Africa

November 19, 2016 (JUBA) - The United States has demanded the United Nations Security Council to impose sanctions on the leader of the armed opposition (SPLM-IO) SPLA chief of staff and information minister for hampering the peace process in South Sudan.

The Associated Press reported that an annex to the U.S. resolution calling for an arms embargo and new sanctions proposes to impose travel bans and freeze the assets of rebel leader Riek Machar, Gen. Paul Malong and Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth.

The annex says Machar's SPLM-IO faction “declared war on the South Sudanese government and called for armed resistance” following what “forces allied with Machar have raided villages and abducted civilians and aid workers,” reported The AP.

In a statement released on 25 September, following a meeting held in Khartoum, the SPLM-IO called to wage war on the “regime” in Juba under President Salva Kiir and called on the international community to declare it a “rogue” regime.

Regarding the Sudan People's Liberation Army's Chief of Staff, the annex said Malong has expanded the conflict in South Sudan and broken the cease-fire deal.

“As of early August 2016, Malong was responsible for efforts to kill opposition leader Riek Machar,” it said, including knowingly violating Kiir's orders and launching tank, helicopter gunship and infantry assaults on July 11 against the rebel leader's residence and the rebels' ”Jebel” base.

He informed SPLA commanders “that Machar was not to be taken alive,” says the annex, according to The AP.

Last year, the U.S. failed to blacklist Malong and top rebel commander, Maj. Gen. Johnson Olony, because of opposition from Russia, China, Angola and Venezuela.

On the case of Lueth, the minister of information and broadcasting, the annex said he“has repeatedly and consistently worked to obstruct and undermine the implementation of peace deals in South Sudan”.

It further points to Lueth's involvement in planning and coordinating an April 2014 attack on the U.N. compound in the Jonglei State capital, Bor where three U.N. guards and 140 civilians were killed. The

Also, the annex cited his statement in September that the government would treat “as invaders” members of the Regional Protection Force if they deployed without government approval on numbers, nationalities and equipment.

The Security Council has already imposed sanctions on six South Sudanese commanders, three from the government and three from the opposition.

(ST)

November 18, 2016 (NYALA/EL GENEINA) - Darfur Crimes Courts on Thursday have sentenced four people to three and four years for armed robbery, theft and kidnapping.

A special judge sits in court in Nyala during the trial of six Sudanese men accused of belonging to the Janjaweed, 30 September 2004 (Reuters)

A Darfur Crimes Court in Nayala, chaired by the Judge Mohamed Kamal al-Din, sentenced two defendants accused of carjacking to three years in prison and ordered to pay 17.680 Sudanese pound (SDG) as compensation to the victims of the crime.

Darfur Special Persecutor, al-Fatih Tayfur, said that the two criminal used force and robbed a vehicle rented by an international non-governmental organization (INGOs) to transport doctors to and from Kalama camp.

They were arrested after the vehicle had broken down in Belail forest.

Speaking to the official Sudan News Agency, the Representative Plaintiff, Musa Daw al-Beit, said that the two defendants were sentenced in accordance with article 21/175 of the Criminal Act.

“The two convicts were fairly tried and the trial was monitored by UNAMID's Civil Affairs Department,” stressed Daw al-Beit, adding that the two defendants were allowed to hire lawyers.

In El Geneina the capital of West Darfur state, another Darfur Crimes Court headed by the judge, Abdel-Rahim Youssef, on Thursday sentenced two convicts to four years in prison, 60 lashes and fined each of them 6000 SDG. In case of non-payment, they would be jailed for two additional years.
“The convicts were sentenced after they were found guilty of theft, armed robbery and causing harm,” said Darfur Crimes Persecutor, al-Fatih Tayfur.

The two criminals were arrested in Zalingei after robbing the complaint's vehicle from “Nus Camp” on the 15th of September 2016.

Darfur Crimes Court was established in 2005 after the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to investigate war crimes committed in Darfur region.

However, Sudan refused to cooperate with the ICC, saying that local courts are able to examine the crimes committed since the eruption of Darfur conflict in 2003.

UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in Darfur conflict since 2003 and over 2.5 million were displaced.

(ST)

Strongly condemning attacks against civilians, ethnically targeted killings, hate speech, and incitements to violence in South Sudan, the United Nations Security Council called for urgent steps to address increasing hate speech and ethnic violence, and to promote reconciliation among the people, including through a process of justice and accountability.

Ahead of local elections in Mali, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has encouraged the Government to pursue a constructive dialogue with all stakeholders to defuse tensions that may arise before and after the poll and to ensure that the holding of the elections do not compromise the advances made towards peace in the country.

November 17, 2016 (RUMBEK) – The governor of South Sudan's Eastern Lakes state, Ring Tueng Mabor has sacked five health officials, who until now, worked at Nyang hospital.

Map detail of South Sudan showing Lakes state in red

The dismissal of workers came in the wake of complaints over poor working conditions at the hospital.

The workers dismissed included laboratory technicians and officers in-charge of monitoring and evaluation aspects.

In recent weeks, however, the governor seems to have been isolated by his close allies due to his absurd decisions.

"Governor is becoming unprecedented and unpredictable. He just came to our hospital and we welcomed him. It was a chance for us to tell our governor the problems that we are facing, but he turned a wrong page by dismissing five workers,” said an official, who preferred anonymity.

The laboratory technician, Riel Madhieu and the monitoring and evaluation officer, Gordon Chien were among those dismissed, junior officer speaking on condition of anonymity, said.

Ever since the unlawful arrest of 65 youth in Anuol payam, residents and officials distanced themselves from Mabor.

(ST)

Nov 18, 2016 (Yambio) – South Sudan's Gbudue State says that a member of the African Union Regional Task Force (AU RTF) operating in LRA-affected areas has been abducted since three weeks

Ugandan soldiers, who are tracking down Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) fugitive leaders, walk in a forest bordering Central African Republic (CAR), South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo, near river Chinko April 19, 2012 (Reuters)

Following his return from Juba, Gbudue State Governor Patrick Raphael Zamoi told reporters that the armed group led by Alfred Futuyo abducted a member of the RTF force while they were coming from Nzara to Yambio, three weeks ago and his whereabouts is not known.

“We learnt that they brought a lot of number of guns back to the state, I still gave them a chance for peace. When I went back again to Juba I found that they start trouble here coming attacking the town abducting the boys here and there, attacking refugees camp abducting one of the officer of the AU RTF.”

Zamoi blamed the armed group saying he has been trying by all possible ways to dialogue with them. But they continue causing insecurity just to tarnish the image of the Government. and the community is tired of them.

He added that one day they would harvest what they are sowing.
However, the governor vowed to continue his efforts for peace because "it is the community which suffers".

He hailed the progress made in the implementation of a peace agreement signed in April 2016 with the South Sudan National Liberation Movement in Yambio, one of the armed group in Western Equatoria region.

He said the reintegration process of SSNLM forces into the organized forces is at the final stage. Also, he said that President Salva Kiir met the SSNLM commanders last week.

“After the President gave them his blessings now they are ready to pass out and then we will have two to three weeks to graduate them and integrate them to the organized force," Zamoi stated.

The United Nations supported AU RTF comprise 5,000 soldiers drawn from the four countries affected by the LRA – Uganda, DRC, CAR and South Sudan. Its headquarters is in Yambio, and has other bases in Dungu town of Congo , Obo of CAR and Nzara in South Sudan.

Security situation continue to deteriorate in Western Equatoria and Yambio in particular where looting, abduction, and rape continue in the remote area. Also, it was reported that four civilians were killed last week by uniformed personnel.

(ST)

November 18, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - The independent doctors union, Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors (CCSD) on Friday said the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has arrested another doctor describing its renewed strike as complete success.

On 6 October, Sudanese doctors staged a strike and refused non-emergency treatments to patients to protest the poor working conditions, lack of medicines and protection of doctors after increasing attacks by frustrated patients and their families.

