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Seminar to nationals in Italy

Nationals residing in Italy conducted a seminar on 7 November in the city of Bologna focusing on the objective situation in the homeland and regional developments.

At the seminar in which nationals from Italian cities of Bologna, Firenze, Regio, Emilia, and Pizza took part, the Eritrean Ambassador to Italy, Mr. Fessehatsion Petros, gave extensive briefing on the objective situation in the homeland in terms of the emerging new era.

Ambassador Fessehatsion also highlighted the peace and cooperation agreement Eritrea and Ethiopia signed in 2018 and on the positive developments and partnerships it created in our region as well as on the conspiracies intrigued by those who do not support the peace and cooperation agreement and developments in the region. He further underlined that the victory that was realized through a strong resilience of the Eritrean people can only be ensured through the relentless participation of nationals.

The participants on their part expressed conviction to reinforce organizational capacity and resilience to foil the external conspiracies against Eritrea and strengthen contribution for the successful implementation of national programs.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Climate Talks Draft Agreement Expresses ‘Alarm and Concern’

Governments are poised to express “alarm and concern” about how much Earth has already warmed and encourage one another to end their use of coal, according to a draft released Wednesday of the final document expected at U.N. climate talks.

The early version of the document circulating at the negotiations in Glasgow, Scotland, also impresses on countries the need to cut carbon dioxide emissions by about half by 2030 — even though pledges so far from governments don’t add up to that frequently stated goal.

In a significant move, countries would urge one another to “accelerate the phasing out of coal and subsidies for fossil fuels” in the draft, though it has no explicit reference to ending the use of oil and gas. There has been a big push among developed nations to shut down coal-fired power plants, which are a major source of heat-trapping gases, but the fuel remains a critical and cheap source of electricity for countries like China and India.

While the language about moving away from coal is a first and important, the lack of a date when countries will do so limits the pledge’s effectiveness, said Greenpeace International Director Jennifer Morgan, a long-time climate talks observer.

“This isn’t the plan to solve the climate emergency. This won’t give the kids on the streets the confidence that they’ll need,” Morgan said.

The draft doesn’t yet include full agreements on the three major goals that the U.N. set going into the negotiations — and may disappoint poorer nations because of a lack of solid financial commitments from richer ones. The goals are: for rich nations to give poorer ones $100 billion a year in climate aid, to ensure that half of that money goes to adapting to worsening global warming, and the pledge to slash emissions that is mentioned.

The draft does provide insight, however, into the issues that need to be resolved in the last few days of the conference, which is scheduled to end Friday but may push past that deadline. Still, a lot of negotiating and decision-making is yet to come since whatever emerges from the meetings has to be unanimously approved by the nearly 200 nations attending.

The draft says the world should try to achieve “net-zero (emissions) around mid-century.” That means requiring countries to pump only as much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere as can be absorbed again through natural or artificial means.

It also acknowledges “with regret” that rich nations have failed to live up to the climate aid pledge.

Poorer nations, which need financial help both in developing green energy systems and adapting to the worst of climate change, are angry that the promised aid hasn’t materialized.

“Without financial support little can be done to minimize its debilitating effects for vulnerable communities around the world,” Mohammed Nasheed, the Maldives’ parliamentary speaker and the ambassador for a group of dozens of countries most vulnerable to climate change, said in a statement.

He said the draft fails on key issues, including the financial aid and strong emission cuts.

“There’s much more that needs to be done on climate finance to give developing countries what they need coming out of here,” said Alden Meyer, a long-time conference observer, of the European think-tank E3G.

The document reaffirms the goals set in Paris in 2015 of limiting warming to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, with a more stringent target of trying to keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) preferred because that would keep damage from climate change “much lower.”

Highlighting the challenge of meeting those goals, the document “expresses alarm and concern that human activities have caused around 1.1 C (2 F) of global warming to date and that impacts are already being felt in every region.”

Small island nations, which are particularly vulnerable to warming, worry that too little is being done to stop warming at the 1.5-degree goal — and that allowing temperature increases up to 2 degrees would be catastrophic for their countries.

