to be joined by all of you. Representatives from more than 40 countries across the world, building a truly international effort to defeat organised immigration crime.

    And let me tell you why. Let me take you back to a visit I made as a relatively new Member of Parliament in 2016 to the camp on the outskirts of Calais.

    I can still picture it now. The muddy ground, sodden with rain and human waste. 

    Children as young as five and seven, the same age as my children were then huddling together in freezing temperatures with almost nothing to keep them warm.

    Now, of course, that infamous camp has long since gone. But the evil of the people smuggling businesses that put people there, that remains.

    The gangs remain. That exploitation of desperation, misery and false hope – that all remains.

    There’s nothing progressive or compassionate about turning a blind eye to this. Nothing progressive or compassionate about continuing that false hope which attracts people to make those journeys.

    No – we have got to get to grips with it once and for all. That’s why when I spoke at the INTERPOL meeting in Glasgow last year I said we need to treat people-smuggling as a global security threat similar if you like to terrorism.

    We’ve got to bring to bear all the powers we have at our disposal in much the same way we do against terrorism.

    Before I was a politician, I was the Director of Public Prosecutions in England and Wales. We worked across borders throughout Europe and beyond to foil numerous plots.

    Saving thousands of lives in the process. We prevented planes from being blown up over the Atlantic. And we brought the perpetrators to justice.

    So I believe we should treat organised immigration crime in the exactly same way. I simply don’t believe organised immigration crime cannot be tackled.

    So – we’ve got to combine resources. Share intelligence and tactics. Tackle the problem upstream at every step of the people smuggling journey, from North Africa and the Middle East to the high streets of our biggest cities. 

    And look, to that end, we’ve already got to work. Begun to make progress since I came into office. The UK has re-set its entire approach to international collaboration.

    I’ve put smashing the gangs on the agenda of international summits. Showing that the UK now means business. Working together with our allies. We’ve struck new agreements and plans with so many of the countries represented in the room here today.

     Take our work with France as a good example. Now previously – their maritime doctrine prevented French law enforcement from responding to small boats in shallow waters.

    But now we’re working with them to change that, to make sure we get new border patrols and specialist units on the French coast using state-of-the-art surveillance technology.

    With Germany another example, if you can believe it, it wasn’t technically illegal to facilitate people-smuggling to a country outside the EU, like the United Kingdom. But now it will be.

    And with our new bilateral agreement Germany will be able to prosecute the criminal networks facilitating this vile trade.

    Just a few examples of the international collaboration that is so important to taking this challenge on. And it’s beginning to bear fruit.

    At the end of last year, a major operation by French, German and British law enforcement smashed an Iraqi smuggling network with multiple arrests and the seizure seizing hundreds of boats and engines.

    In Amsterdam, a man was arrested on suspicion of supplying hundreds of small boat parts to people smugglers.

    That was a joint operation with our National Crime Agency together with Dutch and Belgian police.

    We’re also working upstream to address factors that drive people towards small boats in the first place.

    Working with the authorities in Albania and Vietnam on campaigns to deter those who are thinking about making that perilous journey.

    Because there is also nothing progressive about allowing working age people to come here illegally instead of supporting them to build their own economies, secure a better future for their own countries, and build a safer, more prosperous world.

    But look – as we work together more closely I think than ever before we’ve also got to take the tough measures at home in our own countries.

    That doesn’t mean gimmicks. You may be familiar with the gimmicks of the last 14 years here in Britain. It means understanding the problem.

    And coming up with pragmatic solutions that work. Actually, fixing what’s wrong.

    Few things show this more clearly, than our approach to border security. We inherited this total fragmentation between our policing, our Border Force and our intelligence agencies.

    A fragmentation that made it crystal clear, when I looked at it, that there were gaps in our defence. An open invitation at our borders for the people smugglers to crack on.

    To be honest it should have been fixed years ago. But we’re doing it now with our new Border Security Command. Led by Martin Hewitt – who many of you I think will know.

    We’re recruiting hundreds of specialist investigators from across our police, our Border Force and intelligence agencies. Creating an elite Border Force. Working with our international partners. Ending the fragmentation. 

    £150 million invested over the next two years and new powers and criminal offences to get the job done. So the police will be able to seize the phones and devices of migrants arriving on our shores and gather intelligence about the smugglers. 

    The police will be able to act when they have reason to believe preparations are being made for criminal activity instead of waiting for a crime to happen before they can act.

    And it will be an offence to endanger lives at sea to prevent more tragic deaths in the Channel.

    We are also redeploying resources away from the Tory’s wasteful Rwanda scheme. A scheme that spent over 700 million pounds of taxpayer money to remove just four volunteers.

    You know, even if that scheme had gone well, they were claiming they might remove – 300 people a year.

    Since coming to office – I can announce today we have returned more than 24,000 people who have no right to be here. 

    That would have taken the Rwanda scheme 80 years to achieve. This is what I mean about not giving in to gimmicks. Just focusing our efforts and resources on the nuts and bolts of removing people. Getting the asylum system working properly. That’s how we’ve delivered the highest returns rate for eight years and the four biggest return flights ever.

    We’re also ramping up the deportation of Foreign National Offenders with a new team of specialist frontline staff going into our prisons, speeding up the removal of prisoners who have no right to be in this country.

    Now, all of this is providing a real disincentive to people thinking about coming to Britain illegally. But if we’re talking about incentives – we need to talk about the people smugglers as well.

    Because they don’t care about borders. They don’t care about the people they traffic. And they don’t care about our country and our people.

    They only care about one thing: money. They make huge profits out of ruining people’s lives. I mean – a few months ago, I went to see some of the boats that had been seized at the NCA headquarters. 

    Now we call them small boats, but honestly they’re not worthy of the name boat. I don’t know what you would call them. To me they look like death traps.

    Flimsy. Rubber. No firm structure. You would not let your children climb aboard, even for a second in shallow waters.

    Seriously – if they were a car, they’d be off the road in minutes. The police would intervene. 

    And don’t tell me they’ve got any purpose other than people smuggling. So I see no reason why we can’t go after them. And so we are.

    We have seized hundreds of boats and engines, driving up the costs for the smugglers.

    We have taken down 18,000 social media accounts. That’s 10,000 more than last year, disrupting the way smugglers promote their services.

    And more than that, we have announced a new sanctions regime. Treating people smugglers like terrorists. Freezing their assets, banning their travel.

    Putting them behind bars – where they belong. But just as important – putting their entire model, out of business, securing our borders on behalf of working people.

    Because as I said at the start – this is about fairness. And there is little that strikes working people as more unfair than watching illegal migration drive down their wages, their terms and their conditions through illegal work in their community. 

    We have to be honest here. For too long, the UK has been a soft touch on this. While the last government were busy with their Rwanda gimmick, they left the door wide open for illegal working.

    Especially in short-term or zero-hours roles like in construction, beauty salons and courier services.

    And while of course most companies do the responsible thing and carry out right to work checks.

    Too many dodgy firms have been exploiting a loophole to skip this process: hiring illegal workers, undercutting honest businesses, driving down the wages of ordinary working people. 

    And all of this, of course fuelling that poisonous narrative of the gangs who promise the dream of a better life to vulnerable people yet deliver a nightmare of squalid conditions and appalling exploitation.

    Well, today we are changing that because this government is introducing a tough new law to force all companies to carry out these checks on right to work.

    They take just minutes to complete – so they are not burdensome for business. And they can be done free of charge – so there will be no excuses.

    And no ability to claim they didn’t know they had illegal workers. And failure to comply will result in fines of up to £60,000. Prison terms of up to 5 years and the potential closure of their business.

    Now, none of these strategies on their own are a silver bullet. I know that.

    But each of them is another tool. An arsenal we are building up to smash the gangs once and for all.

    We must pull every lever available. And that is what this Labour government is doing. 

    No short cuts, no gimmicks. Just the hard graft of sleeves-rolled-up, practical government. 

    Securing our borders. Getting a grip on illegal migration. Delivering our Plan for Change.

    We want to work with you and with everyone who is as determined as we are to end the misery and evil of people-smuggling.

    Because together we will save lives.

    We will secure our borders.

    We will smash the gangs that undermine our security…

    And deliver fairness for the working people we serve.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 31 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: African Rare Earth Projects Advance Amid Rising Global Demand

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 31, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The global demand for rare earth elements (apo-opa.co/3FI1pbZ) is projected to increase four-fold by 2030, driven by the energy transition and increasing investments in industrialization. African nations rich in rare earth minerals are accelerating exploration and production efforts to capitalize on this growth. With up to eight rare earth projects set for commissioning across the continent by 2029 – boosting Africa’s share of the global supply chain to 10% – the upcoming African Mining Week will spotlight opportunities across the rare earth value chain.