On 13 October, the CCSD called off the strike following government pledges to introduce a bill to the parliament to protect doctors, improve training conditions for registrars and improve work environment in hospitals.

However, the CCSD on November 8th announced resumption of a two-day strike every week during November, saying the government didn't honour its commitments.

On November 12th, CCSD said it decided to increase the number of days on which strike action will take place to three days, saying the Health Ministry continues to drag its feet on the implementation of the agreement.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Friday, the CCSD said the NISS on Thursday morning arrested doctor Sara Faisal following four days of repeated summoning, pointing the number of the detained has now risen to 12 doctors.

Last week, Amnesty International urged the Sudanese government to release ten doctors arrested and to halt security summons to the striking members of CCSD.

The statement described the seventh day of the strike as “significant success”, saying that 75 hospital and health centres across the country have participated in it.

It pointed that electronic and foreign media have paid great attention to the strike as well as the national and international rights groups, saying this genuine attention has largely participated to the success of the strike.

The statement also praised the unity and efficient organization of the doctors, pointing to their effective and informative role via the social media networks.

Last Tuesday, the State Minister of Health Sumaia Akad threatened to take legal action against striking doctors, saying these actions include suspension of any doctor who refrains from work.

She stressed the Ministry of Health wouldn't tolerate such a behavior, saying that several striking doctors have been recently suspended from work.

(ST)

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

November 18, 2016 (ADDIS ABABA) – The United Nations Higher Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) on Friday said that it has opened a new camp as it records high influx of South Sudanese refugees flocking in to Ethiopia.

Nearly 40,000 South Sudanese refugees have arrived in Ethiopia's Gambella region since early September.

Most of the new arrivals have been registered and relocated to Jewi, Kule, Tierkidi and Nguenyyiel refugee camps, whilst 806 registered persons await relocation.

According to the UN refugee agency, currently on average, some 547 south Sudanese refugees arrive in Ethiopia on a daily basis.

64% of the total registered new arrivals are children, including 8,392 unaccompanied and separated children.

“This increasing trend of underage asylum-seekers from South Sudan adds to the already young refugee population in Gambella” UNHCR said.

The new arrivals, most originate from the Upper Nile State (94.2%) and Jonglie State (5.6%).

Since September, the operation in Ethiopia has experienced a fresh influx of refugees from South Sudan fleeing renewed violence and food shortages in their home country.

To shelter the new arrivals the UNHCR along with its main government counterpart, the Administration for Refugee and Returnees Affairs (ARRA) have built a new Camp in Gambela region which borders South Sudan.

Some 6,200 newly South Sudanese refugees who arrived recently have been relocated to the new camp, Nguenyyiel which is not far from the other camps.
As numbers of South Sudan refugees rises the UNHCR has requested USD 113.8 million for the South Sudan Situation in Ethiopia.

Currently Ethiopia hosts 324,075 South Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers.

The horn of Africa's country provides protection to refugees from some 20 countries, with the majority originating from South Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea and Sudan.

South Sudanese, Eritreans, Yemenis and Somalis originating from South and Central Somalia are granted automatic refugee status.

While to all other, individual refugee status determination is undertaken by the Government's Eligibility Committee, on which UNHCR sits as an observer.

The Government maintains the policy requiring refugees to reside in refugee camps.

It however allows certain refugees to reside in the urban areas, primarily in the capital Addis Ababa.

They include refugees in need of special medical attention unavailable in camps; refugees with serious protection concerns or inability to stay in camps for humanitarian reasons.

Currently over 18,000 Eritrean refugees reside in Addis Ababa enrolled under the Out-of-Camp Policy (OCP).

Meanwhile the UN refugee agency said it will roll out the Education Management Information System (EMIS) before the end of the year,
The EMIS is intended to modernize the collection, reporting and usage of education-related data.

In preparation for that, UNHCR and ARRA organized familiarization trainings for all pertinent personnel working in refugee education across all refugee camps in Ethiopia. Education managers, school directors, programme officers and education data managers were some of the participants of the training.

The EMIS is a critical education management tool approved by UNESCO.