“For Pacific (small island states), climate change is the greatest, single greatest threat to our livelihood, security and wellbeing. We do not need more scientific evidence nor targets without plans to reach them or talking shops,” Marshall Islands Health and Human Services minister told fellow negotiators Wednesday. “The 1.5 limit is not negotiable.”

Separate draft proposals were also released on other issues being debated at the talks, including rules for international carbon markets and the frequency by which countries have to report on their efforts.

The draft calls on nations that don’t have national goals that would fit with the 1.5- or 2-degree limits to come back with stronger targets next year. Depending on how the language is interpreted, the provision could apply to most countries. Analysts at the World Resources Institute counted that element as a win for vulnerable countries.

“This is crucial language,” WRI International Climate Initiative Director David Waskow said Wednesday. “Countries really are expected and are on the hook to do something in that timeframe to adjust.”

Greenpeace’s Morgan said it would have been even better to set a requirement for new goals every year.

In a nod to one of the big issues for poorer countries, the draft vaguely “urges” developed nations to compensate developing countries for “loss and damage,” a phrase that some rich nations don’t like. But there are no concrete financial commitments.

“This is often the most difficult moment,” Achim Steiner, the head of the U.N. Development Program and former chief of the U.N.’s environment office, said of the state of the two-week talks.

“The first week is over, you suddenly recognize that there are a number of fundamentally different issues that are not easily resolvable. The clock is ticking,” he told The Associated Press.

Source: Voice of America

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Gerset Farm Project

The construction of Gerset dam, which triggered the transformation of traditional farm practices to advanced irrigation systems, is a stepping stone toward the expansion of mechanized farm projects and change in the living standards of local communities. Farm activities that have been flourishing in Gerset and its surrounding areas are the result of the construction of major dams in Goluj sub-zone.

Fruits and vegetables, cereals, oil seeds and date palms are grown and animals raised at the project’s farm. Gerset farm project has now shown remarkable progress with its ample harvest: harvest of fruits from a plantation of around 230 hectares, tomatoes from 100 hectares, onions from 50 hectares and pepper from a few hectares. A nursery station within the farm project has been providing seedlings, and graduates of horticulture do research to provide select seeds.

Above all, Gerset farm has been a training center for young graduates who are now armed with practical experiences that are instrumental in moving the farm project forward. Over 500 professionals, who have over five years of experience in Plant Protection, Horticulture, Agronomy and Agricultural Engineering and other disciplines have been running and making a difference in all major farm activities of Gerset farm. Mr. Amine Tesfamichael, Manager of Gerset Farm, said besides the contribution they have been making to the development of the farm, the graduates are making use of the opportunity provided for them to hone their skills.

Mr. Amine believes that Gerset farm is highly strategic owing to the availability of abundant water resources and the vast farm plains convenient for the cultivation of a wide range of plants using an advanced irrigation system.

While the achievements registered so far are commendable, Mr. Amine noted, there have been deficits of supplies of irrigation materials which have been deterring the possibility of moving the farm activities to a higher level of excellence.

The journey traveled so far has shown the overall potential of Gerset farm, and the expansion plans have been carried out based on this development. “We are now looking forward to addressing technical challenges and to increasing production through the introduction of more advanced irrigation systems, improved supply of electricity and efficient distribution facilities for a judicious utilization of the available water resource,” Mr. Amine added.

Around 5,000 hectares have been cultivated to date in the Gerset farm. This farm zone, which was once barren, has now been transformed into an agricultural hub that supplies farm products to the local food markets at a fair price. Around 1,000 hectares have been cultivated through drip irrigation while the seasonal rain-fed agriculture covers over 4,000 hectares.

Over 2,000 inhabitants of Gerset, who are from almost all ethnic groups of the country, and residents of Aklelet and Tesenei work in the farm. They are each given 45 kilos of crop and 500 Nakfa of pocket money a month and are given transport services from their homes to the farm fields.

The change in the life style of the local communities is the result of the ever flourishing farm project. The women, who used to be confined to their homes, now work at the farm project. The residents are now aware of the benefits of the farm which enabled them to cultivate their farms using the knowledge they acquired at the project and the technical assistance they get from the young graduates of agriculture.