    Africa’s rare earth sector remains largely untapped, thereby attracting the interest of global project developers eager to unlock its full potential. South African asset manager Novare, for example, signed a R1.8 billion agreement (apo-opa.co/3E9EG8f) in February 2025 with American firm ReElement Technologies to develop a rare earth refining and battery manufacturing facility. ReElement will contribute its refining technology while Novare will provide funding for the value addition initiative, with construction expected to begin in the second half of 2025.

    In Namibia, the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security and Namibia Critical Metals (apo-opa.co/427nfNI) completed a production pilot for the Lofdal Project, one of only two xenotime-type heavy rare earth deposits currently under development worldwide. Meanwhile, in Angola, Pensana (apo-opa.co/43A3nW0) secured an $80 million loan from Absa Bank Limited in January 2025 to expedite the rollout of the Longonjo Project, which is expected to supply 5% of the world’s magnet metal rare earths demand – essential for the development of wind turbines and electric vehicles.

    Major investors are also making bold moves in Africa’s rare earth sector. Billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates (apo-opa.co/3FJsOdC) have injected $537 million into exploration and mine development through mining startup KoBold Metals, further accelerating Africa’s rare earth ambitions. The funding will be directed toward rare earth mining ventures. Additionally, recognizing the strategic value of rare earths, multinational financial institution the African Development Bank proposed the development of the African Units of Account (AUA) (apo-opa.co/3FOTDxe) – a new currency backed by Africa’s critical mineral reserves, including rare earth elements. The initiative would help stabilize regional currency markets and attract more international investment in green energy projects, amidst the growing demand of critical minerals globally and Africa’s vast reserves.

    The year 2025 continues to mark significant milestones in the growth of Africa’s rare earth sector, with the advancement of key projects (apo-opa.co/43uodGd) such as Phalaborwa and Steenkampskraal (South Africa), Makuutu (Angola), Ngualla (Tanzania) and Songwe (Malawi). Amid these developments, African Mining Week serves as a strategic platform for African regulators, industry stakeholders and global investors to engage in deal signings and forge partnerships, further solidifying Africa’s role in the global rare earth supply chain.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Unveils MNT Promotion Offering Up to $1 Million in Rewards

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles , March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Mantle (MNT) to launch an exclusive month-long trading campaign with a prize pool of up to $1,000,000, offering users an opportunity to earn substantial rewards.

    The event presents a range of valuable opportunities for users:

    • Zero trading fees on MNT Spot and Futures markets, helping users reduce costs and optimize returns.
    • Up to 500% APR through MNT staking, offering one of the most competitive yields currently available.
    • Token rewards via Launchpool, where users can stake USDT, MX, or MNT to earn additional MNT tokens and exclusive benefits.

    Additionally, users can join the Deposit & Trade campaign, designed with a low entry threshold—ideal for newcomers looking to explore the ecosystem. For seasoned traders, the Futures Trading Competition provides a platform to demonstrate their trading expertise, climb the leaderboard based on trading volume, and compete for a share of the $300,000 prize pool.

    Event Overview

    Period: March 31, 2025, 10:00 – April 30, 2025, 10:00 (UTC)
    During the event period, users can participate in the following MNT-related activities on the platform by clicking on the links below.
    Event 1: MNT trading (Spot and Futures) is available with zero trading fees.
    Event 2: Users who deposit and trade MNT on the Spot market may qualify to share a pool of 113,340 MNT.
    Event 3: MNT staking offers returns of up to 500% APR, subject to platform terms.
    Event 4: A Futures Trading event allows participants to compete for a share of 300,000 USDT in bonus rewards.
    Event 5: The MNT Launchpool enables users to stake selected tokens in exchange for a portion of 240,000 MNT in rewards.

    As a pioneering Layer-2 scaling solution for Ethereum, Mantle uses Optimistic Rollup technology to lower transaction costs and improve network performance. This collaboration highlights MEXC’s leadership in backing innovative blockchain projects and its unwavering commitment to offering users diverse, cutting-edge trading opportunities, lowering costs and helping them maximize their potential returns.

    Looking ahead, MEXC is committed to continuously enhancing the trading experience by introducing innovative features, expanding user opportunities, and launching new initiatives aligned with the dynamic nature of the cryptocurrency market.

    For further details on the event, please see the official announcement.

    About MEXC
    Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 34 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.
    MEXC Official Website｜ X ｜ Telegram ｜How to Sign Up on MEXC

    Risk Disclaimer:
    The information provided in this article regarding cryptocurrencies does not constitute investment advice. Given the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, investors are encouraged to carefully assess market fluctuations, the fundamentals of projects, and potential financial risks before making any trading decisions.

    Source

    Contact:
    Lucia Hu
    PR Manager
    lucia.hu@mexc.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by MEXC. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/75a055b0-3b18-4f14-b6f9-f7a099054d63

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Convenient connections: ITA Airways has moved into the Lufthansa Group terminal areas in Frankfurt and Munich

    Source: Lufthansa Group

    The next milestone in the integration of ITA Airways into the Lufthansa Group: With the start of the 2025 summer flight schedule today, all ITA Airways flights in Frankfurt and Munich will be handled in the Lufthansa Group terminals. This means that ITA Airways and the other Lufthansa Group airlines are “under one roof” at all the Group’s hubs, significantly reducing transfer times for passengers. 

    The move at the German hubs last night included the entire ITA Airways handling operation, from check-in, gates, service desks and baggage reclaim. 

    In Frankfurt, the Italian airline moved from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1, which is used by the Lufthansa Group. Since ITA Airways will also be flying from gate areas A and B in the future, passengers will benefit from significantly shorter distances and thus shorter transfer times. ITA Airways passengers can also reach the Deutsche Bahn long-distance train station with ICE high-speed train connections quickly and easily from Terminal 1. 

    In Munich, ITA Airways moved from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 and its satellite. This terminal is operated by a joint venture between Lufthansa and Munich Airport. As of today, ITA Airways passengers will therefore be using the terminal that has been awarded five stars by Skytrax multiple times. 

    At the other Lufthansa Group hubs in Brussels, Rome, Vienna and Zurich, all Lufthansa Group airlines are already under one roof. For example, there was already a seamless transfer process for customers between SWISS and ITA Airways at Zurich Airport. In addition, the airlines’ check-in desks have already been placed next to each other at the majority of jointly served airports in recent weeks.

    Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer, Lufthansa Group, says: “This move is an important milestone in the integration of ITA Airways into the Lufthansa Group. Our customers will be able to transfer faster and more comfortably thanks to shorter distances and will have more comfort throughout their entire journey. This also includes the shared use of lounges. This integration gives ITA Airways passengers access to the enormous advantages of the Lufthansa Group, with all its premium airlines and a worldwide route network. It also gives passengers more direct access to numerous destinations to the Italian market. In just two months, we have succeeded in offering our passengers a seamless premium travel experience.” 

    With the summer flight schedule valid from today, ITA Airways and the Lufthansa Group Airlines are also launching their joint codeshare flights, which have been offered to customers for several weeks. The route networks of ITA Airways and the other network airlines of the Lufthansa Group are now aligned and connected and can therefore be combined in a single booking. Passengers can choose from over 100 new codeshare connections within Europe, operated by both ITA Airways and the Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air Dolomiti). Lufthansa Group passengers can reach though code-sharing with ITA Airways the Italian airports of Alghero (AHO), Lampedusa (LMP), Pantelleria (PNL) and Reggio Calabria (REG). With a Lufthansa codeshare ticket, passengers can also travel to Tripoli in Libya again. More than 50,000 of these combination tickets have already been sold in the first three weeks.

    Reciprocal Lounge access possible with immediate effect 
    From today, ITA Airways passengers can also use the approximately 130 lounges of the Lufthansa Group and its partners on their travels. From today, the lounges of ITA Airways are also open to Lufthansa Group passengers from today. Frequent flyers have been benefiting from expanded options since 03 February 2025. Miles & More members can earn and redeem miles and points for their frequent flyer status on all flights operated by ITA Airways. Conversely, Volare customers can also earn and redeem points with Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines. 
     

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: People affected by violence and cholera in South Sudan arrive exhausted in Ethiopia

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • In South Sudan’s Upper Nile state, people are affected by violence and cholera, causing them to seek safety across the border in Ethiopia’s Gambella region.
    • MSF teams are on both sides of the border, providing critical care to people.
    • Urgent support is needed to provide safe water, implement widespread cholera vaccination campaigns, and reinforce treatment capacity for both cholera patients and trauma cases. 