UNHCR, UNICEF SIGN MoU

UNHCR and UNICEF today signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) and a joint plan of action to further strengthen their partnership in responding to the needs of refugees and host communities in Ethiopia.

The representatives of the two agencies to Ethiopia – Ms Clementine Nkweta-Salami (UNHCR) and Ms Gillian Mellsop (UNICEF) signed the agreement which outlines key areas of collaboration in child protection, education, health and nutrition, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).

Under the present agreement, which is due to end in August 2020, the two agencies agreed to work together in accelerating their joint refugee response in terms of technical assistance, visibility, advocacy resource mobilization and supply management. In addition, the collaboration will have a strong focus on identifying risks and ensuring that contingency planning and preparedness measures are in place.

“UNICEF and UNHCR have a long history of effective and demonstrated collaboration in humanitarian action which has greatly improved the lives of refugees over the years. This agreement will further cement our partnership and help us to advance our respective mandates in Ethiopia,” said Ms Nkweta-Salami.

In UNHCR's case, this means protecting, assisting and finding durable solutions to the plight of refugees and other persons of concern. For UNICEF, it allows for greater advocacy for vulnerable children by making sure that programmes and policies in response to the refugee crisis put the rights and needs of children first.

“The decision to have this agreement with UNHCR stems from our wish to formalize the complementarity of our work and ensure that we are jointly delivering results for children. Together, we will intensify our efforts to address the issues of refugees and host communities who need our protection and support,” said Ms Gillian Mellsop.

(ST)

November 18, 2016 (JUBA)- South Sudanese officials on Friday lauded the rejection by the veto -power Russian government of an American proposal by to United Nations Security Council to impose arms embargo and targeted sanctions on the new nation.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, called for the imposition of an arm embargo on South Sudan, pointing that all the ingredients for a genocide exist in South Sudan.

She admitted that no embargo can completely stop weapons getting into the country, adding that "an arms embargo could have a significant impact on the ground".

However, South Sudanese cabinet Affairs and defence ministers described the proposal to impose sanctions as part of the efforts aimed frustrating implementation of the peace agreement and prolongs the suffering of the people.

“The government and the people of South Sudan have said time and again that there is no need to impose sanctions. The peace agreement has been signed and it is being implemented fully," said cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomuro in statements to Sudan Tribune.

"What is needed now from the international community is to stand with the transitional government of national unity in the implementation of the peace agreement. The parties to the agreement are already working together. They don't need sanctions. So what is the use of these proposals again,” he added on Friday.

Meanwhile Defence Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk told Sudan Tribune in a separate interview that sanctions would undermine the implementation of the agreement and will perpetuate the suffering of the people. He described the proposal as an “obstruction” of ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully, stressing that the only way to end the suffering of the people is a political solution.

“When you impose arms embargo on a sovereign state, what does that mean? It means you want no solution to the conflict and it does not represent any attempts to resolve the conflict you want to stop peacefully. And the solution itself becomes a problem. So ,we say sanctions are not the solution,” said Juuk.

The proposal to impose arms embargo and targeted sanctions on South Sudan was supported by two permanent members in the Security Council: UK and France who have power of veto.

The move came after Adama Dieng, the Advisor on Preventing Genocide tabled a report that there is a high risk of genocide in South Sudan, after targeted ethnic killings of civilians. Ellen Løj said that the UNSC has to place the children and the women of South Sudan first in their decisions.

The Russian Deputy Ambassador Petr Iliichev voiced his objection to the imposition of an arm embargo, pointing that the proposed sanction would complicate relations between the host country, the peacekeeping mission there and the international community.

"introducing targeted sanctions against South Sudanese leaders would be the height of irresponsibility now,” Iliiche further said, stressing that some members of the UNSC want President Kiir to share the fate of the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Angola, another of South Sudan's allies albeit without veto power, also objected the U.S. proposal saying arms embargo is not a solution.

Also, its ambassador regretted the report of the UN panel of experts. "The Angolans objected to unhelpful language used in the report to de-legitimatize the Transitional Government of National Unity".

