Poverty

Niger avoids "worst" in food crisis, government says

Monday, 30 August 2010 13:18

Niger will avoid the "worst" in its most severe food crisis since 2005 with aid reaching millions left hungry by last year's failed harvest, the government said.

(1 Vote)

Tags: failed harvest - Mahamadou Danda - World Food Program - United Nations - drought - Niger

Number of Somalis needing humanitarian aid falls, UN agency reports

Thursday, 26 August 2010 12:19

The scale of the humanitarian crisis in Somalia has eased this year, with the number of people needing aid falling by 25 per cent to 2 million, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported this week.

(1 Vote)

Tags: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization - humanitarian aid - Grainne Moloney - Somalia

African countries take lead in overall Millennium Development Goal progress

Wednesday, 23 June 2010 14:45

African countries are making the most overall progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. So says a new analysis by the London-based Overseas Development Institute and the U.N. Millennium Campaign. The report's been released prior to the G8 and G20 summits at week's end in Canada.

(2 Votes)

Tags: UN Millennium Campaign - Millennium Development Goals - Overseas Development Institute - Alison Evans - Benin - Mali - Ethiopia - Gambia - Malawi - Uganda - Mauritania - Burkina Faso - Rwanda - Ghana

Benin makes progress in attaining anti-poverty targets

Tuesday, 15 June 2010 13:27

Benin has made significant gains in reducing poverty and expanding primary education, according to a statement by the Secretary-General of the UN on a visit to the West African nation.

(2 Votes)

Tags: United Nations - Ban Ki-Moon - Millenium Development Goals - poverty - Primary education - food security - environment - Songhai project - Sierra Leone - South Africa - Burundi - Cameroon - Benin

EU gives Malawi $12m for food security

Wednesday, 24 March 2010 17:31

The EU has released K1.8 billion (about $12m) to the government of Malawi to improve food security. The support covers costs for improved maize and legume seed for smallholder farmers and also supports forestry and irrigation activities.

Tags: Food security - European Union - maize - legume - smallholder farmers - forestry - irrigation - Income Generating Public Works Programme - Malawi

Kenya: covered for drought

Thursday, 04 February 2010 15:39

Hundreds of pastoralists in northern Kenya will soon be better cushioned against the effects of recurrent drought thanks to a new index-based livestock insurance (IBLI) pilot programme in the upper eastern region of Marsabit.

(2 Votes)

Tags: pastoralists - insurance - drought - pilot - Andrew Mude - livestock - Kenya

Solar-powered irrigation a shining success in Benin

Thursday, 07 January 2010 13:29

Solar-powered irrigation systems can boost food and income levels in rural Sub-Saharan Africa, researchers have found. Irrigation is known to reduce poverty in Asia, but the success of the technique is not well-documented in Africa.

(3 Votes)

Tags: solar powered - irrigation - boost - food - income - Stanford University - Sub-Saharan Africa - Benin

UN helps Côte d'Ivoire resuscitate agricultural sector

Monday, 04 January 2010 10:28

The United Nations agency responsible for financing agricultural development in poor countries has given $10 million to Côte d'Ivoire to help some 86,000 families revive a farming sector.

(2 Votes)

Tags: agriculture - UN - financing - farming - war - IFAD - Kanayo Nwanze - Bah Jeannot Zoro Bi - Côte D'ivoire

Kenya harvest example on reversing food shortage

Monday, 16 November 2009 14:04

Joram Abiero remembers it was not too long ago that his neighbours went to bed hungry. Now thousands in the lowlands of western Kenya are able to get year-round work as farm labourers or earn money from their once-neglected rice paddies.

(4 Votes)

Tags: Rice - irrigation - farmers - UN Food and Agriculture Organization - UN World Food Program - Ahero Irrigation Scheme - Ahero - Kostas Stamoulis - Abdi Ahmed - Kenya

Maize research a good investment for Africa

Thursday, 05 November 2009 11:26

A new book looking at the effect on maize research in West and Central Africa reveals it is among the best spent funds to achieve poverty reduction. Every million US$ spent on maize research had lifted 35,000 Africans out of poverty.