According to Mr. Amine, the launching of the farm projects in the area opened a venue for multifaceted benefits that is instrumental in improving the living standards of the local communities. The benefits include, among others, the provision of electricity to the households, the supply of potable water, the provision of transportation and veterinary services. By working in the farms the community members now easily manage to earn their living and send their children to nearby schools.

Gerset farm, which is run by Eritrea’s Crops and Livestock Corporation (ECLC), has been improving its livestock resource with the introduction of Hameria cattle and Gerej sheep species. Mr. Amine said that the male sheep and bulls have been sent to medical and educational institutions to meet their demands of meat.

Sharing his observation of the change in the ecosystem of Gerset and its environs, which he visited during the struggle for independence in 1988 and again in 2000 in the post-independence period, Mr. Amine said, “Transforming an area which was characterized by thorny shrubs into a green agricultural hub that provides employment opportunity for the people of the area and supplies a variety of agricultural produce to the larger Eritrean population is a dramatic achievement.”

What has been accomplished to date would definitely pave a way towards extending the farm areas to meet export demands in the future. “Once we are able to grow tomatoes in two seasons and provide Alebu Banatom factory with sufficient supply to enable it to operate in its full capacity, the farm activities will impact the country’s agro-industry,” Mr. Amine elaborated.

Fruits from the project’s farm have been distributed to local markets while the country is in partial lockdown due to the Corona virus outbreak. What is more, more and more citreous fruits have been sent free of charge to quarantine centers. For instance, over 2,000 quintals of mangoes and oranges have been transported to the quarantine centers in the central region.

The ECLC has been assisting the farmers in the area by renting tractors at a nominal price and offering free of charge veterinary services and pesticides. The medicine supply center in Goluj has been meeting demands of farmers in the sub-zone.

All types of citreous fruits, cereals and cash crops tested in Gerset have been showing remarkable yield, which is a testament to the fertility of the area. Once mechanized farm activities are expanded to cover more hectares, there will be a dramatic transformation in the country’s agriculture sector, and the employment opportunity that comes with these developments will change the socio-economic status of the local communities.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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PFDJ Conference in Switzerland

The PFDJ branch in Switzerland conducted its 8th conference on 7 November in Bern.

At the conference that was conducted with limited participation of members due to the guidelines issued by the respective country to combat the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, two years activity report was presented in terms of strengths and weaknesses witnessed as well as the charted out future programs.

At the reports, the PFDJ sub-branches highlighted on the activities and contributions of the nationals during the COVID-19 pandemic and argued to strengthen organizational capacity and increase participation in national affairs.

Even though the implementation of charted out programs of the PFDJ in Switzerland has been restrained due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the report commended the participation of the nationals in the national affairs.

Following discussion on the agenda items of the conference, the participants held intensive discussion on future work programs and called for organizing awareness raising seminars, strengthening organizational capacity, as well as reinforcement of youth participation in national affairs among others.

Indicating that conscious and strong organizational capacity is the secret of the success of the Eritrean people, the Head of Public and Community Affairs Mr. Shileshi Edris called for strengthening organizational capacity and contribution in the national development drives.

The Charge d’Affairs at the Embassy of Eritrea in Switzerland and Permanent Mission of Eritrea at the UN Office in Geneva, Mr. Adm Idris on his part, expressed conviction that strong effort will be exerted in reinforcing organizational capacity, unity and participation as well as contribution in the national development programs.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Green Business College Tackles South Africa’s Hunger, Unemployment

A homemade bomb thrown through the roof of a university lecture hall wounded 11 students on Wednesday, the vice chancellor said, in an English-speaking region of Cameroon in the grip of a bloody separatist conflict.

University of Buea vice-chancellor Horace Ngomo Manga said “the device fell to the ground and exploded.”

One boy and 10 girls were wounded, he told state radio CRTV, adding that all were in a stable condition.

He did not elaborate on the nature of the bomb or who might have thrown it.

Buea is the capital of Cameroon’s Southwest region. Both the Southwest and Northwest regions are mainly English-speaking in the otherwise predominantly French-speaking central African country.

