In rural sub-Saharan Africa, access to clean drinking water often depends on a simple technology: the handpump. These manually operated systems pump water out of the ground for more than 184 million people. Yet despite their importance, research has found that at least 100,000 handpumps out of the 500,000 to 1.3 million in use in…
Environmental activists in South Africa have been waging legal battles against the state and mining companies for years. This is often on the grounds that communities haven’t been consulted before mines were given permission to start digging and blasting on their land. Environmental justice researcher Mzingaye Brilliant Xaba has tracked the legal cases against mines…
As the world marks International Women’s Day 2026 under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls” , Women Deliver is calling for changes in how global systems operate and how power and resources are distributed. Women Deliver CEO Maliha Khan said the world is at a decisive moment. “Across the world, hard-won…
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. @ymahmoudali, yesterday evening held consultations with the Permanent Representatives of the AU Regional Economic Communities (RECs), briefing them on the Commission’s strategic priorities ahead of the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council & the 39th Assembly of Heads of State & Government (Addis Ababa, 11-15 Feb…
Marking World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that millions of people living with NTDs continue to face profound and often unseen suffering due to discrimination, social stigma and untreated mental health conditions. Under the rallying theme “Unite. Act. Eliminate.”, WHO and partners urge governments to integrate mental health care…
The UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has distributed essential materials worth millions of naira and dollars to school students, orphanages, internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, and vulnerable communities across Nigeria and 19 other African countries. Between November 2025 and January 2026, the foundation’s Food Bank and…
Nairobi — IGAD is working with member states on an anticipatory action roadmap, designed to ensure that early warnings for floods, droughts and other climate hazards trigger concrete measures that protect lives, livelihoods and property. Despite billions pledged globally for climate action, only a small fraction reaches the communities most affected by droughts, floods and…
Land tenure is the relationship, defined in law and customs, that people as individuals or groups have with land. It involves a bundle of rights to land, such as the right to use, sell, or bequeath land. Secure tenure is crucial for people to have secure homes, for food production, and for the economy. For…
Pretoria — The World Health Organization (WHO) in the African region, Member States and partners have agreed on a roadmap to protect communities during public health emergencies, becoming the first region to formally establish systems that hold both governments and WHO jointly accountable for preventing and addressing sexual misconduct in their shared operations. The milestone–designed,…
STORY HIGHLIGHTS The Holhol Dam has been rehabilitated under the World Bank-supported Somalia Water for Rural Resilience Project (Barwaaqo) to support over 6,000 people and thousands of livestock. The upgraded dam now holds up to 70,000 cubic meters of water and serves surrounding villages such as Asha-ado, Abuqeys, and Sogsogley. The rehabilitation of five water…
