Amman, Jordan | AFP | UN agencies warned Monday that the coronavirus pandemic could lead to the deaths of an additional 51,000 under-fives in the Middle East and North Africa by the end of the year. The World Health Organisation and United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said the disruption of essential health and nutrition services …

  Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Lira district COVID-19 taskforce is seeking for 97 million shillings to fence the gazetted parking space for truck drivers. In April, the Minister of Trade and Cooperatives put in place stopover centres for truck drivers in a move aimed at fighting the spread …

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The emergency response activities by the Gulu district COVID-19 taskforce are slowing down as a result of a shortage in motor vehicles for field operations. The task force that started its operations in March with 25 cars has remained with only five functional vehicles …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday condemned as “acts of inhumanity” a surge of femicides since South Africa eased anti-coronavirus stay-at-home measures. Murders of women have spiralled since the start of June, when lockdown restrictions were loosened allowing for more movement of people, according to the police. “I have been …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 12,000 taxis have so far been registered by Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA and secured route numbers. Last month, KCCA working with the Ministry of Works and Transport started the registration of taxis at Kitante Primary School and Old Kampala Secondary School. The …

Kisoro, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Conservationists and tour operators in Kigezi sub-region have condemned the killing of one of Uganda’s silverback Mountain Gorilla’s known as Rafiki. Rafiki who was thought to be 25 years old went missing on June 1 and his body was discovered a day after at …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The UN’s top rights body Monday agreed to a request from African countries to urgently debate racism and police brutality this week following unrest in the US and beyond over George Floyd’s death. As the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council resumed after breaking …

Katakwi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Livestock farmers in Katakwi district are defying the quarantine imposed in the area. In 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture indefinitely closed cattle markets and restricted the movement of livestock in the district to avert the spread of Foot and Mouth Disease-FMD in Palam and …

Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Fishermen who were recently evicted from illegal landing sites across Lake Albert in Bunyoro sub-region have been advised to embrace farming in order to sustain their livelihood. More than 200 landing sites in the districts of Hoima, Buliisa and Kikuube were listed for closure …

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Five COVID-19 positive patients have been admitted at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital. Of the five, three were cargo truck drivers from Elegu One-Stop Border Post while the other two were traced community contacts identified by surveillance team from Adjumani district. Bishop Loum Janani, the …