The Chinese also expressed reservation and seemed indecisive. The Chinese Deputy Ambassador Wo Haito said the Council should be "prudent" and avoid imposing sanctions in order "to avoid complicating the situation."

South Sudanese officials say the "whole farce" is a ploy for regime change.

South Sudan representative told the Security Council that no sovereign country can accept an armed rebellion. He said the only way to prevent genocide is to end the rebellion not impose arms embargo or sanctions.

(ST)

Top African writers at Nigeria's Ake Arts festival give the BBC their take on what stories need to be told.

Nteranya Sanginga, Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Courtesy of IITA

By Nteranya Sanginga
IBADAN, Nigeria, Nov 18 2016 (IPS)

Harvesting the benefits of core agricultural research, which often bears on improved crop varieties and plant diseases, increasingly depends on the social and economic conditions into which its seeds are sown.

It is a sign of the times that Kanayo F. Nwanze, the president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development who started off as a cassava entomologist when ITTA posted him to Congo in the 1970s, was recently hailed for his efforts to create African billionaires.

That happened when youth from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture’s Agripreneur program gave Nwanze special lapel pins after his guest speech at our golden jubilee celebration kickoff.

Our institute, IITA, has evolved with the times. I trained in microbial ecology, yet while agronomy research –remains very important, it is initiatives like our Youth Agripreneur program that underscore how we are paying more and more attention to the need to boost youth employment, especially in Africa.

Creating decent employment opportunities, especially rural employment opportunities, is the critical challenge of our time in Africa. It is the lynchpin of any possible success in the noble goals of hunger and poverty eradication.

The most obvious reason for that is demographic: Africa’s population is set to roughly double to 2.5 billion by 2050. Many of them, perhaps the majority, have not been born. Income opportunities and healthy affordable food will be in unprecedented demand. Today’s youth play a huge role in making that possible.

While Africa’s cities are expected to grow, even that will depend on decent rural jobs being created. Agriculture is not only called upon to increase food output and productivity, but to create jobs and even bring in the best and brightest.

The prospects are, in theory, quite good. The world is increasingly turning to sustainable agriculture, and research shows that diversified farming systems are more challenging – experientially, cognitively and intellectually – which both cushions the drudgery and spurs innovation to reduce it.

Yet the challenge, as the population projections show, is formidable. Growing by around 300 million every decade means all sectors need a giant and focused developmental push. Perceiving agriculture as the rural sector from which one escapes will backfire.

That’s one of the reasons why entomologist-turned research administrator Dr Nwanze talks about the need to foster opportunities for youth.

The IITA Youth Agripreneur program has ambitious aims. It has expanded quickly around Nigeria and other African countries.

At the same time, IITA is partnering with IFAD and the African Development Bank for the Empowering Novel Agribusiness-Led Employment for Youth in African Agriculture Program, dubbed ENABLE. The goal is to create 8 million agribusiness jobs within five years for youth.

How can IITA’s research contribute?

Take our project on Sustainable Weed Management Technologies for Cassava Systems in Nigeria. As its name suggests, this is very much geared to primary agricultural work. But it is not simply about having more cassava but about having enough extra cassava, and having it consistently, to support the use of this African staple food in flour.

As such it fits into other IFAD projects aimed at boosting the cassava flour value chain in the region. Once the weeds have been sorted out, this initiative is designed to require large gains in food processing capacity.

IITA researchers have managed to bake bread using 40 percent cassava in wheat flour, so the potential for this initiative is very large. Notice that it immediately suggests a role for bakers, confectionary products and others. That means more jobs.

This relates back to Dr. Nwanze’s time as an IITA field researcher, as he was involved in a successful effort to combat and control the cassava mealy bug that saved the continent millions of dollars.

One of the big challenges for scientists today is to make research contribute to growth. Breakthroughs often lead to solutions of food-system problems and thus relieve hunger and food and nutrition insecurity. IITA showed that by developing two new maize hybrids that deliver higher levels of vitamin A and improve child nutrition.

But we can go further, steering these breakthroughs into veritable engines of growth.

