Afghanistan
UN special envoy to Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, today issued a blunt warning. An estimated 60 percent of the country’s 38 million people are facing severe hunger and, without help from the international community, the situation will get worse. Lyons said catastrophe is preventable, though, because financial sanctions that remain in place against the Taliban are a key cause. The International Monetary Fund blocked the release of about $450m in funding after the group took over the country, and about $9 billion in Afghan central bank reserves were frozen in the US. “Now is not the time to turn away from the Afghan people,” Lyons said.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Niger
Yet another attack in Niger as a conflict that gets little to no international attention deepens. This time at least 25 people were killed by gunmen believed to belong to the local al-Qaeda affiliate. The governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are engaged in what appears to be a quickly spiralling war with armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS. The violence has caused a humanitarian crisis across the region.
More from AP here.
DR Congo
As I mentioned recently, it’s rare to have your heart warmed by Proximities. So here’s another good news story. Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo has announced the birth of two baby mountain gorillas. The park has been on a massive push to increase the population of the endangered species in recent years and the two latest births bring to 16 the number of lil’ gorillas born this year.
A very cute photo in Virunga’s announcement here.