(2 Votes)

Tags: maize - research - funds - poverty - alleviation - Arega Alene - Central - West - Africa

Food agency gives a helping hand to farmers in Zimbabwe

Tuesday, 15 September 2009 10:58

In a bid to tackle hunger in Zimbabwe, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will give farmers a boost by distributing seeds and fertilizers. Some 176,000 vulnerable farmers will benefit from the scheme.

(6 Votes)

Tags: FOA - European Union - farmers - support - maize - sorghum - fertilizer - Zimbabwe

Botswana president promises to tackle high housing prices

Monday, 14 September 2009 12:54

Botswana President Ian Khama on Sunday promised to tackle high housing prices which are beyond the reach of most people, during a rally ahead of elections on October 16.

(3 Votes)

Tags: President Ian Khama - housing - prices - Kanye - Botswana Housing Corporation - Botswana

UK-funded land rights project launched in Rwanda

Thursday, 06 August 2009 12:45

The British government launched a 20 million pound programme in Rwanda on Wednesday to help resolve disputes over property rights and set up the country's first database on land ownership. The project is set to run until 2014.

(2 Votes)

Tags: British government - property rights - land ownership - Mike Foster - Rwanda

Aid plus trade can end extreme poverty

Wednesday, 05 August 2009 18:05

Against the backdrop of an international economic downturn and changes in government leadership in the United States and United Kingdom, donors and economists are looking at how to improve the way assistance is administered and used in Africa.

(1 Vote)

Tags: aid - investment - poverty - United States - United Kingdom - Paul Collier - Dead Aid - Dambisa Moyo - Africa

Angola receives UN support to increase access to water

Friday, 31 July 2009 11:15

The United Nations has pledged to help the Angolan Government achieve universal access to water in the Southern African nation. Under the scheme Angola has committed to providing water for 80% of urban and 50% of rural dwellers by 2012.

(2 Votes)

Tags: water - sanitation - United Nations - Water for All - Angola

Uganda water project targets 100% access in urban areas

Monday, 22 June 2009 11:50

Uganda has set a more ambitious target of 100 percent water access for its urban citizens as part of its National Poverty Eradication Action Plan. The country has launched a "pay-as-you-drink" public water project to pave the way.

(3 Votes)

Tags: 100 percent water access - urban - National Poverty Eradication Action Plan - pay-as-you-drink - UgandaDeveloping countries aim to cut the proportion of people without safe drinking water in half by the year 2015 - as stipulated by the United Nation's Millennium Goals.

SADC implements plan on human trafficking

Monday, 01 June 2009 16:04

Southern Africa Development Community ministers responsible for combating human trafficking have adopted a ten-year Regional Strategic Plan of Action, aimed at increased cooperation and adoption of national policies to curb the practice.

(1 Vote)

"Better to be idle in a new apartment than a slum"

Friday, 24 April 2009 12:52

shanty A slump in world real estate markets has given new impetus to Morocco's plans to demolish its shanty towns, where decades of state neglect have bred despair and religious extremism.

As demand for luxury homes and tourist facilities tapers in the wake of the global financial crisis, Morocco's property firms are making the most of a state-backed scheme to rehouse four million slum dwellers in new flats.

(1 Vote)

Tags: low-cost housing - Sidi Moumen - Lafarge Ciments - Morocco

New fund launched for Africa's small farmers

Thursday, 19 March 2009 10:19

South Africa's Standard Bank will provide $100 million over three years for loans to small farms and agricultural businesses in four African countries, the bank said in a statement on Wednesday.

(1 Vote)

Tags: Ghana - Mozambique - Tanzania - Uganda

Poverty alleviation and development: 5Ps for Africa's prosperity

Thursday, 19 February 2009 16:41

Poverty alleviation is Africa's greatest challenge. And addressing it can't be left to Governments, aid agencies and NGOs alone. In the age of global capitalism it is up to African business to follow a business model that will not only ensure profitability and sustainability but will raise the general prosperity of the continent too. South African businessman Iqbal Survé is not only talking a new approach to doing business in Africa to achieve this, he is proving it too, and the likes of former US president Bill Clinton, Prince Charles and the World Economic Forum are paying close attention.