Africa
Nice to start the newsletter with hopeful news today. And it’s really hopeful news. University of Oxford researchers have reported what appears to be a breakthrough in the fight against the deadliest disease in human history. According to the World Health Organization, 409,000 people died from malaria in 2019 and there were 229 million infections. The vast majority of the dead were on the African continent and the vast majority of those were young children. The Oxford researchers trialled a vaccine in Burkina Faso and have found it be 77% effective. More from BBC here.
Israel
Horrible images out of Israel last night as far-right mobs hunted down and attacked Palestinians. There has been violence in East Jerusalem for more than a week now.
According to Al Jazeera:
“There have been nightly disturbances in the area since the start of Ramadan on April 13 with Palestinians complaining that police were blocking access to the promenade around the walls, a popular gathering place for Palestinians after the end of the daytime Ramadan fast.”
More detail in that Al Jazeera piece here.
Mozambique
Very under-reported, but growing numbers of Mozambicans are struggling to feed themselves as an insurgency gathers steam. Fighters from a group known locally as al-Shabab launched an attack on the city of Palma last month, sending thousands of residents fleeing from their homes. The group, which has pledged allegiance to ISIS, has been active in the oil-rich Cabo Delgado province since 2017. The UN estimates about 670,000 people have been displaced and as many as 2,600 killed in the simmering conflict. Now, at least 950,000 people need urgent food aid, the UN says.
More from the Associated Press here.