    A humanitarian crisis is rapidly unfolding on both sides of the South Sudan–Ethiopia border, as escalating violence, displacement and a widespread cholera outbreak are pushing communities to the brink, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warns.

    Clashes between government forces and armed groups, which initially began in Upper Nile state, South Sudan, now risk spreading to other parts of the country. Across the border, Ethiopia’s Gambella region is experiencing the effects of this violence. According to the United Nations, approximately 10,000 displaced people have crossed into Ethiopia since the beginning of March.

    “We have already witnessed how this violence has fuelled the spread of cholera in several areas, but a larger, escalating conflict could push the entire country into an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe,” says Zakaria Mwatia, MSF head of mission in South Sudan. “We urgently call on all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians, healthcare workers, and medical facilities, and to grant unhindered access for humanitarian and medical assistance, in line with international humanitarian law.”

    A map of MSF’s response on both sides of the border in March 2025.

    South Sudan has been grappling with cholera outbreaks across the country since last year. The latest wave, which began in Upper Nile state, is now spreading further into neighbouring Jonglei state, the Greater Pibor Administrative Area, and across the border into Ethiopia’s Gambella region, where MSF teams are working to treat patients amid the surge in cases.

    In Upper Nile state, MSF is treating people wounded in the violence and supporting cholera treatment facilities in Ulang, Malakal and Renk counties. In Jonglei state, MSF is responding in Lankien as well as in Akobo, where a 100-bed cholera treatment unit set up by MSF in Akobo County hospital has treated over 300 patients in just over two weeks. MSF is also responding in Pibor town in the Greater Pibor Administrative area. Since the beginning of March, MSF teams have treated over 1,000 cholera patients across South Sudan and received over 30 patients wounded in the violence.

    Ruach Riek Chuol was admitted to MSF hospital in Ulang with injuries he sustained in the violence. “My goods and property for my business were all burned inside the house,” he says. “Everything was destroyed in the fire, including the house where I was.”

    In Ethiopia’s Gambella region, MSF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, has treated over 560 cholera patients since the start of the response in early March, in its cholera treatment centre and units in Mattar, Moan and Burbeiye with a capacity of 100 beds. MSF is also running oral rehydration points and conducting water, sanitation, and hygiene and community-based activities including door-to-door cholera awareness and water purification efforts, reaching over 5,000 people across multiple locations. In addition to cholera treatment, MSF teams have also provided medical care to 160 patients wounded in the clashes in South Sudan. 

    A cattle market in close to MSF’s cholera treatment unit in Ethiopia’s Gambella region. Ethiopia, March 2025.
    Metasebia Teshome/MSF

    “I came here because back home in Nasir, people are being killed,” said a South Sudanese mother who recently arrived in Burbeiye, Ethiopia. “There was nothing to eat, and when we arrived at the areas where we took respite, my kids became sick. There were no health facilities that we could run to.”

    The situation is rapidly deteriorating as thousands fleeing violence in South Sudan are crossing the border to seek safety. In Wanthoa Woreda, a new encampment in Burbeiye has emerged almost overnight, with over 6,500 new arrivals reported by local administrators — many of them women, children, and the elderly, arriving after days of travel. 

    “The displaced people are arriving in Gambella with little more than what they can carry,” said Joshua Eckley, MSF head of mission in Ethiopia. “Our teams are responding to the cholera outbreak and providing care to those arriving exhausted and in poor condition. There are significant needs, and without additional support, the situation could worsen.”

    This crisis comes at a time when South Sudan and Ethiopia are facing major reductions in donor funding, including the recent USAID cuts. While MSF does not accept funding from the US government, the cuts in the humanitarian and health assistance would severely reduce capacity of other organisations to respond to such crises.

    “In places like Akobo in Jonglei state, the cholera response has been highly impacted by funding cuts, including closure of critical health services,” says Mwatia. “A number of mobile clinics have already shut down following US funding cuts, and some organisations that supported health facilities, including cholera treatment units, have suspended all activities. This is part of a broader trend across the country.”

    The healthcare system in South Sudan suffers from chronic underfunding, shortages of skilled health staff, medicines and supplies, and has limited capacity to respond to emergencies. The country, already struggling to meet its own medical and humanitarian needs, is further burdened by the arrival of over one million people fleeing war in neighbouring Sudan. Urgent support is needed to provide safe water, implement widespread cholera vaccination campaigns, and reinforce treatment capacity for both cholera patients and trauma cases. 

    “Disruptions in cholera treatment services, combined with reduced actors’ capacity to support oral vaccination campaigns, heighten the risk of further spread,” says Mwatia. “We urge donors to allocate emergency funds for emergency response in South Sudan and neighbouring Ethiopia amid this escalating crisis.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ghana’s e-levy: 3 lessons from the abolished mobile money tax

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Max Gallien, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies

    The first budget speech of Ghana’s new government on 11 March painted a picture of an economy in crisis, facing high debt and fiscal mismanagement. The finance minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, acknowledged that key International Monetary Fund performance targets would be missed and announced drastic spending cuts.

    However, most Ghanaians just wanted to know whether the minister would announce the scrapping of the country’s electronic transfer levy (or e-tax), as he’d indicated he would.

    He did, a decision parliament endorsed unanimously the next day.

    The e-levy, a fee on mobile money transactions, was introduced in 2022. Ghanaians immediately united around the issue in fierce opposition, a sentiment that grew as the tax took effect.



    Read more:
    Ghana’s e-levy is unfair to the poor and misses its revenue target: a lesson in mobile money tax design

    Both major parties had campaigned for its removal in the run-up to elections held in December 2024.

    How did the e-levy become so unpopular, and what will repealing it mean?

    Over three years, researchers from the International Centre for Tax and Development worked with partners in Ghana to study the e-levy as part of our Digitax research programme. This study generated knowledge and evidence at the interface of digital financial services, digital identities and tax.

    The e-levy’s intense politicisation and complex design made it an interesting case of a wider trend of mobile money taxes in the region. We learned more about the e-levy’s impact on informal sector workers in Accra, knowledge and sentiments, registered merchant exemptions and mobile money usage.

    Based on this research, three key lessons emerge.

    Firstly, like other taxes on mobile money, the e-levy has come to be an important source of revenue in Ghana, even if it did not live up to initial optimistic estimates of its potential.

    Secondly, beyond the revenue it raised directly, the real potential of the e-levy – and loss if it is completely abolished – lay in the data it produced. It was enabling the Ghana Revenue Authority to uncover users with significant incomes who were not registered for income tax.

    Thirdly, the new consensus against the e-levy has arisen because important stakeholders such as mobile money providers and public opinion were not adequately managed from the start.

    A difficult birth

    Much like its departure, the e-levy was announced during a time of fiscal distress. Mobile money transactions had expanded rapidly, particularly after COVID-19, making it an attractive tax target, especially for the informal sector.

    Given this growth in the digital financial sector coupled with the need for revenue, the e-levy targeted the value of electronic financial transactions.

    Introduced in the 2022 budget at 1.75%, with a 100 cedi (US$10) daily exemption, it was met with strong resistance. The budget was rejected, protests erupted, and negotiations ensued. The government attempted to win public support through town hall meetings, eventually reducing the rate to 1.5% and adding exemptions.

    It went ahead with implementation in May 2022, however.

    Negative sentiment persisted, fuelled by confusion and concerns about its implementation.

    The government framed the tax as being essential for national development and investment attraction. But efforts to justify the necessity and benefit of the tax seemed to fall short.



    Read more:
    New data on the e-levy in Ghana: unpopular tax on mobile money transfers is hitting the poor hardest

    Several International Centre for Tax and Development studies, nationally representative and one focusing on informal markets, found an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction among Ghanaians.

    The studies also showed the grievances had less to do with the tax and its rates per se and more to do with how people viewed government and its trustworthiness to collect and spend money.

    Did Ghana’s e-levy work?

    New taxes are often unpopular, but that alone should not determine their fate.

    Other key indicators of performance include:

    Revenue: The e-levy met only 12% of the initial revenue target of GH₵6.96 billion (US$380 million). But, based on our research, we have concluded that this reflects poor forecasting rather than implementation failure. It still contributed about 1% of total tax revenue, which equated to about US$129 million annually.

    Mobile money usage: Many critics feared negative effects on financial inclusion. However, one study of this impact shows that while transactions initially dropped, they soon rebounded and continued to grow. Another International Centre for Tax and Development study found that exempted payments values and volumes increased, with registered merchants who benefited from this exemption developing greater trust in government policies.

