South Africa: SERI Condemns the Warrantless Raids conducted by the Police under Operation “Show Your Receipt” (23.07.2021)

Republique Centrafricaine: Mouvement Kodro ti Mo Kozo Si (MKMKS) – Communique de Presse No. 005 (23.07.2021)

Ethiopia: WFP Sends First Humanitarian Passenger Flight into Tigray, as Famine Edges Closer in the Region (22.07.2021)

The UNHAS flights will operate twice a week, facilitating the regular movement of humanitarian personnel into and out of Tigray.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, July 22, 2021 – The first United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) passenger flight, which is managed by the United Nations World Food Programme, has touched down at Tigray’s Alula Aba Nega International Airport in Mekelle today.

It is the first passenger flight into the region since commercial flights were halted on 24 June and carried more than 30 employees from multiple humanitarian organisations working to deliver urgently needed assistance to conflict-affected communities across Tigray.

“WFP and our fellow emergency responders on the ground in Mekelle are all enormously relieved to see this UNHAS flight arrive today, bringing in colleagues who are all essential in our collective efforts to scale up the humanitarian response and for WFP to reach 2.1 million people with life-saving food assistance,” said Michael Dunford, WFP’s Regional Director for Eastern Africa.

From today, the UNHAS flights will operate twice a week, facilitating the regular movement of humanitarian personnel into and out of Tigray. However, the humanitarian response in the region continues to be challenged by a lack of sufficient food and other humanitarian supplies, limited communication services and no commercial supply chain.

With conflict escalating in surrounding regions, including Afar, the safe and secure passage for convoys to move humanitarian supplies into Tigray remains a primary concern for WFP and the humanitarian community, particularly after a WFP convoy was attacked on the morning of July 18 while attempting to move essential humanitarian cargo into Tigray.

Another WFP-led convoy of over 200 trucks containing food and other essential humanitarian supplies is currently on standby in Semera and expected to depart for Tigray as soon as security clearances are assured.

“Famine is preventable and the power to avert it is in the hands of all parties concerned. WFP is calling for all parties to agree to a ceasefire so the humanitarian response can be rapidly scaled up and all routes can be used urgently to reach those most in need,” added Dunford.

  • Despite the numerous challenges, WFP has managed to deliver food to over 730,000 people in parts of the south and north west in the past month (under Round 2 distributions). This includes 40,000 people in Zana who were reached with food assistance for the first time.
  • WFP hopes to reach an additional 80,000 people in the north west in the coming days. Once this is completed, food stocks are likely to run out.
  • WFP and its nutrition partners are working together to ensure nutrition supplies are reaching the families most in need. In June, WFP reached over 185,000 people with nutrition support but progress in early July was much slower due to security concerns with 30,000 people reached so far. WFP is now delivering nutrition support in areas previously unreached throughout the conflict, including those with high malnutrition rates.
  • There is currently 7,500 metric tons of food inside Tigray stored in WFP’s warehouses in Mekelle and Shire. WFP recently added an additional 13 trucks to its fleet within the region and plans to move in 30 more as soon as it is guaranteed safe and secure passage to do so.
  • WFP is providing logistics capacity to the Joint Emergency Response (JEOP, a consortium of NGOs funded by the United States) by transporting urgently needed food to those communities which haven’t yet been reached, particularly in rural areas in central zone.
  • The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis in June projected that over 400,000 people would be suffering from catastrophic levels of hunger from July onwards. Across Tigray, 4 million people—70 percent of the population— have high levels of acute food insecurity and need emergency assistance.
  • Across Ethiopia, WFP aims to reach 11.9 million people in 2021 with food, nutrition and cash support and delivering activities to boost communities’ self-reliance and capacity in order to be food secure.
  • WFP needs US$176 million to continue to scale up its response in Tigray to save lives and livelihoods to the end of the year. For all activities under its Country Strategic Plan, WFP has a funding shortfall of US$377 million. Additional funding is vital to allow WFP to keep saving and changing lives in Ethiopia.

Burundi: Force de Lutte Contre le Noptisme et le Favoritisme au Burundi (FOLUCON-F) – Communique de Presse (23.07.2021)

India: Hawkers Joint Action Committee (HJAC) – Press Statement (23.07.2021)

Law Society of Kenya (LSK): Statement on Search on Chambers of, on and arrest of Justices Said Chitembwe and Aggrey Muchelule (22.07.2021)

Opinion: MPs 200 million pay-off [and who cares about the pandemic?]

This week it has been revealed that the 529 Members of Parliament is receiving Shs. 200 million shillings as a one time “envelope” to purchase a new vehicle. Because, it is such an important prospect and bargain to pay the elected officials with cars. They have already hefty salaries, allowances and perks in office. This is just one of these one-time offers that they can eat quickly off.

Every single MP gets 200 million shillings in July 2021, months after the elections in January 2021. That’s become a custom in the Republic. After an election and swearing-in, the new MPs and the old ones gets a huge pay-off in the millions of shillings to purchase a vehicle. This isn’t new, but its still insane.

Especially, considering the state have taken up huge loans to cover deficits and loans to cover the recovery from after the pandemic. The state isn’t using these vast funds buying vaccines, PPE or investing in the Ministry of Health. No, they are using more money on a car-fleet. A fleet given and paid for by the state.

This is 105.8 billion shillings spent on cars or vehicles by the state. That is how to misuse government and wasted spending. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the President does this to buy loyalty. Because, for some strange reason… no MP is complaining or returning these funds.

It is not like the MPs are having an outcry or asking to refund the pay-out. The MPs should ask why they are getting this and why now?

We know the MPs are scheduled to get funds for the vehicles, which it does … in the beginning of the term. The 11th Parliament isn’t doing anything new… and nobody is shocked by this. The MPs are just following tradition at this point.

However, now as the state cannot afford to buy vaccines or has the ability to invest in the Ministry of Health. Nevertheless, the MPs are the priority and their wealth needs to be taken care off. That’s why this is happening. Just to ensure the MPs will be loyal to the President and his causes. They have already accepted the 200 millions shilling envelope.

If the MPs had a trouble with this. They would do like with the Age-Limit Consultation Money. The MPs would cry havoc and made a fuzz. That’s something that’s not happening at this point. This is just ordinary programming and no-one want stop it, apparently.

The MPs are just to accept this and clap along. They are dancing to the tune and hoping to have a party. Because, the feast is already covered by the state and they have huge payouts in the making. This is just the beginning. Peace.

Ethiopia: Office of the Prime Minister – Tigray Region Humanitarian Assistance Update (22.07.2021)

Ethiopia: The Global Society of Tigray Scholars (GSTS) – Open Letter – Call to Stop the Siege of Tigray and the Use of Starvation as a Weapon of War (22.07.2021)

Republique Centrafricaine: Communique Gouvernemental (21.07.2021)