Latest news with #Somalians
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Experts issue warning as devastating shocks fuel rise in food prices: 'Pushing families deeper into crisis'
Extreme climate conditions in Somalia are causing increased food crop failures and livestock deaths that are driving up food prices, India International Times reported. More Somalians are at risk of facing food insecurity and displacement in the coming months, "pushing families deeper into crisis," said Etienne Peterschmitt, head of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization in Somalia, per IIT. As farmers in Japan, India, and South Africa have all experienced, drought conditions, followed by intense and erratic heavy rainfall, have proved quite difficult to farm in. These extreme weather events and the inconsistent water supply have led to reduced crop yields, increased livestock deaths, and increased agricultural production costs — a burden that is inevitably passed on to consumers. In Somalia, where more than half of the population lives below the poverty line — surviving on less than $2.06 per day, according to the 2023 Somalia Poverty Report — rising food prices put food out of reach for many. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification tool, a global food security tracker, estimates that 24% of the entire country has reached Phase 3, or a crisis stage. According to India International Times, IPC estimates that 1.7 million children aged 5 or under will suffer from acute malnutrition this year, with almost two-thirds of these cases occurring in southern Somalia. Rising global temperatures bring about heat stress and drought conditions that reduce crop yields, which could disrupt the food supply and raise food prices for the average consumer. As Americans have experienced with the massive hike in egg prices, consumers feel the strain of food price hikes on top of the increased cost of daily living. Crop losses due to extreme weather events exacerbate Somalia's food insecurity, causing food prices to remain high and forcing more people to go hungry. These events have also impaired crucial water and sanitation services and infrastructures, causing more waterborne diseases, including diarrhea and cholera. While you may not be able to directly affect what's happening in Somalia, you can still effect positive change from where you are. If you have extra time and want to give back, volunteer at food banks and co-ops that feed the community. Donate nonperishable food to organizations that work to fight food insecurity. Do you worry about how much food you throw away? Definitely Sometimes Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. If you feel inclined to contribute monetarily, find a nonprofit organization that actively addresses the food crisis and water and sanitation problems that Somalia is facing. Find one that not only addresses the country's immediate concerns but also invests in the country's future, such as having initiatives that empower women to create a brighter future for themselves and their families. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Scottish Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I watched show that made me really happy – there was no diversity or campness, just people doing what Brits are good at
IT was a hot, lazy evening and I couldn't be bothered to beep my way through all the offerings on Netflix and Amazon so, instead, I settled down to watch The Repair Shop on BBC One. What an excellent programme this is. Because so far as I could tell, the producers hadn't wasted any of their time finding suitably diverse experts and guests. 4 I settled down to watch The Repair Shop on BBC One - and it's an excellent programme Credit: BBC There was no screaming campness and no bewildered Somalians wondering why anyone would want to restore a teddy bear. Instead,
The Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
We may have to buy everything from trains to shoes from China, but there is something Brits will NEVER be beaten at
IT was a hot, lazy evening and I couldn't be bothered to beep my way through all the offerings on Netflix and Amazon so, instead, I settled down to watch The Repair Shop on BBC One. What an excellent programme this is. Because so far as I could tell, the producers hadn't wasted any of their time finding suitably diverse experts and guests. 4 There was no screaming campness and no bewildered Somalians wondering why anyone would want to restore a teddy bear. Instead, there were quite a few middle-aged women and some elderly gentlemen. Sir Starmer would undoubtedly call them 'far right', but they seemed to me to be nice people who just wanted to restore something that used to make them happy. And I was in awe of the people who made this possible. The young guy who could soften old leather to restore an old pair of children's shoes. And the girl who could invisibly mend a tiny strip of material. They were seriously skilful. And as I watched them with their little brushes and their glue and their special concentrating faces, I was suddenly filled with optimism about the future for Britain. At the moment, I need an off-road buggy for the farm. And we don't make such a thing in this country. So I'll probably end up with something from China because it's the sort of thing they are good at. Along with phones and training shoes and high-speed trains. I guess it's the same story with tech. We keep being told that British boffins are on the brink of greatness but if we want something that's up and running now, we have to import it from California. Because that's what they do. It'd be easy to despair about all of this, to look at the UK and think: 'What the bloody hell do we do here these days?' The Repair Shop star makes candid admission about personal struggle away from hit BBC shop Even the City, which used to bring in most of our cash, is a shadow of its former self. And that brings me back to The Repair Shop, which demonstrates exactly what we can do. Make do and mend stuff. Keep calm and carry on using it. 4 There will always be a demand for this. Someone who can mend your grandad's watch, or restore your