    Equity and distributional effects: Despite exemptions, an International Centre for Tax and Development study focusing on the intended target of the e-levy, the informal sector, found that the e-levy as a whole was highly regressive. While the poorest were somewhat protected by the 100 cedi daily threshold, low-income mobile money users still bore the greatest tax burden. Additionally, with the high rate of inflation in Ghana, the unchanged daily threshold became less effective with time.

    This result is striking given that in its design, the e-levy is potentially less regressive than most mobile money taxes in Africa.

    Will it be missed?

    Given public hostility, its removal may be widely celebrated. However, it leaves a revenue gap that must be addressed. Ghana’s fiscal history suggests this could lead to new, potentially unpopular taxes.

    The bigger loss may be the dismantling of systems built to administer the e-levy. These new advances in tax administration allowed the country’s revenue authorities to track high-volume users who were not registered for income tax, offering a path towards more efficient taxation.

    As governments face mounting revenue pressures in an era of high debt and declining aid, careful attention must be paid to the politics of tax reform. Perhaps the e-levy’s greatest flaw was the haste with which it was introduced, without adequate stakeholder engagement. Uganda faced similar backlash from rushed mobile money taxation in 2018.

    Evidence shows that perceptions affect how users respond to taxes, and first impressions can be hard to overcome. So, it is essential to make sure they are seen as fair and appropriate from the start, so that they are sustainable.

    Max Gallien is a Research Lead at the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD). Through the ICTD, the research described in this article has been supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Gates Foundation.

    Martin Hearson is a Research Director at the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD). Through the ICTD, the research described in this article has been supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Gates Foundation.

    Mary Abounabhan is a Researcher at the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) Through the ICTD, the research described in this article has also been supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Gates Foundation.

    – ref. Ghana’s e-levy: 3 lessons from the abolished mobile money tax – https://theconversation.com/ghanas-e-levy-3-lessons-from-the-abolished-mobile-money-tax-253285

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nigerians having babies abroad: women explain their reasons

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Aduragbemi Banke-Thomas, Associate professor, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

    Nigerian women make up a significant proportion of foreign women giving birth in several countries.

    A study done in Calgary in Canada found 24.5% of foreign women identified as having travelled abroad to give birth were from Nigeria.

    Research in Chicago in the US found the majority (88%) of those seeking obstetric care in a hospital were Nigerian citizens.

    In the UK, the phenomenon is labelled by some as the “Lagos Shuttle”, highlighting the high number of Nigerian women said to be so-called “birth tourists”.

    It is estimated that over 23% of pregnant Nigerian women would like to travel abroad to give birth.

    Why is this? As medical and legal scholars we asked women who had travelled overseas for the birth of their babies to share their experiences.

    Existing research has not done enough to capture their voices, which matter in framing service delivery and immigration policies.

    We reported findings from this first-of-its-kind study in PLOS Global Public Health.

    As there is no registry of foreign pregnant women who gave birth abroad, it is a challenge to find them. For our study, we used social media platforms to recruit 27 Nigerian women who had given birth to at least one child abroad and conducted in-depth interviews with them to understand their motivations and experiences.

    Why women do it

    Of all recruited, 23 gave birth to at least one child in the US, and four gave birth to at least one child in the UK. One woman each gave birth in Canada, Ireland and Zambia.

    All the women in the study had at least a university degree.

    We found that reasons for seeking childbirth abroad varied.

    Some women were motivated by both perceived and experienced gains of foreign citizenship, which they believed might give their children a good education, a better living environment, and easier access to jobs and loans.

    However, it was not all about citizenship. Another motivation was to benefit from “better healthcare”, especially for those who had either had bad experiences during previous births in Nigeria or were concerned because they were carrying what they called a “precious baby”, for example after years of infertility.

    Many women in the study also sought childbirth abroad because it is where they had loved ones to support them through pregnancy, childbirth and having a newborn – a motivation not previously reported.

    Indeed, the number of Nigerians living in the US has increased over time and as of 2023, over 760,000 Americans identify as being of Nigerian origin. Essentially, more than one in 10 African immigrants in the US are Nigerians.

    Some Nigerian women planned to give birth abroad long before they even got pregnant. Others were encouraged to do so by family, friends or colleagues.

    Some decided to seek childbirth abroad after their income increased.

    Mostly positive

    Childbirth abroad is mostly a positive experience, but some women reported feeling treated badly because they were “self-paying” patients, “black”, or not native to the country.

    While travel for many was mostly uneventful, some experienced life-threatening situations en route to their destination or upon arrival.

    They found the cost of care to be exorbitant, but many reported that they were able to pay it off in instalments, or negotiated rebates or discounts from hospitals. A separate study showed that four in five foreign pregnant women who gave birth in a Canadian hospital, including some from Nigeria, had no outstanding bill after discharge.

    In our study, those who struggled to pay said they incurred unexpected costs due to complications that resulted in caesarean sections or other surgical procedures.

    Support during childbirth abroad was considered crucial and included loved ones from Nigeria who would travel with the pregnant woman to their destination.

    Push and pull syndrome

    With an ongoing exodus of Nigerians out of the country due to push and pull factors, known locally as jàpa, it is more likely that there will be more Nigerian pregnant women who have their support system abroad.

    Countries like Nigeria should do more to improve the quality of care obtainable in their health systems.

    Clearly motivations vary, and it is not always about birthright citizenship. While most women have mostly positive experiences, some have negative experiences that require attention and safeguards. For example, care guidelines in host countries specifically assuring good quality care for all pregnant women, including women who have crossed the border to seek childbirth.

    The return of US president Donald Trump makes the need to install these safeguards particularly urgent. In his first term he ordered the United States Department of State to discontinue the approval of visas for pregnant women.

    In his second term he has focused on abolishing birthright citizenship altogether.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Nigerians having babies abroad: women explain their reasons – https://theconversation.com/nigerians-having-babies-abroad-women-explain-their-reasons-251067

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Discovery of a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age settlement in Morocco rewrites history

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hamza Benattia, Prehistory, Universitat de Barcelona

    A new archaeological discovery at Kach Kouch in Morocco challenges the long-held belief that the Maghreb (north-west Africa) was an empty land before the arrival of the Phoenicians from the Middle East in around 800 BCE. It reveals a much richer and more complex history than previously thought.

    Everything found at the site indicates that during the Bronze Age, more than 3,000 years ago, stable agricultural settlements already existed on the African coast of the Mediterranean.

    This was at the same time as societies such as the Mycenaean flourished in the eastern Mediterranean.

    Our discovery, led by a team of young researchers from Morocco’s National Institute of Archaeology, expands our knowledge of the recent prehistory of north Africa. It also redefines our understanding of the connections between the Maghreb and the rest of the Mediterranean in ancient times.

    How the discovery was made

    Kach Kouch was first identified in 1988 and first excavated in 1992. At the time, researchers believed the site had been inhabited between the 8th and 6th centuries BCE. This was based on the Phoenician pottery that was found.

    Nearly 30 years later, our team carried out two new excavation seasons in 2021 and 2022. Our investigations included cutting-edge technology such as drones, differential GPS (global positioning systems) and 3D models.

    A rigorous protocol was followed for collecting samples. This allowed us to detect fossilised remains of seeds and charcoal.

    Subsequently, a series of analyses allowed us to reconstruct the settlement’s economy and its natural environment in prehistoric times.

    What the remains revealed

    The excavations, along with radiocarbon dating, revealed that the settlement underwent three phases of occupation between 2200 and 600 BCE.

    The earliest documented remains (2200–2000 BCE) are scarce. They consist of three undecorated pottery sherds, a flint flake and a cow bone.

    The scarcity of materials and contexts could be due to erosion or a temporary occupation of the hill during this phase.

    In its second phase, after a period of abandonment, the Kach Kouch hill was permanently occupied from 1300 BCE. Its inhabitants, who probably numbered no more than a hundred, dedicated themselves to agriculture and animal husbandry.

    They lived in circular dwellings built from wattle and daub, a technique that combines wooden poles, reeds and mud. They dug silos into the rock to store agricultural products.

    Analysis shows that they cultivated wheat, barley and legumes, and raised cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.

    They also used grinding stones for cereal processing, flint tools, and decorated pottery. In addition, the oldest known bronze object in north Africa (excluding Egypt) has been documented. It is probably a scrap metal fragment removed after casting in a mould.