A decades-long campaign by militants to redress perceived discrimination at the hands of the francophone majority flared into a declaration of independence on October 1, 2017, sparking a crackdown by security forces.

The conflict has claimed more than 3,500 lives and forced 700,000 people to flee their homes, according to NGO estimates that have not been updated in more than a year despite an escalation in violence in recent months.

The United Nations and international organizations regularly denounce abuses and crimes committed against civilians by both sides.

Wednesday’s bombing has not been claimed, but the anglophone separatists have regularly attacked schools and universities that they accuse of favoring French-language education.

The separatists have also recently ramped up attacks on the country’s armed forces using improvised explosive devices.

In September, a Buea court sentenced four men to death over the killing of seven schoolchildren a year earlier, however Human Rights Watch called the trial a sham.

Source: Voice of America

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Vaccines Supporting SDG Goal 3 Success

In January 2015, the United Nations General Assembly began the negotiation process to establish the post-2015 global development agenda. Later on that year, at the UN’s Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015, the process would finally culminate with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The core of the new framework, known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), comprises 17 goals with a total of 169 targets. Truly global, particularly in that they apply to all countries (low-, middle-, and high-income), the SDGs cover a wide range of development-related objectives, such as education, health, gender equality, poverty, and the environment, to be achieved by 2030. Each of the goals is significant in itself; at the same time, the goals are integrated and closely intertwined with one another.

One of the goals which has often received considerable attention is Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Among the different targets for Goal 3 is improving child mortality. Specifically, the proposed target is to end, by 2030, preventable deaths of children under five years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce under-five mortality to at least as low as 25 deaths per 1,000 live births. (Recall that the child or under-five mortality rate is the probability of dying between birth and five years of age, expressed per 1,000 live births.)

While there has been significant global progress in reducing child mortality in recent years, urgent action is still required in order to reach the SDG target on child mortality by 2030. Of 195 countries, 122 have already met the SDG target on under-five mortality, while another 20 countries are expected to meet the target by 2030 if recent trends continue. That means that there are still 53 countries – the vast majority of which are located in sub-Saharan Africa – that must significantly accelerate progress in order to meet the SDG target on under-five mortality by 2030. Today, Africa as a region still accounts for more than half of all under-five deaths (approximately 53 percent) in the world, and the regional child mortality rate puts it about 20 years behind the global average.

During the past three decades, Eritrea’s child mortality rate has steadily improved. It decreased from about 153 in 1990, just prior to independence, to about 85 in the year 2000, and then 40 in 2019 (the most recent year for which data are available). For consideration, at independence, Eritrea’s child mortality rate was considerably higher than the global average and among the highest on the continent. Currently, however, Eritrea is one of the countries that is on track to meet the SDG on child mortality. In fact, should recent trends continue, it will achieve the target prior to the 2030 target date.

While the country’s success is the result of a combination of various factors, one of the most important elements has been the effective national vaccination program. Although related, vaccination and immunization are different, with one representing an action and the other being an effect. To be more precise, vaccination involves introducing a vaccine into the body to stimulate the body’s own immune system to protect the person against subsequent infection or disease. Vaccines are usually administered through needle injections, but can also be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose. On the other hand, immunization is the process by which a person becomes protected – or in other words, immune or resistant – against a disease through vaccination. In Eritrea, children receive an array of vaccines that help to provide protection and ensure health. Due to space constraints, the following paragraphs provide only a brief overview of some of the vaccines administered. Overall, Eritrea’s vaccination coverage rates are not only the highest in the region, they also compare favorably with continental and global averages.

Shortly after birth, infants in Eritrea receive the Bacille Calmette- Guérin (BCG) vaccine. BCG is currently one of the most widely used vaccines in the world and is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. Developed during the early 1900s by French bacteriologists Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin, BCG helps to protect against tuberculosis. Eritrea’s BCG coverage is 97%, whereas the average for Africa is 87% and the world is 88%.

