WORLD - The African Mirror

Oct

28

2024

Deterrence policies and cartel violence fuel a humanitarian crisis in southern Mexico

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Mie Hoejris Dahl US and Mexican deterrence policies aimed at stemming the flow of migrants into the United States are leaving thousands of vulnerable people trapped in southern Mexico, where aid groups are unable to meet their growing humanitarian needs amid spiralling cartel-related violence. Confronted by levels of violence they’re not equipped to handle, some aid groups told The New Humanitarian they’ve pulled back from the most dangerous areas and even avoid properly informing migrants about the risks they face out of fear of reprisals from organised crime. Mexico is now among the top five…

Oct

26

2024

By The African Mirror

Gaza’s sick and injured face new attacks on health care, lethal evacuation delays – UN humanitarians

WORLD

AMID reports of a new Israeli military raid on a Gaza hospital on Friday morning - and ongoing hostilities hindering polio vaccination in the north of the Strip - UN humanitarians pleaded again for the protection of health facilities and urgent medical evacuation of critically ill patients. Dr Rik Peeperkorn, the UN World Health Organization (WHO’s) representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, just back in central Gaza from a “complex mission” to the embattled Kamal Adwan hospital in the north, provided journalists in Geneva with an eyewitness account of what he had seen. At a checkpoint close to Kamal Adwan,…

Oct

26

2024

By NEIL K R SEHGAL and ASHWINI SEHGAL

Many wealthy members of Congress are descendants of rich slaveholders − new study demonstrates the enduring legacy of slavery

WORLD

THE legacy of slavery in America remains a divisive issue, with sharp political divides. Some argue that slavery still contributes to modern economic inequalities. Others believe its effects have largely faded. One way to measure the legacy of slavery is to determine whether the disproportionate riches of slaveholders have been passed down to their present-day descendants. Connecting the wealth of a slaveholder in the 1860s to today’s economic conditions is not easy. Doing so requires unearthing data on slaveholder ancestry, current wealth, and other factors such as age and education for a large number of people. But in a new…

Oct

25

2024

By ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

“An immediate ceasefire is needed now in the Israel-Lebanon – UN Secretary General

WORLD

I welcome the initiative by President Emmanuel Macron of France and underscore our commitment to realizing and supporting the people of Lebanon. We do so in the context of a region that is reeling, and Lebanon in utter turmoil. The past year has brought daily exchanges of fire across the Blue Line. We are gravely concerned about the safety and well-being of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line – but we must recognize that the conflict has recently taken on an entirely different nature and scale. Each day that passes only deepens the misery and suffering of people…

Oct

25

2024

By The African Mirror

Harris: Trump wants ‘unchecked power’ in second term

WORLD

VICE President Kamala Harris warned voters that reelecting Donald Trump to the White House would allow him to pursue “unchecked power,” drawing attention to reports that Trump praised Adolf Hitler while in the White House and has long sought to use military power against domestic enemies. In unusual remarks issued from the vice president’s residence Wednesday afternoon, Harris described Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, as “increasingly unhinged and unstable” and said he would not have guardrails against taking extreme action if elected to another term as president. Harris, who polling indicates is in a tight race against Trump for the presidency, pointed…

Oct

24

2024

By The African Mirror

Israel’s war setting Gaza development back to the ‘50s: report

WORLD

Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip will have knocked human development in the enclave back by nearly 70 years by the end of 2024, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP. The report looked at the impact of over a year of war on critical sectors in Gaza, including education, the economy, healthcare, social services, and the environment. It also looked at the overall impact of hostilities over the past year on the State of Palestine, which includes the Israeli-occupied West Bank. While less acute than Gaza, Israeli-imposed movement restrictions, increased military raids, and Israeli settler…

Oct

24

2024

By CHABELI CARRAZANA

This election is finally for the parents

WORLD

FOR most of her life, Julianne Webber had been a very conservative voter — “just left of MAGA,” by her own estimation. Then she welcomed a second child, just as her marriage was falling apart, and became a single mother in 2019. It changed everything, including her politics. When most of the parenting responsibilities were solely on her plate, it astounded her how just about everyone expected her to still do it all. Care for her two kids. Shuttle them to and fro. Maintain a full-time job and keep the grocery lists and do all the cleaning. Her to-do list…

Oct

23

2024

By ZAINAB CHAMOUN

In Lebanon, longing for home as the bombs fall

WORLD

This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Zainab Chamoun ONE month ago I left my heart, my home, and my cat in southern Lebanon. Now living with relatives in Beirut, forced into displacement by Israeli airstrikes, I’m struggling to keep my family – and myself – together, as we try to keep going and the bombs keep falling. I wasn’t in Lebanon when my family was forced to flee, when I became one of the more than a million displaced people in my country. On 23 September 2024, a day I will never forget, I was not in…

Oct

23

2024

By The African Mirror

Ukraine: as birthrates plummet and population declines, a new strategy is announced

WORLD

SINCE the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 world attention has focused largely on the military, political and humanitarian aspects of the war. Meanwhile, a silent emergency has been brewing: Ukraine's demographics. Prior to the war, Ukraine already faced significant population challenges, common to much of the Eastern European region: it had one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, with people leaving the country in search of better opportunities, and an ageing population in overall decline. Russia’s full-scale invasion — which has now lasted nearly 1,000 days — made things much worse, according to UN population expert…

Oct

23

2024

By The19th

Harris is courting voters from the opposing party. Trump, not so much

WORLD

FORMER Rep. Liz Cheney urged her fellow Republicans to support Vice President Kamala Harris during a three-state campaign swing Monday, arguing to voters that former President Donald Trump is dangerous and unfit to be president. “We have the opportunity to vote for and support somebody you can count on,” Cheney said in Pennsylvania. “We’re not always going to agree, but I know Vice President Harris will always do what she believes is right for this country. She has a sincere heart, and that’s why I’m honoured to be here and supporting her in this race.” Monday’s events are part of a broader…