    Interactions with the Phoenicians

    Between the 8th and 7th centuries BCE, during the so-called Mauretanian period, the inhabitants of Kach Kouch maintained the same material culture, architecture and economy as in the previous phase. However, interactions with Phoenician communities that were starting to settle in nearby sites, such as Lixus, brought new cultural practices.

    For example, circular dwellings coexisted with square ones made of stone and wattle and daub, combining Phoenician and local construction techniques.

    Furthermore, new crops began to be cultivated, like grapes and olives. Among the new materials, wheel-made Phoenician ceramics, such as amphorae (storage jugs) and plates, and the use of iron objects stand out.

    Around 600 BCE, Kach Kouch was peacefully abandoned, perhaps due to social and economic changes. Its inhabitants likely moved to other nearby settlements.

    So who were the Bronze Age inhabitants?

    It’s unclear whether the Maghreb populations in the Bronze Age lived in tribes, as would later occur during the Mauretanian period. They were probably organised as families. Burials suggest there were no clear signs of hierarchy.

    They may have spoken a language similar to the Amazigh, the indigenous north African language, which did not become written until the introduction of the Phoenician alphabet. The cultural continuity documented at Kach Kouch suggests that these populations are the direct ancestors of the Mauretanian peoples of north-west Africa.

    Why this matters

    Kach Kouch is not only the first and oldest known Bronze Age settlement in the Maghreb but also reshapes our understanding of prehistory in this region.

    The new findings, along with other recent discoveries, demonstrate that north-west Africa has been connected to other regions of the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Sahara since prehistoric times.



    Read more:
    Discovery of 5,000-year-old farming society in Morocco fills a major gap in history – north-west Africa was a central player in trade and culture

    Our findings challenge traditional narratives, many of which were influenced by colonial views that portrayed the Maghreb as an empty and isolated land until it was “civilized” by foreign peoples.

    As a result, the Maghreb has long been absent from debates on the later prehistory of the Mediterranean. These new discoveries not only represent a breakthrough for archaeology, but also a call to reconsider dominant historical narratives. Kach Kouch offers the opportunity to rewrite north Africa’s history and give it the visibility it has always deserved.



    Read more:
    Ancient DNA reveals Maghreb communities preserved their culture and genes, even in a time of human migration

    We believe this is a decisive moment for research that could forever change the way we understand not only the history of north Africa, but also its relationship with other areas of the Mediterranean.

    Hamza Benattia, director of the Kach Kouch Archaeological Project, received funding from the National Institute of Archaeology and Heritage of Morocco (INSAP), the Prehistoric Society Research Fund, the Stevan B. Dana Grant of the American Society of Overseas Research, the Mediterranean Archaeological Trust Grant, the Barakat Trust Early Career Award, the Centre Jacques Berque Research Grant, the Institute of Ceutan Studies Research Fund and the University of Castilla La Mancha.

    – ref. Discovery of a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age settlement in Morocco rewrites history – https://theconversation.com/discovery-of-a-4-000-year-old-bronze-age-settlement-in-morocco-rewrites-history-253172

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: FOCUS ON: Resilient infrastructure

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Infrastructure is the backbone of modern society. It powers cities, connects communities and supports economic activity. Yet every year, disasters wreak havoc on infrastructure worldwide, causing economic losses that exceed US$700 billion.

    The impact is disproportionately felt by poorer nations, where fragile infrastructure can mean the difference between recovery and years of lost development. UNDRR is at the forefront of the mission to help countries fortify their infrastructure, ensuring sustainable growth and safeguarding lives.

    The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals emphasize infrastructure resilience, urging nations to integrate risk reduction into their development strategies. However, resilience is more than just withstanding disasters – it means designing systems that can adapt, recover and even improve in the face of adversity. With climate change intensifying risks, countries need innovative solutions and stronger governance to protect their infrastructure investments.

    In collaboration with the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, UNDRR has pioneered an innovative approach. Through tailored interventions, UNDRR has enabled nations to identify weaknesses across critical sectors such as transport, energy, water and telecommunications. By conducting stress tests, infrastructure vulnerabilities have been pinpointed using satellite imagery and geolocalized data, allowing governments to take pre-emptive action. Benchmarking national infrastructure policies against global best practices, such as the Principles for Resilient Infrastructure, has helped align national strategies with proven methodologies. Furthermore, strategic road maps have been developed to guide planning, construction and long-term operations, ensuring resilience is embedded throughout the infrastructure lifecycle.

    UNDRR’s impact is already evident across the globe:

    • Bhutan has integrated resilience measures into its five-year strategic plan, shaping national infrastructure policy for years to come.
    • In Chile, UNDRR’s stress testing prompted national authorities to recognize drought and water scarcity as critical threats, leading to strengthened institutional capacity for risk management.
    • Costa Rica has developed a new data platform, ensuring that future infrastructure investments are informed by risk analysis.
    • Ghana is institutionalizing a technical working group on critical infrastructure to coordinate national disaster resilience efforts more effectively.
    • In Madagascar, a review of regulatory frameworks has led the Government to consider new resilience standards in energy and telecommunications.
    • The Government of Panama is overhauling infrastructure procurement processes and establishing a resilience commission to mainstream risk management in national policies.
    • In Tonga, a deep analysis of the water sector has led to enhanced emergency planning, better water security and improved monitoring of groundwater resources, ensuring communities have access to clean water even during crises.

    UNDRR’s efforts in these countries have significantly strengthened national policies and institutional frameworks for resilient infrastructure. This will positively impact the reduction of disaster damage to critical infrastructure – Sendai Framework Target D – by integrating risk analysis into infrastructure planning, enhancing resource allocation through improved coordination mechanisms, and strengthening construction and maintenance practices. Combined, these actions reduce the likelihood of infrastructure failures and protect economic investment and activity. Infrastructure resilience requires cross-sectoral collaboration to manage interdependencies and prevent cascading failures. Engaging stakeholders across public and private sectors and civil society fosters inclusive and sustainable resilience strategies. Finally, data-driven decision-making ensures that infrastructure investments are both sustainable and secure.

    The time to act is now. As climate change continues to challenge global stability, resilient infrastructure will be the foundation upon which sustainable, inclusive and disaster-ready societies are built. UNDRR’s continued leadership and global collaboration can ensure that our lifeline in times of crisis remains strong in an uncertain world.

    Back to the UNDRR 2024 Annual Report

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: FOCUS ON: Empowering women and transforming disaster resilience

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    The need for gender-responsive and inclusive DRR has never been more urgent. Hazards and risks are not experienced equally; women, in particular, face unique challenges that compound the impacts of disasters. Yet amid these challenges, UNDRR is championing a transformative approach that ensures no one is left behind, not only reducing risks but also empowering communities to build a more resilient future.

    In Latin America and the Caribbean, the Latin American and Caribbean Women’s Network for Disaster Risk Reduction has over 1,535 active members. Operating through autonomous working groups and guided by a robust long-term strategic plan, the network is redefining disaster resilience in the region. Liliam Patricia Cuevas Berrio from the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction affirmed:

    The Women’s Network for Disaster Risk Reduction is a unique platform that highlights the vital role women play in disaster risk management. It fosters a sense of shared commitment and responsibility among its members, providing an opportunity for collaboration, learning and empowerment. Initiatives like these are essential to advancing resilience and ensuring inclusive governance in the region.

    The Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities: Addendum for Gender Equality and Intersectionality has enabled local governments to diagnose gaps in their DRR strategies and implement tailored, gender-sensitive actions. This tool not only identifies weaknesses but also highlights opportunities for growth, ensuring that disaster response plans incorporate the perspectives and needs of all community members. Such initiatives are laying the groundwork for systemic change by transforming data into actionable insights and making gender equity a central pillar of disaster governance.

    Beyond the Americas, the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Manila broke new ground by establishing the first-ever Help Desk on gender-responsive and socially inclusive DRR. Its findings are already steering future interventions towards more meaningful dialogue and action.

    Perhaps the most ambitious of these efforts is the Sendai Gender Action Plan (GAP), launched in March 2024. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic has integrated the GAP into its National DRR Action Plan, directly addressing the unique risks faced by women and girls. As one Lao People’s Democratic Republic government representative stated, highlighting the transformative impact of this global initiative: “The Sendai GAP has been instrumental in helping us integrate gender-responsive strategies into our DRR action plan. It ensures that the needs of all our people are addressed during every step of the process.”

    Similarly, in Cambodia, collaborative efforts between UNDRR and UN-Women have enriched national strategies with diverse gender perspectives. In Samoa, enhanced capacities for collecting disaggregated data have provided clearer insights into how disasters affect different groups, leading to more targeted DRR interventions. Initiatives in Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan have further bolstered gender-responsive governance.