Another vaccine administered to young children in Eritrea is the DTP3 vaccine, which is a class of combination vaccines against three infectious diseases in humans: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Diphtheria, a serious bacterial infection, can impact the respiratory tract, skin, and nervous system, potentially leading to difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, and even death. Tetanus is a serious disease caused by a bacterial toxin that affects the nervous system, leading to painful muscle contractions, particularly of the jaw and neck muscles (hence why it is sometimes also called “lockjaw”). Tetanus can interfere with breathing and threaten life. Finally, pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Also known as “whooping cough”, pertussis can result in uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it extremely difficult to breathe. While pertussis can affect people of all ages, it can be serious, potentially fatal, for young children.

Notably, DTP3 coverage is regarded as a standard measure of the strength of national health systems, mainly because delivery requires three contacts with the health system at appropriate times and also because coverage is usually part of routine national vaccination programs rather than campaigns. Eritrea’s DTP3 coverage is 95%, well ahead of the African and global averages, which are 81% and 85%, respectively.

Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis. Since it lacks a cure, vaccination is particularly important. Young children typically receive polio vaccinations, with a child considered adequately immunized after three doses. Eritrea’s Pol3 coverage is 95%, while the African average is 81% and the world average is 86%.

Finally, Eritrean children also receive the hepatitis B vaccine. The vaccine, among the most studied in the world and which usually creates long-term immunity, is administered as a series of 3 shots (typically shortly after birth, at about 1-2 months of age, and then again at around 6-18 months of age). The hepatitis B virus affects the liver and can cause mild illness with fever, nausea, vomiting, and jaundice that can last up to several weeks. It can also cause a lifelong infection. Eritrea’s coverage for HepB3 is 95%, which surpasses the African average (81%) and the world average (85%).

While there is still work to be done in order to achieve the 2030 target for child mortality, Eritrea is on the right track. Moving forward, the country’s national vaccination program will continue to play a key role in protecting children and ensuring their health.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Amnesty Report Details Accounts of Rape by Tigrayan Forces in Ethiopia’s Amhara Region

Women from an occupied town in Ethiopia’s Amhara region are accusing Tigrayan fighters of raping them at gunpoint and robbing them.

A new report by Amnesty International details the horrific attacks alleged to have taken place in Nifas Mewcha, located in northern Ethiopia’s Amhara region, in mid-August.

Through interviews with 16 women, the London-based rights group detailed a pattern of gang rape, robbery, physical and verbal assault. The report also says fighters with the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front, or the TPLF, looted and destroyed medical facilities in the town. Some of the survivors who spoke to the advocacy group recounted use of ethnic slurs and brutal attacks. In some instances, the women said they were raped in the presence of their children.

Amnesty called for TPLF commanders to investigate the charges and remove all perpetrators from the force.

“The testimonies we heard from survivors describe despicable acts by TPLF fighters that amount to war crimes, and potentially crimes against humanity,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General. “They defy morality or any iota of humanity.”

TPLF leadership, however, rejected the report. Spokesperson Getachew Reda tweeted Tuesday before the release of the report saying that it was “aimed at establishing impartiality by apportioning guilt” between fighters on both sides of the conflict.

Survivors told Amnesty that the attacks began soon after the TPLF took control of the town on August 12. Local and federal officials say between 71 and 73 women were raped.

VOA Amharic Service also interviewed victims of the attacks. A mother in her 50’s who lives in Nefas Mewcha said a fighter entered her home armed and threatening violence.

“He had bombs, a knife, a Kalashnikov and he said if I moved, he would cut my legs and then he raped me,” the survivor told VOA Amharic Service. “No one came to help. There was no one coming and it was dead silence.”

A mother of three in her 30’s is another survivor who spoke to VOA Amharic Service on the condition of anonymity. She said the fighters who came to her home to attack her accused her of being married to authorities and she said she was raped while her children were watching.

“There were three or four of them. And then when they came in, one of my children started crying and he said [a fighter] said ‘I will hit you. I will kill you.’” she said. “Three to four men raped me at gunpoint,” she added, saying that the fighters hurt her 8-year-old child. Her neighbor, a mother of two children, who came in to help after hearing screams was also raped by the men, the survivor said.

Source: Voice of America