In Ethiopia, nearly 10 million people, including 4.4 million children, are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in drought-impacted areas. Four consecutive failed rainy seasons have brought on severe drought in Ethiopia’s lowland regions of Afar, Oromia, the Southern Nations Nationalities, Peoples’ (SNNPR) and Somali regions.

An economic modelling study of three African countries – Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya and South Africa – shows that a shift towards a circular plastics economy will generate more economic activity and create more jobs than a business-as-usual scenario.

The Ministry of Health has launched the national reproductive health policy (2022-2032) as it moves to consolidate gains made in the health sector.

Global food, fuel, and fertilizer prices have risen rapidly in recent months, driven in large part by the fallout from the ongoing war in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia. Other factors, such as export bans, have also contributed to rising prices.

Kenya managed to contain the health and economic impacts of multiple Coronavirus (COVID-19) waves in 2021, helped by targeted containment measures and progress on vaccination, but is now facing a potentially large economic shock from the war in Ukraine.

Plastic waste management and recycling activities have the potential to reduce the environmental impacts of plastic production and to tap the economic value of would-be waste materials through circular economy approaches.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kenya has embarked on a low carbon, resilient recovery plan.

International and domestic efforts to respond to the severe global challenge of climate change are on the rise and evolving.

Flooding poses a significant threat to cities in the global South, due to a combination of factors including unplanned city extensions, prevalent poverty and low adaptive capacity. Depending on the location, physical characteristics, and climate change risk of different urban areas, they can be affected by different types of flooding.

The Horn of Africa is facing the third severe La Niña‑induced drought episode in a decade, and the region is on the verge of a catastrophe if humanitarian assistance is not urgently scaled up.