MG. Someone who can bring that antique frock you bought in the market last weekend back to life. I'm looking out of the window now at Gerald, who's busy in the sunshine mending a dry-stone wall. There are 1.4billion people in China and not one of them could do that, any more than Gerald could build a 220mph train. In Britain, we are shed people. Sure, we have made a huge contribution to the world over the years with the explanation of gravity, and the jet engine and television and the internet and penicillin. But the people who came up with all this stuff did so in a shed. It's where we all belong, with a bradawl and some emery boards, bringing a Frenchman's clockwork train set back to life. Or repairing an Italian contessa's collection of vintage Prada outfits. Or polishing a German's antique diving bell. That's how we breathe new life into our future. By breathing new life into our past. Kneecap? They're a sorry excuse for a band I CAN'T say I'm familiar with the music of Irish band Kneecap. But it seems their lyrics and call to murder MPs have not gone down well. They've even been banned from a music festival at the Eden Project in Cornwall. And there's talk Glastonbury will be next to kick them out. I don't hold with this at all. They're a band and causing outrage is what bands used to do all the time. It's what they are supposed to do. Be angry. Make a noise. Say inappropriate things. I mean, have we forgotten the Sex Pistols? So I absolutely support Kneecap's right to say what they want. What I cannot support though is their grovelling apology. You're a band, for God's sake. You swash your buckle and you carry on regardless. I don't remember Crosby, Stills, Nash or Young apologising for all the horrible things they said about President Nixon. Nor should they have done. Trees dying to fail 4 OH dear. National Highways has been criticised because in 2023, 886,000 trees were planted alongside the busy A14 in Cambridgeshire. And more than half of them have died. Naturally, everyone has their reasons for this disaster. Some say it's global warming. Others reckon it must have something to do with Israel or Donald Trump. And, of course, there's a noisy lobby which says they were all killed by the exhaust fumes from passing cars. Not true, I'm afraid. Trees that live by busy roads do very well as a general rule because what mostly comes out of a car's exhaust is carbon dioxide and that's literally what they live on. The real reason why trees die, and they always do in my experience, is that they're like sheep. They enjoy dying. They like watching you spend a fortune on them and then coming out every day to water them. And then withering. And even if they don't die, they will be eaten by a squirrel or a deer. Or cut down by a couple of mindless thugs. I'd like, therefore, to blame National Highways for the loss. But it's really not their fault.
Sunday World
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Sunday World
Meet the pole dancing mum who's leading a crusade to stop mass immigration into Ireland
Orla Campbell – AKA Orla Aerial – is one of the leading organisers of protests at Belfast City Hall aimed at drumming up support to stop what she calls 'mass illegal, unvetted immigration' which she claims is 'tearing our communities apart'. This is the pole-dancing mum who's leading a crusade to stop mass immigration into Ireland. Orla Campbell – AKA Orla Aerial – is one of the leading organisers of protests at Belfast City Hall aimed at drumming up support to stop what she calls 'mass illegal, unvetted immigration' which she claims is 'tearing our communities apart'. Banned from TikTok because of her unsubstantiated posts, this week she posted false claims on X that Somalians had stabbed local white kids at a beach in County Down and left the post up despite her being told this was not true. But when she's not frantically posting about the 'threat' mass immigration poses to our children, she runs a polecdancing school in Ballynahinch which holds classes for adults and children. Aerial Junkies says it's an 'aerial fitness studio focusing on gaining strength & muscle, body confidence & a strong female community'. The 33-year-old, who's a strong advocate for women's rights, spoke at a recent protest – taking to a park bench in Belfast's Donegall Place to address the tiny crowd – and she's helping to promote a similar protest next Sunday at the same venue. With her dyed red hair, Orla is unmissable and at the last protest she spoke to our reporter. Orla Campbell aka 'Orla Aerial' addresses the small crowd at Donegall Place On social media she is extremely outspoken and also reposts conspiracy theories as well as retweeting posts from known far right campaigners like Tommy Robinson and Britain First. She reveals she's been kicked off TikTok because of complaints about her posts – many are so unsubstantiated it's not even clear if the person targeted in the post is a migrant or just someone who isn't white. This week she's flooded her new account on X, formerly Twitter, with false claims about an incident at Ballyholme beach in Bangor last Friday. Just like in the summer when fake claims about the Southport killer who murdered three young girls at a dance class sparked mass rioting across the UK, there were false claims that a brawl on a beach in Ballyholme had been started by asylum seekers. There were fake claims that violent Somalian migrants were hell-bent on attacking white kids and had even stabbed one child and the police were even forced to come out and warn people about false speculation when some social media posts claimed a boy had been killed. Orla shares a joke with our reporter Hugh Jordan (left) at the protest rally That didn't stop anti-immigration campaigners like Orla Campbell from jumping on the claims and putting them out as proof that migrants are trouble. On April 12th on X under her account 'OrlaAerial', she posted the following: 'Ballyholme Beach Stabbing by Somalian group of children yesterday. Are we safe? Multiculturalism is working? 