    The journey towards gender-responsive DRR is not without challenges. Persistent gender inequalities and entrenched social biases continue to pose risks that are often magnified during disasters. However, UNDRR is fostering environments where women and girls can lead the way in building safer, more resilient communities.

    In 2024, UNDRR also made strides in championing disability inclusion, advocating for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in DRR at international events and in key discourses. Key moments included presentations at the thirtieth session of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Summit of the Future high-level event on disability inclusion and the Equality Conference in Ankara.

    Closer to home, UNDRR implemented its disability inclusion policy, achieving milestones such as recruiting staff with disabilities, developing guidelines for reasonable accommodation, and ensuring participation of persons with disabilities in regional DRR platforms. Awareness was raised through publications and social media, and the UNDRR United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy focal point actively supported policy implementation.

    Efforts extended to making workshops and webinars accessible, updating conference registration templates and ensuring accessible options for Disability Inclusion Scorecard workshops globally. UNDRR’s communication and knowledge management activities featured numerous content pieces on disability, garnering significant engagement on social media, to further spread the important message of inclusive DRR and how to make it happen.

    Back to the UNDRR 2024 Annual Report

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: FOCUS ON: Regional platforms raising the bar on DRR financing

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Asia and the Pacific

    The Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on DRR was held in Manila, the Philippines, with 7,000 ministers and participants in attendance. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who opened the event, emphasized funding as a priority issue of the conference and called for greater access for developing and least developed countries to financial resources. “We must significantly increase our investments and develop financing mechanisms in disaster risk reduction,” he said.

    Throughout the week, participants engaged in discussions on key themes, including financing, inclusion and local-level engagement for disaster and climate resilience. The official deliberations were accompanied by major events and exhibitions, “Are You Ready? and Tsunami: Sea Change for Resilience”, engaging thousands of children and youth in prevention, as well as awards on women’s leadership in DRR.

    Africa

    After three days of discussions, the Ninth Session of the Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Namibia concluded with the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration on advancing the Programme of Action for the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 in Africa. This ambitious document sets the direction for the next three years, reinforcing Africa’s commitment to reducing disaster risks and building resilience across the continent.

    Financing efforts were at the heart of the discussions. The Windhoek Declaration calls on Member States to increase budgetary allocation and establish innovative financing solutions, with support from regional and international partners to access funding, including for loss and damages and the EW4ALL initiative.

    The Windhoek Declaration also reiterates the call for inclusivity, especially in legislation and policies, but also through better national systems for gathering disaggregated data. The event called for mainstreaming of DRR in development programmes, and aligned DRR strategies with sustainable development and climate resilience policies, ensuring coherent and comprehensive approaches across all levels of governance as climate-related disasters continue to grow.

    Europe

    The 2024 Europe and Central Asia Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction was held in Budva, Montenegro, bringing together over 700 participants, including ministers, civil protection leaders and diverse stakeholders from 55 United Nations Member States.

    In a show of unity, Member States endorsed a political declaration that committed to strengthening DRR and addressing the growing impacts of climate change in the region, ahead of COP29.

    They acknowledged the escalating risks across the region, exacerbated by climate change, economic vulnerabilities and geopolitical tensions, and committed to four targeted actions in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction Roadmap 2021–2040: integrated action on DRR and climate resilience; inclusive risk governance; increased financing for resilience; and enhanced EWS.

    Additionally, the Platform launched the Montenegro Call for Action on Earthquake Risk, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation, improving technical capacity, and driving investments towards earthquake resilience.

    Outcomes from these events, and the Regional Platform in the Arab States, will all feed into the Global Platform in Geneva in June 2025.

    Back to the UNDRR 2024 Annual Report

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: FOCUS ON: How media and risk communication save lives

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    UNDRR has long championed the critical role of communication in DRR. In 2024, the Media Saving Lives project conducted in partnership with the World Broadcasting Unions highlighted the importance of media as a vital component of MHEWS.

    With a clear focus on ensuring that risk information reaches the last mile, the initiative strengthened linkages across national disaster management agencies, meteorological offices and national broadcasters. These collaborations ensured coordinated messaging during crises, fostering a more responsive and efficient early warning chain.

    The project further supported broadcasting organizations to enhance their readiness and resilience in times of disaster. Six media organizations established new Standard Operating Procedures to ensure their continuity plans, so these can remain a lifeline for disaster-affected communities.

    On the twentieth anniversary of the 2004 tsunami, six broadcasting houses collaborated on the production of a regional documentary series in the lead-up to the commemoration. The initiative culminated in an hour-long documentary, which examined lessons learned, technological advancements and the resilience of communities that experienced the tsunami’s devastating impact.

    Through compelling storytelling, expert interviews and survivor testimonies, the documentary highlighted successful early warning interventions in high-risk coastal regions and reinforced the need for continuous investment in education, public awareness and coordinated DRR efforts.

    A key milestone in 2024 was the first regional summit in Africa on DRR and climate change, alongside the launch of the Global Media Network for DRR in Bali. These events brought together media professionals to exchange experiences, discuss challenges and share good practices in disaster risk communication and disaster coverage.

    In collaboration with BBC Media Action, the Risk Communication for Early Action project explored challenges and opportunities for media and communication to contribute to DRR. This initiative focused on three pilot countries: Cambodia (hard-to-reach populations), Somalia (conflict-affected communities) and Barbados (fisherfolk and elderly citizens).

    In Maldives, UNDRR carried out a joint risk communication campaign with the National Disaster Management Authority, Maldives, and the Maldivian Red Crescent that was informed by a nationwide assessment of Maldivians’ understanding of disaster risks, early warning messages, and actions to reduce future losses and damages from hazardous events. Global tools, including a Pocket Guide for planning disaster risk communication to support early warning and early action and a Guide for Essential Research, were developed and piloted across the three countries, ensuring their real-world applicability.

    Global tools, including a Pocket Guide for planning disaster risk communication to support early warning and early action and a Guide for Essential Research, were developed and piloted across the three countries, ensuring their real-world applicability.

    The knowledge and materials produced through the Risk Communication for Early Action project have informed the development of the Disaster Risk Communication Hub on PreventionWeb. This global platform consolidates the best practices, research and tools to enhance disaster risk communication strategies worldwide. As a living knowledge platform, the hub ensures that the lessons learned through this initiative continue to shape future DRR efforts, inspiring collaboration and driving innovation in risk communication.

    Back to the UNDRR 2024 Annual Report

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNDRR 2024 Annual Report

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    02

    Strategies, governance and capacity-building

    Target E of the Sendai Framework calls for a substantial increase in the number of countries with national and local DRR strategies by 2020.

    Though a strategy is not the end goal, UNDRR has found that countries with national DRR strategies tend to have more robust DRR governance and a higher prevalence of EWS, demonstrating the value of investment in this fundamental DRR pillar.

    The Government of Jordan has developed its National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2023–2030) in a participatory manner involving different governmental entities, ministries and municipalities, and the Public Security Directorate (Civil Defense), with support from UNDRR and the United Nations Development Programme country office. The strategy also integrates biological hazard risk reduction with the aim of building back better after the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Within the framework of Jordan’s efforts to deal with increasing threats and risks, the National Centre for Security and Crises Management has played a major role in developing two integrated risk registers; the national risk register and the local register for governorates. Both registers aim to improve the kingdom’s capacity to respond to disasters through accurate identification of risks, and enhanced coordination between the local and national levels for improved risk governance.

    Through this effective coordination between the national and local risk registers, Jordan has made great strides in reducing risks and enhancing community resilience, making the kingdom a role model for disaster management and risk reduction at the regional level.

    Morocco, too, has taken concrete steps to strengthen its risk governance. It established the Directorate of Natural Risk Management under the Ministry of Interior as its national DRR coordination mechanism. Morocco also established the National Risk Observatory to collect, analyse and share data on natural hazard risk. Furthermore, Morocco established a National Risk Forecasting Centre for monitoring and alerting, and an Operational Risk Anticipation Centre for forecasting, alerting and risk management assistance systems. Another successful project comprised the generalization of coverage of the entire national territory using multiscale and multi-hazard risk maps (for natural hazards).

    Albania’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy demonstrates widespread integration of concerns related to climate change and triggers the engagement of new sectors, particularly tourism.

    The vision statement explicitly brings together DRR, climate change and sustainable development using the language of resilience, while the document includes a detailed plan of action for DRR implementation that integrates institutions such as the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.

