TESTING
The armed conflict between Boko Haram and various armed forces is spreading from Nigeria into the surrounding countries of Niger, Cameroon and Chad.
It is one year since the beginning of the current crisis in the world's newest nation South Sudan. Millions of people have been affected by the ongoing conflict, which began on 15th December 2013 amid a dispute between its President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been internally displaced and have fled to the neighboring countries.
With vaccines still in trial stages, front-line health workers and organisations are working towards enhancing survival rates through other means. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams in Liberia have addressed the importance of an appropriate diet to help fight the virus and build immunity.
Armed conflicts, natural disasters and migration have resulted in hundreds of thousands of people around the world going missing. Each missing person leaves behind loved ones in anguish not knowing what happened.
As the Maputo Summit draws to a close 23-27 June 2014, ICRC reminds States parties to the Mine Ban Convention that 15 years on and there's no time for complacency.
Michael Greub, head of the sub-delegation in Misrata, Libya was killed on Wednesday 4th June 2014 in the city of Sirte. Armed men opened fire on his vehicle as he left a meeting at around noon local time.
As the rainy season hampers access to many parts of South Sudan, the ICRC is conducting large scale air drops of food, seeds and essential household items.
The tens of thousands of African migrants who cross the Sahel in search of safety or a better life do not necessarily end up in Europe. Travelling from Niger, Senegal, Togo and Mali, some of them choose to live and work in Libya or Algeria. Others are arrested and detained along the way, and are then deported, often to Niger.
"Every day, the plight of the Central African people gets worse. Their suffering is compounded by repeated acts of violence against civilians, pillaging, killings and sexual violence," said Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), following a three-day visit to the country. "With poverty widespread and State institutions crippled by years of instability and crisis, the country's existing dependence on humanitarian aid will only grow unless efforts are stepped up to restore security."