'Videos circulating online – they are easy to find. I'm disgusted in our governments.' The County Down campaigner recently posted her outrage that a Newry school had sent home homework which taught about the Qur'an and urged parents 'Remove your children from these lessons and say NO!' Yet learning about different religions is part of the current Religious Studies curriculum in school and kids are also taught about Christianity and Judaism, among others, to show kids the differences and similarities. We wanted to offer Orla an opportunity to put her reasons for being so against immigration but she didn't respond to our requests for an interview. She's promoting next week's anti-immigration rally in Belfast by posting a poster entitled 'Time to Rise'. The poster reads: 'Our men, women and children cannot be exposed to anymore harm. We stand in unity as one. We oppose mass illegal unvetted immigration and the dangers it is bringing to our communities, A peaceful gathering – bring your banners!' dangers The poster also advertises a similar protest which is taking place in Derry on Saturday at 1pm. During the last protest at Belfast City Hall, the anti-immigration protesters were massively outnumbered by a counter-protest organised by unions. During that event Orla told the crowd she was not against immigration which she describes as a 'good thing' and a 'way of life' but was opposed to the mass, illegal and unvetted immigration she said was taking place in Ireland. 'We want to show our opposition to the mass, illegal unvetted immigration... this is not about anything else but keeping women and children safe because in our communities there are lots of things happening that shouldn't be happening and it's putting people's safety in danger. 'The way our borders are at the minute, they are open, they are letting everybody in, it's proving time and time again it's tearing our communities apart.' She goes on later to deny that she is racist and says: 'I'm a normal woman, a normal mummy who is being contacted daily with things that are happening to women and children and there's nothing being done about it. It's time we stand up and say enough is enough.' She claims all the male migrants come to Northern Ireland so they can take advantage of the benefit system. March's anti-immigration protest at City Hall According to Companies House, Orla's own business is subject to a compulsory strike-off after failing to file any accounts since she started the pole dancing gym back in 2021. According to the most recently published Home Office figures, a total of 2,248 asylum seekers were in receipt of support in Northern Ireland as of March 31 2024. The vast majority of those live in Belfast while there were just 43 asylum seekers in receipt of support living in Orla Campbell's local authority area of Newry, Mourne and Down. As for the trouble at Ballyholme beach, police say they are continuing to investigate what happened and said at least two people had attended hospital for treatment to injuries but said there had been no reports of anyone being stabbed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
8 people die from cholera in South Sudan as funding cuts force longer walks to clinics
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Five children were among eight people who died from cholera in South Sudan after aid cuts are forcing patients to walk for hours to the nearest clinics, an aid organization said Wednesday. The Save the Children charity organization said the deaths were recorded in the flood-prone eastern Jonglei state where it had closed seven health centers. Some 20 others are partially run by volunteers but cannot transport patients as they did prior to the cuts. This is the latest fallout from the termination of USAID programs in conflict and drought-hit countries across the East Africa, leaving millions of people in need of more immediate aid. Save the Children South Sudan Country Director Chris Nyamandi said in a statement that children's needs in conflict-hit countries must be prioritized. 'There should be global moral outrage that the decisions made by powerful people in other countries have led to child deaths in just a matter of weeks,' he said. The medical director at the government-run Akobo hospital where most cholera cases are being managed described the situation as 'catastrophic' as health ministry figures show at least 46,716 cases and 871 deaths reported countrywide since October. Nyuon Koang told the Associated Press that there was only one government health facility in full operation in Walgak town. Last month, the U.N warned that South Sudan was teetering on the edge of a renewed civil war after an armed group in the north overrun an army base and attacked a U.N helicopter. Government troops responded with a series of airstrikes and the country's vice president and main opposition leader Riek Machar remains under house arrest for incitement. The World Food Program (WFP) has warned that hunger in South Sudan was nearing record highs with 'almost 7.7 million people facing levels of hunger categorized as crisis, emergency, or catastrophic.' Funding cuts in East Africa have also impacted programs in Somalia where more than 6 million people are facing acute food insecurity. More funding cuts could push millions further into a full-blown famine. In March, WFP said that 3.4 million Somalians were already experiencing crisis-levels of hunger or worse and that it would from April support '820,000 people monthly with food and cash assistance, down from a peak of 2.2 million reached monthly in 2024.' The U.S State Department said Tuesday that it had rolled back sweeping funding cuts to WFP emergency projects in 14 impoverished countries that included Somalia, saying it had terminated some of the contracts for life-saving aid by mistake. Mohamed Elmi Afrah, a longtime aid worker and political analyst based in Somalia told The Associated Press that effects of funding cuts were global but the 'impact is especially severe in Africa.' 'In Somalia, aid plays a vital role in supporting internally displaced persons, people affected by conflict, and other vulnerable communities who depend heavily on humanitarian assistance,' he said. ——— Associated Press journalist Omar Faruk contributed to this report from Mogadishu, Somalia.