To be sure, this requires improvements on many fronts, such as better freight transportation networks. But such investments pay themselves off when they serve a common goal. Africa’s need and duty is to make sure that agriculture is ready to deliver the goods for such a take-off.

All this by the way will not only boost Africa’s agricultural productivity, which is lagging, but will boost the productivity of research itself, leading to higher returns and, one hopes, attractive jobs with higher incomes and better facilities. That’s important for future microbial ecologists and cassava entomologists!

November 18, 2016 (KHARTOUM) - Two hundred private pharmacies in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum have decided to go on partial strike and close their doors on Saturday to protest against recent foreign exchange policy by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS) that has led to a sharp rise in drug price.

Earlier this month, CBoS announced it will no longer provide US dollar for drug importation at rate of 7,5 Sudanese pounds (SDG) forcing pharmaceutical companies to buy the dollar from the black market at 17,5 pounds. As a result, drug prices rose by 100 to 150 percent.

Chairman of the Sudanese Pharmacists Union (SPU) Salah al-Din Ibrahim told Sudan Tribune on Friday that drug price has doubled and even tripled due to the CBoS's decision, saying price of some essential medicines saw a 100 to 150 percent rise.

He acknowledged that dozens of pharmacies in Khartoum will close on Saturday in protest against the lift of drug subsidy, describing the strike as a means to draw attention to the adverse impact of the CBoS's decision.

In a statement seen by the Sudan Tribune Friday, the preliminary committee of the pharmacies owners has called for a partial closure of pharmacies from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday to protest the CBoS's policy, demanding the government to go back on this “disastrous decision”.

It pointed that about 200 pharmacies in Khartoum will participate in the strike; saying pharmacies owners don't want the residents to hold them responsible for the price hikes.

The statement further demanded the SPU to take a firm stance toward what it described as “national health crisis”.

Following the CBoS's decision regarding drug importation, the government lifted fuel subsidies and increased electricity price in a bid to stop the surge in inflation and control the fall of Sudanese pound in the black market.

The government move stirred up small-scale protests in several towns across Sudan, including the capital Khartoum, Atbara, Wad Madani and Nyala.

Sudan's economy was hit hard since the southern part of the country declared independence in July 2011, taking with it about 75% of the country's oil output.

Earlier in November, CBoS introduced an incentive policy, increasing the exchange rate in commercial banks by 131%. As a result, the U.S. dollar exchange rate went up in banks to 15.8 SDG from the official rate of 6.5 SDG.

On Tuesday, the pound hit another historic low against the U.S. dollar on the black market as the dollar exchange rate went up to 17.8 SDG from 17.6 SGD last week.

It is noteworthy that the East African nation imports most of its food and medicines.

(ST)

Important steps have been taken recently by several United Nations agencies in partnership with the European Union to help tackle malnutrition in Chad, especially in accessibility, availability and use of highly nutritious food for the most vulnerable, according to a joint news release.

United Nations agencies are calling for immediate financial support for farmers and families in Madagascar in order to address the growing food crisis that could worsen if crops are not planted by December and January.

A selection of the best photos from across Africa this week.

An HIV-positive Malawian man is found guilty for having unprotected sex with newly bereaved widows as part of an outlawed cultural practice.

In Zambia, fuel subsidies have been cut and the cost of transport has risen by 25%.

Mary Robinson, the U.N. special envoy on El Niño and Climate. Credit: Fabiola Ortiz/IPS

By Fabíola Ortiz
MARRAKECH, Nov 18 2016 (IPS)

The world has been too slow in responding to climate events such as El Niño and La Niña, and those who are the “least responsible are the ones suffering most”, Mary Robinson, the special envoy on El Niño and Climate, told IPS at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Marrakech (COP22).

The first woman President of Ireland (1990-1997) and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002), Robinson was appointed earlier this year by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the new mandate involving climate change and El Niño."I’ve seen a window into a ‘new normal’ and it is very serious." -- Mary Robinson

During the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Robinson strongly advocated for engaging community-led solutions and for incorporating gender equality and women’s participation in the climate talks.

