The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is joining 11 other Canadian aid agencies in June to help combat the escalating hunger crisis in East Africa. The organization says the crisis is “worse than anything seen in recent years.” “The Canadian government has announced it will match all donations made by individual Canadians to the Humanitarian Coalition until […] Read more
Tag Archives Africa
Foodgrains bank responds to African hunger crisis
A flare up of conflict in Sudan, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo has exacerbated severe hunger caused by erratic weather and economic disruptions in the Horn of Africa.
Africa must rethink its approach to agriculture
A South African economist argues that governments must embrace technology and seek out private sector partnerships
(Reuters) — In response to the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, most sub-Saharan governments are developing economic recovery plans. These will require some different thinking, particularly when it comes to agriculture. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, explains to Michael Aliber, a professor of agricultural economics at […] Read more
African drought prompts call for help
International aid requested as nearly eight million people in Zimbabwe, or half its population, are declared food insecure
The combination of a cyclone and three years of drought in large parts of southern Africa has created a humanitarian crisis in that part of the world. The World Food Programme is calling on countries to step up assistance to Zimbabwe where nearly eight million people, or half of the country’s population, are food insecure. […] Read more
Activists jeopardize livestock vaccine use
A Canadian-financed project to develop vaccines to inoculate livestock in sub-Saharan Africa against infectious diseases could produce results within three years, says the project leader. However, anti-vaccination politics could delay or stymie their introduction. Celebrated Canadian researcher Lorne Babiuk leads a project that uses advanced DNA technology to develop vaccine antidotes to deadly and destructive […] Read more
Feds to matchfunds raised for West Africa
In the face of a growing humanitarian crisis in a large swath of West African countries, the Canadian government says it will match aid funds raised privately until Sept. 30. The government commitment, announced Aug. 7, supplements $47.5 million in assistance already pledged by Ottawa. The new commitment could add tens of millions of dollars […] Read more
Food crisis looms: aid group
International aid organization Oxfam is warning that this summer’s drought in key food producing countries is putting millions of poor people at risk and bad political decisions play a role. In an August report, the non-governmental organization said drought in North America, Russia and Ukraine is cutting the amount of food available, raising prices beyond […] Read more
