{"id":91045,"date":"2017-04-13T19:30:14","date_gmt":"2017-04-13T17:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/priti-patel-urges-end-to-conflict-and-man-made-famine-in-south-sudan\/"},"modified":"2017-04-13T19:30:14","modified_gmt":"2017-04-13T17:30:14","slug":"priti-patel-urges-end-to-conflict-and-man-made-famine-in-south-sudan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/priti-patel-urges-end-to-conflict-and-man-made-famine-in-south-sudan\/","title":{"rendered":"Priti Patel urges end to conflict and man-made famine in South Sudan"},"content":{"rendered":"

APO News from Africa:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Priti Patel urges end to conflict and man-made famine in South Sudan<\/a>: <\/p>\n

This follows an official declaration of famine in some parts of South Sudan in February, in areas which have seen some of the most intense fighting between Government and opposition forces and restrictions on access for humanitarian organisations. With 100,000 people in Unity state at risk of starvation and a million more on the brink, this is the first declaration of famine anywhere in the world for six years.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Development Secretary told President Kiir of South Sudan that the fighting that was causing the famine – and which has killed tens of thousands of civilians – had to stop and that “conflict could not build the country”. Ms Patel, the first Cabinet Minister to visit the country since South Sudan’s independence ceremony in 2011, also made clear that it was abhorrent that those that the people of South Sudan should be able to look to for protection were also perpetrating human rights abuses that included murder and rape.<\/p>\n

During a visit to Leer in northern South Sudan, Ms Patel saw first-hand the impact of the famine. She met families that had lost loved ones and were now relying on life-saving support of UK aid, which is providing food, water and medical supplies to millions in need in the country. She also met church leaders in the country who she argued would be key to securing a lasting peace in the country.<\/p>\n

Ms Patel met South Sudanese refugees at Imvepi reception centre and Bidibidi refugee settlement in Yumbe, close to Uganda’s border with South Sudan, which is welcoming in thousands of people a day fleeing violence and famine. There she saw the thousands of people who were arriving from across the border with nothing more than what they could carry and the support UK aid was providing.<\/p>\n

International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:<\/h3>\n

“The situation in South Sudan is catastrophic and unbearable. We cannot let food be used as a weapon of war nor can we tolerate attacks on aid workers, who are selflessly trying to deliver lifesaving food, water and medicine.<\/p>\n

“The Government of South Sudan and all parties to the conflict must stop the barbaric violence and let aid get through to those in desperate need – this is the only way we can end the suffering of millions of innocent people and stop children dying.<\/p>\n

“UK aid is saving lives in South Sudan by delivering urgently needed food, water and medicine. The international community now needs to step up alongside Global Britain to stop famine spreading in South Sudan and help support stability in the region.<\/p>\n

“Hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese now call Uganda home and many have faced unimaginable horrors in getting here. We cannot undo the harm that has been done to them, but thanks to UK aid, refugees reaching Uganda are receiving shelter, food, medical care, a measure of safety and the hope for a future.<\/p>\n

“This support is helping people who have lost everything stay in the region close to home, so they are not forced to make perilous journeys in search for a better life. This is in everyone’s interest.”<\/p>\n

During her three day visit to South Sudan and Uganda, the International Development Secretary saw how UK leadership and support is delivering urgently needed food for people in Leer where over a third of the population have insufficient food and have been surviving by desperate measures, including eating grass and seeds. She also visited a UK aid supported hospital in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, treating malnourished children and met with British troops who are supporting the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.<\/p>\n

In the whole of South Sudan, almost 5 million face the daily threat of going without enough food and water and 3 million people have been forced from their homes because of ruthless violence and widespread rape.<\/p>\n

This is the biggest refugee movement in Central Africa since the 1994 Rwandan genocide and Uganda is now the largest refugee hosting nation in Africa with more than 1,200,000 refugees, of which 834,000 are South Sudanese. Uganda’s Bidibidi refugee settlement recently became the largest refugee hosting centre in the world, with 270,000 refugees despite having opened only less than a year ago.<\/p>\n

Uganda has one of the most progressive refugee policies in the world, where refugees are given land, jobs and integrated into communities, giving people fleeing conflict hope for the future.<\/p>\n