    In particular, it articulates the implementation of the ALBAdapt project Climate Services for a Resilient Albania. The Ministry of Tourism and Environment is identified as the lead institution for implementation of a set of activities that offer compounding co-benefits for both DRR and climate change adaptation, including the development of a people-centred MHEWS, the creation of a fully functional and well-resourced National Meteorological and Hydrological Service.

    This integration is supported by articulations elsewhere in the country’s strategic profile, with the National Adaptation Plan 2019 including a priority area entitled “upgrading civil defence preparedness and DRR”. Elsewhere, the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Albania (2023–2028) addresses risks ranging from national security threats to climate change impacts, emphasizing resilience to disasters, while the National Strategy for Development and European Integration (NSDEI) 2022–2030 includes the integration of DRR and climate change adaptation planning among its priorities.

    National DRR strategies are the bedrock for multi-hazard risk governance and the achievement of Sendai Framework targets. These strategies help transform risk knowledge into actions and programmes that save lives and livelihoods. In addition, they serve as guides for mobilizing resources, delegating roles and responsibilities within government, and identifying entry points for non-governmental stakeholder engagement, all leading to more inclusive, sustainable development.

    With 131 countries now reporting having national DRR strategies, and 30 receiving technical support from UNDRR to develop them, this is just a snapshot of the progress being made globally in this important area.

    Under Brazil’s presidency, the Group of 20 (G20) recognized DRR as a critical component of economic resilience. Collaborating closely with UNDRR, Brazil facilitated the adoption of the first-ever G20 Ministerial Declaration on DRR. This landmark declaration emphasized the necessity of accelerating the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction’s implementation, aiming to reduce disaster losses by 2030, and called for the development of high-level principles for DRR financing. The work of the G20 DRR Working Group, with UNDRR as the lead knowledge partner, further reflected a comprehensive approach to integrating DRR into economic and social policies.

    UNDRR’s capacity-building continues to go from strength to strength, with nearly 10,000 DRR practitioners being trained in 2024, 77 per cent of whom reported having a better understanding of DRR as a result. At one such workshop in the Global Education and Training Institute in Incheon, Republic of Korea, a remarkable collaboration unfolded – a pioneering workshop uniting experts from UNDRR and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to empower government stakeholders from Mongolia and Bhutan to mobilize relevant partners and stakeholders and obtain funding for their DRR measures. This joint training begins a process of transforming the daunting challenges of climate change into opportunities for proactive DRR.

    Delegates were empowered by not only technical insights, but also the forging of lasting partnerships. The workshop’s training modules, co-designed by UNDRR and GCF specialists, delved deep into practical tools such as the EW4All Checklist for Gap Analysis, equipping participants to critically assess their national capacities and pinpoint vulnerabilities. “Early warning systems are important components for our national climate change adaptation strategy,” noted Ms. Tserendulam Shagdarsuren, Director General of the Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Mongolia, emphasizing how the training illuminated the next steps for their evolving EWS.

    This pilot UNDRR–GCF initiative is part of a broader strategy to replicate capacity-building endeavours in developing countries. Future workshops are planned for countries that are in very different geographic contexts yet face similar challenges (particularly those resulting from climate change), such as Somalia, Togo and the SIDS. These workshops aim to accelerate access to climate finance and enhance DRR measures worldwide.

    In a continuation of the Media Saving Lives programme, UNDRR and partners trained 520 journalists and media practitioners in DRR and risk communications, bringing the total to over 2,500 from 80 countries. Media are an integral part of the EWS delivery chain, and engaging them to build trust between government and communities can be the difference between life and death when disaster hits.

    The rise in global temperatures and the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat events are rapidly becoming central challenges for nations worldwide. Yet many Member States, cities and societies remain ill-prepared to address this escalating threat. The imperative for enhanced extreme heat risk reduction, governance and management is clear. Without urgent and coordinated action, extreme heat will continue to endanger billions of lives, amplify health risks and threaten the ecosystems upon which we depend.

    In response, the UNDRR/World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience – together with the Global Heat Health Information Network, Duke University and WMO Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience partners – has developed an extreme heat decision-support package for countries tackling this global threat. The package includes: international organization resource and ecosystem mapping, readiness reviews and profiles; national best practice analytics; evaluations of heat action plans; and materials for development of an extreme heat maturity index for self-assessment. These materials can enhance collaboration, integrated heat risk governance and policy responses to extreme heat.

    UNDRR’s work and that of United Nations system partners, coupled with increasing demands for assistance from Member States, prompted and informed the United Nations Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat, issued in July 2024, in which he emphasized the need for urgent action if a future characterized by even more devastating heat impacts on lives, economies and ecosystems is to be avoided.

    This work is in turn informing the development of a Common Framework for Heat Risk Governance, led by UNDRR with the Global Heat Health Information Network, and Member States, international organizations and stakeholders. The Framework will receive inputs from (and is designed to bring together) multiple sectors, domains and scales – from agriculture and food systems, to energy systems, transportation, construction materials and design, and urban cooling. It is expected to assist national and subnational decision makers in designing and resourcing integrated actions to reduce extreme heat risk to people, urban and rural ecosystems, and the environment, preventing the loss of lives and livelihoods.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UNDRR Annual Report 2024

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    02

    Strategies, governance and capacity-building

    Target E of the Sendai Framework calls for a substantial increase in the number of countries with national and local DRR strategies by 2020.

    Though a strategy is not the end goal, UNDRR has found that countries with national DRR strategies tend to have more robust DRR governance and a higher prevalence of EWS, demonstrating the value of investment in this fundamental DRR pillar.

    The Government of Jordan has developed its National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2023–2030) in a participatory manner involving different governmental entities, ministries and municipalities, and the Public Security Directorate (Civil Defense), with support from UNDRR and the United Nations Development Programme country office. The strategy also integrates biological hazard risk reduction with the aim of building back better after the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Within the framework of Jordan’s efforts to deal with increasing threats and risks, the National Centre for Security and Crises Management has played a major role in developing two integrated risk registers; the national risk register and the local register for governorates. Both registers aim to improve the kingdom’s capacity to respond to disasters through accurate identification of risks, and enhanced coordination between the local and national levels for improved risk governance.

    Through this effective coordination between the national and local risk registers, Jordan has made great strides in reducing risks and enhancing community resilience, making the kingdom a role model for disaster management and risk reduction at the regional level.

    Morocco, too, has taken concrete steps to strengthen its risk governance. It established the Directorate of Natural Risk Management under the Ministry of Interior as its national DRR coordination mechanism. Morocco also established the National Risk Observatory to collect, analyse and share data on natural hazard risk. Furthermore, Morocco established a National Risk Forecasting Centre for monitoring and alerting, and an Operational Risk Anticipation Centre for forecasting, alerting and risk management assistance systems. Another successful project comprised the generalization of coverage of the entire national territory using multiscale and multi-hazard risk maps (for natural hazards).

    Albania’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy demonstrates widespread integration of concerns related to climate change and triggers the engagement of new sectors, particularly tourism.

    The vision statement explicitly brings together DRR, climate change and sustainable development using the language of resilience, while the document includes a detailed plan of action for DRR implementation that integrates institutions such as the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy.

    In particular, it articulates the implementation of the ALBAdapt project Climate Services for a Resilient Albania. The Ministry of Tourism and Environment is identified as the lead institution for implementation of a set of activities that offer compounding co-benefits for both DRR and climate change adaptation, including the development of a people-centred MHEWS, the creation of a fully functional and well-resourced National Meteorological and Hydrological Service.

    This integration is supported by articulations elsewhere in the country’s strategic profile, with the National Adaptation Plan 2019 including a priority area entitled “upgrading civil defence preparedness and DRR”. Elsewhere, the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Albania (2023–2028) addresses risks ranging from national security threats to climate change impacts, emphasizing resilience to disasters, while the National Strategy for Development and European Integration (NSDEI) 2022–2030 includes the integration of DRR and climate change adaptation planning among its priorities.

    National DRR strategies are the bedrock for multi-hazard risk governance and the achievement of Sendai Framework targets. These strategies help transform risk knowledge into actions and programmes that save lives and livelihoods. In addition, they serve as guides for mobilizing resources, delegating roles and responsibilities within government, and identifying entry points for non-governmental stakeholder engagement, all leading to more inclusive, sustainable development.

    With 131 countries now reporting having national DRR strategies, and 30 receiving technical support from UNDRR to develop them, this is just a snapshot of the progress being made globally in this important area.

