World
Ebola, jihadis main threats for Africa in 2015
Nairobi: Outbreak of the Ebola virus, jihadi attacks and other humanitarian and health-related crises will be the major threats to political stability and economic progress in sub-Saharan Africa, in 2015.
The Ebola outbreak in Liberia, Guinea Conakry and Sierra Leone has infected more than 18,600 people so far; killing 7,000 of the victims and creating a public health emergency that has crippled the economies of the three countries.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), in a recent report, cast light on the drop in sales in local markets, the decrease in restaurant and hotel-related expenditures and the departure of expatriates, resulting in much less revenue for these countries.
A month ago, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had announced that Ebola could be contained by mid-2015 with “adequate” international response.
The world will also have its eyes on Nigeria in 2015, a year that will witness presidential elections in the country, which has had to face debilitating attacks by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram.
Deputy Director of African Affairs in the International Crisis Group, EJ Hogendoorn, told EFE that “it seems to be the closest election in recent years, and it is likely that the elections will be marred by violence.”
The conflict with Boko Haram, which has caused thousands of deaths and about a million people being internally displaced, will be the main challenge that the Nigerian government will have to face to ensure transparent and credible elections.
This month, Nigeria’s electoral commission expressed concern over the difficulty of guaranteeing that displaced persons, who are entitled to vote, will be able to participate in the electoral process.
It said that the situation of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) could possibly give rise to complaints from the opposition parties whose electoral strongholds are located in the northeast of the country, which is also the region where the Boko Haram is entrenched.
“The chances of a spillover of the Nigerian crisis to the neighboring countries are low, and in any case, they would have minimal effects,” Hogendoorn said, in reference to the attacks launched by the Boko Haram in Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
Somalia, on the other hand, has recently appointed its tenth prime minister of the last decade; although its internal disputes do not allow it to focus on what should be its main objective, which is ending the hegemony of the Al Shabab terrorist group.
In spite of losing much of its strength since the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) arrived in the country, the jihadi group still poses a major domestic threat, as well as being a problem for Kenya.
In addition to the fragile political framework and the general lack of security, Somalia also faces a new humanitarian crisis that threatens the survival of nearly three million people.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia Philippe Lazzarini warned early this month that UN agencies in 2015 will need $863 million to meet the increasing humanitarian needs in this country.
In the Central African Republic, on the other hand, the scarcity of food and water is a big cause for concern. The country is still enmeshed in a major humanitarian crisis a year after falling into turmoil, a crisis that will certainly continue throughout the next year.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2.5 million children, who represent more than half of the country’s population, are in a very precarious situation due to insecurity in the rural areas.
UNICEF estimated that there are 430,000 internally-displaced persons in the Central African Republic and another 424,000 refugees living in Chad, Cameroon, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
All these are countries that cannot cope with the constant influx of refugees, mostly women and children, fleeing occurrences of violence.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.