http://www.irinnews.org/irin-fp.aspxUpdated everydayen-gbFri, 06 Jan 2012 14:30:34 GMTFri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 06 January 2012 (IRIN) - Several thousand Angolan returnees from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are stranded by floods in northeastern Angola. They are among the first casualties of what promises to be a very wet rainy season in parts of southern Africa. http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=94598JOHANNESBURG 06 January 2012 (IRIN) - Several thousand Angolan returnees from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are stranded by floods in northeastern Angola. They are among the first casualties of what promises to be a very wet rainy season in parts of southern Africa. ]]>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 29 December 2011 (IRIN) - In 2011 the global economic crisis combined with poor governance, financial mismanagement and unpredictable rainfall to push several southern African countries to the point of crisis. Others responded to rising unemployment and increased pressure on national budgets by hardening their attitude towards immigrants and closing their borders to asylum-seekers. IRIN covered developments from all over the region, but the following stories consistently grabbed headlines:http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=94564JOHANNESBURG 29 December 2011 (IRIN) - In 2011 the global economic crisis combined with poor governance, financial mismanagement and unpredictable rainfall to push several southern African countries to the point of crisis. Others responded to rising unemployment and increased pressure on national budgets by hardening their attitude towards immigrants and closing their borders to asylum-seekers. IRIN covered developments from all over the region, but the following stories consistently grabbed headlines:]]>Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 12 December 2011 (IRIN) - At any given time, an estimated 130,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa are engaged in forced labour as a result of trafficking. It is a fraction of the global figure, which the International Labour Organization (ILO) puts at 2.5 million, but this highly lucrative and concealed crime is on the rise in Africa and traffickers usually operate with impunity.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=94445JOHANNESBURG 12 December 2011 (IRIN) - At any given time, an estimated 130,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa are engaged in forced labour as a result of trafficking. It is a fraction of the global figure, which the International Labour Organization (ILO) puts at 2.5 million, but this highly lucrative and concealed crime is on the rise in Africa and traffickers usually operate with impunity.]]>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 02 December 2011 (IRIN) - Brandishing a plea for developed countries to make good their promises to reduce carbon emissions, 300 farmers, youths and activists took the scenic route to the COP17 conference in Durban, travelling more than 7,000km from Burundi in 17 days, through 10 eastern and southern African countries, aboard a convoy of buses draped in various national flags.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=94372KAMPALA 02 December 2011 (IRIN) - Brandishing a plea for developed countries to make good their promises to reduce carbon emissions, 300 farmers, youths and activists took the scenic route to the COP17 conference in Durban, travelling more than 7,000km from Burundi in 17 days, through 10 eastern and southern African countries, aboard a convoy of buses draped in various national flags.]]>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 01 December 2011 (IRIN) - This World AIDS Day on 1 Dec should have been a much more joyous event: the global HIV/AIDS response has turned a significant corner, with record numbers of people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and fewer new HIV infections. But the announcement by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria, cancelling its next funding round, has cast a shadow over any celebrations and highlighted the precarious nature of HIV/AIDS funding.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=94354JOHANNESBURG 01 December 2011 (IRIN) - This World AIDS Day on 1 Dec should have been a much more joyous event: the global HIV/AIDS response has turned a significant corner, with record numbers of people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and fewer new HIV infections. But the announcement by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria, cancelling its next funding round, has cast a shadow over any celebrations and highlighted the precarious nature of HIV/AIDS funding.]]>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>MASERU 01 December 2011 (IRIN) - Livestock herders in Lesotho are suspicious of the government’s motives for “modernizing” the land tenure system, fearing it will bring about a radical change in their way of life and deprive them of their birthright to land.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=94364MASERU 01 December 2011 (IRIN) - Livestock herders in Lesotho are suspicious of the government’s motives for “modernizing” the land tenure system, fearing it will bring about a radical change in their way of life and deprive them of their birthright to land.]]>Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>MASERU 24 November 2011 (IRIN) - The Lesotho Government plans to spend 100 million maloti (US$12.7 million) over the next two years in an effort to breathe life into the crucial textile industry.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=94302MASERU 24 November 2011 (IRIN) - The Lesotho Government plans to spend 100 million maloti (US$12.7 million) over the next two years in an effort to breathe life into the crucial textile industry.]]>Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>MASERU 17 November 2011 (IRIN) - A lack of legislation stipulating a minimum age at which boys in Lesotho can attend an initiation school and be circumcised has seen some as young as 12 dropping out of school and heading for the mountains.