“Global warming is accelerating too much and it is being aggravated by El Niño and La Niña. They do not have to become a humanitarian disaster, but people have now been left to cope for themselves…I think we were too slow in many instances and this has become a humanitarian disaster for the 60 million people who are food insecure and suffering from droughts,” she said.

El Niño has been directly associated with droughts and floods in many parts of the world that have severely impacted millions of livelihoods. A warming of the central to eastern tropical Pacific waters, the phenomenon occurs on average every three to seven years and sea surface temperatures across the Pacific can warm more than 1 degree C.

El Niño is a natural occurrence, but scientists believe it is becoming more intense as a result of global warming.

How El Niño interacts with climate change is not 100 percent clear, but many of the countries that are now experiencing El Niño are also vulnerable to climate variations. According to Robinson, El Niño and its climate-linked emergencies are a threat to human security and, therefore, a threat to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) announced in September 2015 as the 2030 Agenda replacing the Millennium Development Goals.

“I have gone to Central America to the dry corridor in Honduras and have seen women crying because there is no water and they feel very neglected. They feel they are left behind and that nobody seems to know about them. I saw in Ethiopia severely malnourished children, it could affect them for life in terms of being stunted. The same thing in southern Africa. I feel I’ve seen a window into a ‘new normal’ and it is very serious. We need to understand the urgency of taking the necessary steps,” Robinson said.

Drought and flooding associated with El Niño created enormous problems across East Africa, Southern Africa, Central America and the Pacific. Ethiopia, where Robinson has visited earlier this year, is experiencing its worst drought in half a century. One million children in Eastern and Southern Africa alone are acutely malnourished.

It is very likely that 2016 will be the hottest year on record, with global temperatures even higher than the record-breaking temperatures in 2015, according to an assessment released at the COP22 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Preliminary data shows that 2016’s global temperatures are approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Temperatures spiked in the early months of the year because of the powerful El Niño event.

These long-term changes in the climate have exacerbated social, humanitarian and environmental pressures. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees pointed that in 2015, more than 19 million new displacements were associated with weather, water, climate and geophysical hazards in 113 countries, more than twice as many as for conflict and violence.

“We need a much more concerted response and fund preparedness. If we have a very strategic early warning system, we can deal with the problem much more effectively. Building resilience in communities is the absolute key. We need to invest in support for building resilience now rather than having a huge humanitarian disaster,” stressed Robinson.

On Nov. 17, during the COP22 in Marrakech, the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) – a coalition led by France, Australia, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada launched at the Paris climate change negotiations in 2015 – announced a new goal to mobilise more than 30 million dollars by July 2017 and 100 million by 2020.

The international partnership aims to strengthen risk information and early warning systems in vulnerable countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and small island developing states in the Pacific. The idea is to leverage financing to protect populations exposed to extreme climate events.

There will be a special focus on women, who are particularly vulnerable to climate menaces but are the protagonists in building resilience. “Now we’ve moved from the Paris negotiations to implementation on the ground. Building resilience is key and it must be done in a way that is gender sensitive with full account of gender equality and also human rights. We must recognize the role of women as agents for change in their communities,” Robinson emphasised.

The number of climate-related disasters has more than doubled over the past 40 years, said Robert Glasser, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction.

“This initiative will help reduce the impact of these events on low and middle-income countries which suffer the most,” he said.

José Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told IPS, “We can see already in Africa the impact of climate change that is undermining our efforts to bring food security for all. Take the example of El Niño that has affected all of Africa in the last two years. Countries that had made fantastic progress like Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania and Madagascar are now suffering hunger again. Countries that have eradicated hunger are back to face it again. We need to adapt.”

Climate change has different impacts on men and women, girls and boys, told IPS Edith Ofwona, the senior program specialist at International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

“Gender is critical. We must recognise it is not about women alone,” she said. “[But] women are important because they provide the largest labour force, mainly in the agricultural sector. It is important to appreciate the differences in the impacts, the needs in terms of response. There is need for balance, affirmative action and ensuring all social groups are taken into consideration.”

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