COVID-19: Sweden working closely with partners in India, says envoy
Sweden Thursday said it is working closely with partners in India to get an understanding of what is required on the ground, saying the second wave of COVID-19 has hit hard and it is a humanitarian crisis and requires to be treated that way.Team Sweden, which comprises the Swedish government, Swedish industry, businesses and agencies, has joined forces to help India fight the current devastating surge of the coronavirus, Swedens Ambassador to India Klas Molin said.The second wave of Covid has hit hard and close to home, sparing no one.PTI | New Delhi | Updated: 13-05-2021 17:22 IST | Created: 13-05-2021 17:22 IST
Horn of Africa facing fresh food shortage
Thursday May 13 2021
A family trudges back home on the borders of Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan in 2019, after escaping drought. PHOTO | FILE
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The Horn of Africa region is staring at food shortages after the delayed start of the long rains in some countries and below-average rainfall in others.
The UN and the government of Somalia have jointly declared drought in the country after officials determined that 80 percent of Somalia had received little rainfall. Usually, much of the Horn considers March to May as a planting season.
However, projections by the Famine Early Warnings Systems Network and the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies indicate that the situation is likely to get worse as we get into May down to September if the weather situation does not change.
NEW DELHI: Sweden Thursday said it is working closely with partners in India to get an understanding of what is required on the ground, saying the second wave of Covid-19 has hit hard and it is a humanitarian crisis and requires to be treated that way.
Team Sweden, which comprises the Swedish government, Swedish industry, businesses and agencies, has joined forces to help India fight the current devastating surge of the coronavirus, Sweden s Ambassador to India Klas Molin said. The second wave of Covid has hit hard and close to home, sparing no one. It is a humanitarian crisis and requires to be treated that way.
TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP
Global solidarity is being sought to tackle COVID-19 in Asia, which has witnessed the world s worst surge in infections over the past two weeks, pushing healthcare systems to the brink of collapse.
Alexander Matheou, Asia-Pacific director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said the pandemic is exploding across much of Asia, overwhelming hospitals and healthcare .
More than 5.9 million people across Asia have been newly diagnosed with the coronavirus in the past 14 days, the IFRC said in a May 12 press release.
The world s largest humanitarian aid network said that s more than the Americas, Europe, and Africa combined during the same two-week period.