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=94228MASERU 17 November 2011 (IRIN) - A lack of legislation stipulating a minimum age at which boys in Lesotho can attend an initiation school and be circumcised has seen some as young as 12 dropping out of school and heading for the mountains.]]>Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>MASERU 11 November 2011 (IRIN) - The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) is building a third major dam, despite concerns about the welfare of thousands of villagers who lost their homes or land after the first dams were built in return for what many feel is inadequate compensation.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=94169MASERU 11 November 2011 (IRIN) - The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) is building a third major dam, despite concerns about the welfare of thousands of villagers who lost their homes or land after the first dams were built in return for what many feel is inadequate compensation.]]>Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 18 October 2011 (IRIN) - Genetically modified (GM) food aid bound for Africa has long been a bone of contention among governments, scientists, activists, consumers and aid workers.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=93991JOHANNESBURG 18 October 2011 (IRIN) - Genetically modified (GM) food aid bound for Africa has long been a bone of contention among governments, scientists, activists, consumers and aid workers.]]>Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>MASERU 03 October 2011 (IRIN) - Matebello Makhanya* left her village of Ramabanta early in the morning and travelled 60km to Maseru, Lesotho's capital, in the hope of seeing a dentist at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, the largest hospital in the country - only to be told that the hospital was about to be closed and dental services were no longer provided there.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=93873MASERU 03 October 2011 (IRIN) - Matebello Makhanya* left her village of Ramabanta early in the morning and travelled 60km to Maseru, Lesotho's capital, in the hope of seeing a dentist at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, the largest hospital in the country - only to be told that the hospital was about to be closed and dental services were no longer provided there.]]>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 21 April 2011 (IRIN) - A group of international academic institutions and an NGO backed by the European Union (EU) have launched Sustainable Nutrition Research for Africa in the Years to come, or SUNRAY, to develop a nutrition agenda for Africa, with specific emphasis on the 34 sub-Saharan countries.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=92550JOHANNESBURG 21 April 2011 (IRIN) - A group of international academic institutions and an NGO backed by the European Union (EU) have launched Sustainable Nutrition Research for Africa in the Years to come, or SUNRAY, to develop a nutrition agenda for Africa, with specific emphasis on the 34 sub-Saharan countries.]]>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 08 April 2011 (IRIN) - What’s green, controversial, 15km wide, 7,775km long, cuts across 11 African countries and is designed to reduce livestock deaths and boost food security for millions of people? Nothing yet, but the Great Green Wall project, a pipe-dream for decades, was recently endorsed by a swathe of African states stretching from Senegal to Djibouti.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=92422NAIROBI 08 April 2011 (IRIN) - What’s green, controversial, 15km wide, 7,775km long, cuts across 11 African countries and is designed to reduce livestock deaths and boost food security for millions of people? Nothing yet, but the Great Green Wall project, a pipe-dream for decades, was recently endorsed by a swathe of African states stretching from Senegal to Djibouti.]]>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 08 March 2011 (IRIN) - Farming is a risky business anywhere in the world, but especially if you are a subsistence farmer in southern Africa, where a few weeks of too much or too little rain can wipe out your one hectare of maize and your ability to feed your family in the coming months.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=92136JOHANNESBURG 08 March 2011 (IRIN) - Farming is a risky business anywhere in the world, but especially if you are a subsistence farmer in southern Africa, where a few weeks of too much or too little rain can wipe out your one hectare of maize and your ability to feed your family in the coming months.]]>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>MOHALE’S HOEK 24 February 2011 (IRIN) - Communities in Lesotho are struggling to find new livelihoods as the number of local men employed in South African mines continues to dwindle.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=92027MOHALE’S HOEK 24 February 2011 (IRIN) - Communities in Lesotho are struggling to find new livelihoods as the number of local men employed in South African mines continues to dwindle.]]>Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>THABA-TSEKA 22 February 2011 (IRIN) - A new joint programme is changing the way the Lesotho government and its development partners deliver aid by getting different government departments, UN agencies and civil society organizations working together to help mothers and their families.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=92002THABA-TSEKA 22 February 2011 (IRIN) - A new joint programme is changing the way the Lesotho government and its development partners deliver aid by getting different government departments, UN agencies and civil society organizations working together to help mothers and their families.]]>Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>MASERU 18 February 2011 (IRIN) - The Lesotho government has warned its citizens to prepare for a difficult year ahead as the tiny, land-locked country absorbs the effects of the global economic slowdown, including a sharp decline in crucial revenue from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=91968MASERU 18 February 2011 (IRIN) - The Lesotho government has warned its citizens to prepare for a difficult year ahead as the tiny, land-locked country absorbs the effects of the global economic slowdown, including a sharp decline in crucial revenue from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).]]>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>THABA-TSEKA 15 February 2011 (IRIN) - From a distance, the fields of maize that cover almost every hillside in Lesotho’s Thaba-Tseka District look green and lush. On closer inspection, the plants have a sickly yellowish hue and the heads of corn that should be ripening in time for the April harvest are nowhere to be seen.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=91925THABA-TSEKA 15 February 2011 (IRIN) - From a distance, the fields of maize that cover almost every hillside in Lesotho’s Thaba-Tseka District look green and lush. On closer inspection, the plants have a sickly yellowish hue and the heads of corn that should be ripening in time for the April harvest are nowhere to be seen.]]>Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 10 February 2011 (IRIN) - Above average rainfall across many parts of Southern Africa is prompting concern "about the food security of the affected population in the poorer parts of the sub-region over the coming months," the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a new report.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=91881JOHANNESBURG 10 February 2011 (IRIN) - Above average rainfall across many parts of Southern Africa is prompting concern "about the food security of the affected population in the poorer parts of the sub-region over the coming months," the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a new report.]]>Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 21 January 2011 (IRIN) - Heavy rains and localized flooding across southern Africa from Angola to Madagascar are raising fears that the devastating floods of 2000 will be repeated. Then, thousands of people were plucked from rooftops by helicopter, several hundred died, and Mozambique’s agricultural production was severely impacted.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=91698JOHANNESBURG 21 January 2011 (IRIN) - Heavy rains and localized flooding across southern Africa from Angola to Madagascar are raising fears that the devastating floods of 2000 will be repeated. Then, thousands of people were plucked from rooftops by helicopter, several hundred died, and Mozambique’s agricultural production was severely impacted.]]>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 06 January 2011 (IRIN) - The record prices of staple grains in 2008 made investment in agriculture an attractive proposition for countries exporting as well as importing food. The African Union (AU), with its mix of producers and buyers, has been steadily gearing up for self-sufficiency.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=91547JOHANNESBURG 06 January 2011 (IRIN) - The record prices of staple grains in 2008 made investment in agriculture an attractive proposition for countries exporting as well as importing food. The African Union (AU), with its mix of producers and buyers, has been steadily gearing up for self-sufficiency.]]>Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 31 December 2010 (IRIN) - The crises in Zimbabwe and Madagascar were a major focus of IRIN’s Southern Africa coverage, though riots over food and fuel prices in early September 2010 in Mozambique managed to grab the headlines for a while.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=91506JOHANNESBURG 31 December 2010 (IRIN) - The crises in Zimbabwe and Madagascar were a major focus of IRIN’s Southern Africa coverage, though riots over food and fuel prices in early September 2010 in Mozambique managed to grab the headlines for a while.]]>Thu, 30 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT]]>HARARE/JOHANNESBURG 30 December 2010 (IRIN) - The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) staffed jointly by officials from Zambia and Zimbabwe, says one of the two major dams on the river between the two countries will open its flood gates in early 2011, meaning that communities may have to be relocated.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=91491HARARE/JOHANNESBURG 30 December 2010 (IRIN) - The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) staffed jointly by officials from Zambia and Zimbabwe, says one of the two major dams on the river between the two countries will open its flood gates in early 2011, meaning that communities may have to be relocated.]]>Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 24 November 2010 (IRIN) - Gay rights groups have hailed the results of the first study to show that an antiretroviral (ARV) drug can prevent HIV as an important step in the fight against HIV, but say that in countries that criminalize homosexuality, the breakthrough is unlikely to have a significant impact.http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=91180NAIROBI 24 November 2010 (IRIN) - Gay rights groups have hailed the results of the first study to show that an antiretroviral (ARV) drug can prevent HIV as an important step in the fight against HIV, but say that in countries that criminalize homosexuality, the breakthrough is unlikely to have a significant impact.]]>Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 19 November 2010 (IRIN) - When it comes to understanding what drives HIV infections among young people in southern Africa, the epicentre of the global AIDS pandemic, why not ask young people themselves?http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=91138JOHANNESBURG 19 November 2010 (IRIN) - When it comes to understanding what drives HIV infections among young people in southern Africa, the epicentre of the global AIDS pandemic, why not ask young people themselves?]]>