Africa Archives - 𝓔𝓾𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮 𝓦𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭

Morocco: Migrants caught between Ceuta dreams and reality

21Aug

By Europe WorldNo Comments

Africa, World

Morocco: Migrants caught between Ceuta dreams and reality

There are only a few kilometers between the city of Fnideq in Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta — but the distance between those who dream of crossing that divide and those who chose to stay in Morocco is far greater than that. After July 30, when an estimated 72,000 people crossed from Morocco into Ceuta, there were further calls on social media for people to come to Fnideq for another mass crossing attempt in mid-August. That is despite the fact that around 100 people died in the July attempt and that most of those who crossed into Ceuta have since returned to Morocco. Numbers are unclear but somewhere between 2,000 and 8,000 of those who managed to get over to the Spanish enclave remain there. According to reports, they are now living in desperate circumstances. Many are sleepi...

DR Congo Ebola outbreak tops 400 deaths as virus reaches major city

15Aug

By Europe WorldNo Comments

Africa, Health

DR Congo Ebola outbreak tops 400 deaths as virus reaches major city

An Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo has killed more than 400 people and is still spreading, with a first case reported in the major city of Kisangani, nearly 600 kilometres from its epicentre. The highly infectious disease has claimed 438 lives among the 1,406 people confirmed infected – a fatality rate of just over 31 percent – since the outbreak was declared on May 15, the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) said in its latest report published on Thursday. Read moreMore than a month into DR Congo Ebola outbreak, doctors warn 'this epidemic will last' The centre of the outbreak – whose true scale remains difficult to assess – was in the northeastern Ituri province, where more than 83 percent of the deaths have occurred. The province borders South Sudan and Uganda, which has reported ...

DR Congo Ebola outbreak’s true scale could be four times higher than official toll, WHO says

14Aug

By Europe WorldNo Comments

Africa, Health

DR Congo Ebola outbreak’s true scale could be four times higher than official toll, WHO says

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that a deadly Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could be four times bigger than official figures suggest. According to the DR Congo's latest official figures, the haemorrhagic fever has infected more than 1,960 people and killed over 700 since it was detected two months ago. But WHO emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu told reporters in Geneva that its modelling indicated "the scale of the outbreak is at least two to four times the number of cases that we have found". According to official numbers, this is already one of the largest Ebola outbreaks recorded, with the virus spreading faster than ever seen before. Watch moreEbola spreads to more provinces "This is now the third-largest Ebola outbreak ever, and we've seen the fas...

14Aug

By Europe WorldNo Comments

Africa, Health

DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak outpaces response as health workers strike over pay

The world’s fastest-growing Ebola outbreak is spreading faster than efforts to fight it, the head of the World Health Organization said on Wednesday during a visit to DR Congo, where some health workers are striking over a lack of pay. Nearly three months into the outbreak, new cases are doubling in some hot spots, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X after meeting with officials in the capital, Kinshasa. It was the second visit by the WHO director-general to the Central African country since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. “We all agree that we must urgently and massively scale up all our efforts across all pillars of the response and by all partners,” Tedros said. DR Congo is set to open its largest ever Ebola treatment facility ...