Reuters: Sexual Violence in South Sudan-A Tactic of War

Rebecca’s story is, sadly not uncommon, but is characteristic of the “new normal” where the tyranny of sexual violence is used as a weapon of war in many conflicts. It is being used for political ends, for ethnic cleansing and to sow terror and cause panic amongst civilians. It is destroying lives, fuelling the conflict, creating more refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs).
In South Sudan this may be jeopardizing any hope for a ceasefire as well as undermining the long-term prospects for reconciliation.

My take:


http://one.trust.org/item/20150419152752-8j6y9/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Huffington Post: Kenya must create a million new jobs annually

Image
It is estimated that 3000 Kenyans are born every day, a  million a year . With a median age of 18 years, Kenya is witnessing a massive youth bulge, which could either be a  demographic dividend , or a disaster.  Consider this. In 1956, Kenya’s population stood at about 7 million, twice that of Norway. Today, Norway has a population of 5.2 million while that of Kenya stands at about 45 million. It is projected that  by 2030, the population of Norway will be 6 million while Kenya’s population will reach 65 million , and 85 million by 2050.  Africa’s youth bulge, and Kenya’s in particular, should largely be the basis for optimism offering great opportunity for socio-economic take-off. Six of the countries with the highest economic growth rates are in Africa.  Yet, for most countries, Kenya included, economic growth lacks the desired social transformation. Despite Kenya’s impressive economic growth, four out of ten people live in extreme poverty; and the  poorest 10
Read more

Huffington Post: UN in Kenya Condemns Mandera Terror Attack

Image
On behalf of the United Nations(UN) family in Kenya, I wish to express our horror and sadness at the reports of a terror attack that took place on Thursday 06 October 2016 in Bulla, Mandera County. We strongly denounce the heinous act that has once again taken the lives of innocent men and women. The attack brought to a brutal end the aspirations of men and women who were part of our collective human family, and we are therefore equally hurt by the heartless action of the attackers. The attack comes at a time when the region and Kenya in general have been experiencing relative calm and we commend the government and security apparatus for the progress made so far in preventing such attacks. It is due to their swift response and readiness to serve that the security forces were able to save the lives of many other Kenyans in this latest attack.  My take. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/un-in-kenya-condemns-mandera-terror-attack_us_57f91bdae4b0d786aa52b3c1?nc
Read more

Kenneth Frazier the CEO of Merck is the epitome of a humanitarian

Image
Mr Kenneth Frazier-CEO Merck Today is 19 August and it is World Humanitarian Day. At a time when the pursuit of profit seems to override any other corporate mission, Kenya’s fragile, unstable and hard to reach North-Eastern counties is about the last place any company would consider spending any amount of resources.   Consider this. In 2014, one of the North Eastern counties called, Mandera, had a maternal mortality ratio of 3,795 deaths per 100,000 live births, surpassing that of wartime Sierra Leone.  It is inhabited by a nomadic community, riven by internecine conflicts, pockets of extremism and  cross border terrorism .  Widespread illiteracy and cultural practices like female genital mutilation and child marriage ensured women and girls would remain trapped in poverty and desperation. Only the bravest and optimistic of humanitarian agencies maintained a presence, amid shrinking budgets for international development. In 2014, UN agencies in Kenya, like UNFP
Read more