    Under Brazil’s presidency, the Group of 20 (G20) recognized DRR as a critical component of economic resilience. Collaborating closely with UNDRR, Brazil facilitated the adoption of the first-ever G20 Ministerial Declaration on DRR. This landmark declaration emphasized the necessity of accelerating the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction’s implementation, aiming to reduce disaster losses by 2030, and called for the development of high-level principles for DRR financing. The work of the G20 DRR Working Group, with UNDRR as the lead knowledge partner, further reflected a comprehensive approach to integrating DRR into economic and social policies.

    UNDRR’s capacity-building continues to go from strength to strength, with nearly 10,000 DRR practitioners being trained in 2024, 77 per cent of whom reported having a better understanding of DRR as a result. At one such workshop in the Global Education and Training Institute in Incheon, Republic of Korea, a remarkable collaboration unfolded – a pioneering workshop uniting experts from UNDRR and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to empower government stakeholders from Mongolia and Bhutan to mobilize relevant partners and stakeholders and obtain funding for their DRR measures. This joint training begins a process of transforming the daunting challenges of climate change into opportunities for proactive DRR.

    Delegates were empowered by not only technical insights, but also the forging of lasting partnerships. The workshop’s training modules, co-designed by UNDRR and GCF specialists, delved deep into practical tools such as the EW4All Checklist for Gap Analysis, equipping participants to critically assess their national capacities and pinpoint vulnerabilities. “Early warning systems are important components for our national climate change adaptation strategy,” noted Ms. Tserendulam Shagdarsuren, Director General of the Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Mongolia, emphasizing how the training illuminated the next steps for their evolving EWS.

    This pilot UNDRR–GCF initiative is part of a broader strategy to replicate capacity-building endeavours in developing countries. Future workshops are planned for countries that are in very different geographic contexts yet face similar challenges (particularly those resulting from climate change), such as Somalia, Togo and the SIDS. These workshops aim to accelerate access to climate finance and enhance DRR measures worldwide.

    In a continuation of the Media Saving Lives programme, UNDRR and partners trained 520 journalists and media practitioners in DRR and risk communications, bringing the total to over 2,500 from 80 countries. Media are an integral part of the EWS delivery chain, and engaging them to build trust between government and communities can be the difference between life and death when disaster hits.

    The rise in global temperatures and the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat events are rapidly becoming central challenges for nations worldwide. Yet many Member States, cities and societies remain ill-prepared to address this escalating threat. The imperative for enhanced extreme heat risk reduction, governance and management is clear. Without urgent and coordinated action, extreme heat will continue to endanger billions of lives, amplify health risks and threaten the ecosystems upon which we depend.

    In response, the UNDRR/World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience – together with the Global Heat Health Information Network, Duke University and WMO Centre of Excellence for Climate and Disaster Resilience partners – has developed an extreme heat decision-support package for countries tackling this global threat. The package includes: international organization resource and ecosystem mapping, readiness reviews and profiles; national best practice analytics; evaluations of heat action plans; and materials for development of an extreme heat maturity index for self-assessment. These materials can enhance collaboration, integrated heat risk governance and policy responses to extreme heat.

    UNDRR’s work and that of United Nations system partners, coupled with increasing demands for assistance from Member States, prompted and informed the United Nations Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat, issued in July 2024, in which he emphasized the need for urgent action if a future characterized by even more devastating heat impacts on lives, economies and ecosystems is to be avoided.

    This work is in turn informing the development of a Common Framework for Heat Risk Governance, led by UNDRR with the Global Heat Health Information Network, and Member States, international organizations and stakeholders. The Framework will receive inputs from (and is designed to bring together) multiple sectors, domains and scales – from agriculture and food systems, to energy systems, transportation, construction materials and design, and urban cooling. It is expected to assist national and subnational decision makers in designing and resourcing integrated actions to reduce extreme heat risk to people, urban and rural ecosystems, and the environment, preventing the loss of lives and livelihoods.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: FOCUS ON: How Somalia is advancing disaster preparedness through EW4All and beyond

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    For decades, Somalia has faced devastating droughts, floods and conflict. Today, thanks to coordinated efforts spearheaded by UNDRR, Somalia is making significant strides towards more effective, integrated DRR and EWS.

    In 2023/24, Somalia worked with UNDRR and key international partners to establish an MHEWS. A road map developed in 2023 identified weaknesses in data collection, risk assessment and communication networks. This laid the groundwork for Somalia’s participation in EW4All, significantly strengthening national capacities in risk knowledge, anticipatory action and community-based preparedness.

    In July 2024, a capacity-building workshop in Nairobi brought together national and international stakeholders. Somali officials later travelled to Italy, exchanging best practices with the Italian Civil Protection and the CIMA Research Foundation. These experiences helped refine Somalia’s early warning framework.

    “The EW4All initiative was launched in 2023, and throughout this time, the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) project has supported capacity-building and risk management in Somalia”, said Khadar Sh. Mohamed Nur, Director of the Somalia Disaster Management Agency. “It has changed the way we think about DRR.”

    The impact was evident during the heavy Gu rains of April–June 2024. While floods affected 160,000 people and displaced 37,000, the damage was significantly less severe compared to 2023. The key difference was timely, accurate and widely disseminated early warnings and early action.

    Through text messages, radio broadcasts and community meetings, vulnerable populations received crucial information. Additionally, data from the DesInventar system improved impact-based forecasting, enabling proactive interventions such as fortification of riverbanks and pre-positioning of emergency supplies.

    A critical component of Somalia’s DRR strategy has been inclusivity. “[Persons] with disabilities in Somalia did not previously have access to information”, said Mawlid Abdul Qadir Badal, Director of the National Disability Agency Somalia. “After the workshops and consultations led by UNDRR, we are sure that disability aspects are included in the EW4All road map.” In a three-day training on gender- and disability-inclusive EWS in Nairobi in November 2024, UNDRR brought together officials from Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti.

    UNDRR has also played a pivotal role in integrating disaster risk analysis into broader humanitarian and development planning. In 2024, UNDRR facilitated a joint analysis effort among stakeholders from across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. This informed the development of Somalia’s 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and Common Country Analysis for the 2026–2030 Cooperation Framework.

    In addition, the Early Warning Systems and Early Action in Fragile, Conflict-affected and Violent Contexts handbook provides strategies for implementing EWS where governance is weak or absent. Employed by practitioners across the globe, it emphasizes cross-sectoral coordination, regional collaboration and adaptation to local challenges.

    Somalia’s disaster preparedness journey is far from over. But through strategic partnerships, technological advancements and inclusivity, Somalia is steadily building a more resilient future. While challenges remain, the EW4ALL initiative and UNDRR’s broader support highlight what is possible when governments, international agencies and communities work together.

    Back to the UNDRR 2024 Annual Report

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Cultural adaptation of foreigners: students of the State University of Management visited the Museum of Time and Clocks

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    Students of the State University of Management, who came to study in Russia from Vietnam, India, China, Nepal and Ethiopia, visited the Museum of Time and Clocks on an excursion.

    The museum opened in November 2022 in Moscow with the support of the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives and the National Association of Watchmakers. The museum includes a retrospective exhibition dedicated to the development of watchmaking in Russia, temporary exhibitions, an event space for public lectures, conferences, master classes, discussions and round tables.

    Most of the students of the State University of Management who visited the museum are currently studying at the preparatory department and are actively studying Russian, getting acquainted with our culture and history. One of the most interesting methods of immersion in the Russian environment for them was visiting museums.

    This time, foreign students, accompanied by teacher Natalia Krylova, not only enthusiastically practiced their Russian language skills, but also learned about the history of Russian and Soviet watchmaking.

    Time flew by. We are sure that the children have good memories of the excursion.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/31/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 30 March 2025 Departmental update Evaluating Somalia’s humanitarian crisis (2021–2024): lessons for future action

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The evaluation praised timely early warnings and life-saving interventions, yet highlighted critical weaknesses in accountability, inclusion, and sectoral balance—particularly in WASH services. Protection efforts and outreach to marginalized communities showed progress, but gender and disability inclusion were largely overlooked. The response also revealed unintended consequences, such as aid-linked displacement and increased aid diversion risks. 

    Coordination mechanisms enabled innovation but were hampered by complexity, limited follow-up, and underuse of strategic foresight. The evaluation calls for better data, simplified coordination structures, and stronger accountability to affected communities. As Somalia continues to face overlapping crises, the lessons from this evaluation offer vital insights for shaping more effective, inclusive, and resilient humanitarian responses—both in Somalia and across future global emergencies. 

    To read the evaluation report, click here. 

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    MIL OSI United Nations News –