UK aid has been instrumental in supporting this by rapidly upgrading infrastructure, hospitals and schools on the Ugandan border with South Sudan as well as delivering emergency food, water, shelter and medicine to respond to the influx in refugees.<\/p>\n

Distributed by APO on behalf of Department for International Development (DFID).<\/i><\/p>\n

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Source:<\/strong> APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa<\/a><\/small>
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New African Woman Awards 2017 Winners Announced<\/a>: <\/p>\n

The fearless Gambian human rights activist won New African Woman<\/strong><\/em> magazine’s Woman of the Year Award (http:\/\/NAW-Forum.com) at the their Award ceremony that took place in Dakar last night. Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajan<\/strong> was instrumental in galvanising the opposition that eventually beat long-term now exiled leader Yahya Jammeh.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Held at a glitzy Gala Dinner at the Terrou-Bi hotel in the Senegalese capital Dakar on 12 April and the Awards, <\/strong><\/em>now in their second edition, recognise, celebrate and honour African women who have made exceptional impact and change in their countries or communities in the past 12 months.
 
Nigeria’s Amina J. Mohammed<\/strong> – the new United Nations Deputy Secretary – took home the New African Woman in Politics and Public Office. Prior to her new post, she served as Minister of Environment. But she has played key roles in both the current Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), on how both agendas impact Africa – more so its women.
 
Winners have been selected by a special panel of judges from 68 shortlisted candidates across 12 categories. The Award for Women in Health, Science and Technology went to Namibia’s Dr Helena Ndume<\/strong> – a pioneering ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon, who has to date, performed over 35,000 sight-restoring surgeries on Namibians, completely free of charge. 
 
Morocco saw serial entrepreneur Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch<\/strong>, take home the New African woman Award in Business. Zimbabwean philathropists and educationist Tsitsi Masiyiwa<\/strong>, received the New African Woman Award in Education for her work with Higherlife Foundation – a not for profit organisation she runs and offers scholarships to orphaned and vulnerable children to give them a better chance in education. Over 250,000 children have benefited from the work of Higherlife Foundation.
 
The much-talked about New African Woman on the Rise (The Next Generation) – a category which received the most nominations – went to the Kenyan girls rights activist and UN Women youth advisor Vivian Onano<\/strong>.
 
The New African Woman in Civil Society was given to Chief Theresa Kachindamoto<\/strong>, who annulled over 300 child marriages in her village in Malawi, a feat that played an important role in forcing the government to ban child marriages in the country all together.<\/p>\n

Other winners were Nigeria’s Joan Okorodudu<\/strong> (New African Woman In The Arts & Culture) for her services to raising the profile of African models and fashion; Mali’s Binta Touré Ndoye<\/strong> (New African Woman – in Finance); Amira Yahyaoui<\/strong> of Tunisia (New African Woman in Media) and the former African Union Commissioner Agriculture and Rural Development Tumusiime Rhoda Peace<\/strong> from Uganda, is the New African Woman in Agriculture for pushing the importance of food security and adding value chain to African goods while she was at the AU.<\/p>\n

The New African Woman in Sport went to the Senegal’s Fatma Samoura<\/strong> – the world football body’s Secretary General – a position she was appointed to in 2016, becoming the first African woman to hold the post.<\/p>\n

The New African Woman Awards is followed by a Forum on 13 April, under the theme Changing The Game<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Distributed by APO on behalf of IC Publications.<\/i><\/p>\n

Notes to Editors:<\/strong> 
You can download photos from the Awards <\/strong>on our Flickr account: 
New African Woman Awards 2017 photos on Flickr (http:\/\/APO.af\/QLzl7U)<\/p>\n

New African Woman Forum and Awards:<\/strong>
The second edition of New African Woman Forum and Awards (http:\/\/NAW-Forum.com) is being held in Dakar on 12-13 April 2017 and will draw over 150 high profile, respected decision-making women who will discuss and examine key issues pertaining to the status of women across the. The Forum was preceded by an Awards gala ceremony to recognise and celebrate women achievers and excellence on the continent and in its diaspora. <\/p>\n

Facebook<\/strong>: New African Woman magazine
Twitter<\/strong>: @NewAfricanWoman
Instagram<\/strong>: @NewAfricanWoman
Contact<\/strong>: awards@ICPublications.com <\/p>\n

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