Prolonged drought due to poor March-May rains in Greater Horn of Africa

In late April 2008, Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) confirmed below-normal rainfall and prolonged dryness continued into mid-April in parts of central, northeastern, and southeastern Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia.

These rainfall predictions were expected to deepen existing drought conditions in these three countries and further aggravate: food insecurity, water and pasture shortages, malnutrition,

This report analyzes nominal market prices and the magnitude of price fluctuations for select commodities and markets in the East Africa region in the context of the region's prevailing food security situation. The report addresses the role of price increases as both a cause and symptom of regional food insecurity, highlighting the food security implications of rising prices and outlining priorities for action.

Worsening:

MALI: The Tuareg armed group led by Ag-Bahanga clashes with the army in the region of Kidal just one month after it reached an agreement on cessation of hostilities.

MYANMAR: The Military Junta announces a support to the Constitution of 92% of voters amid reports of fraud and intimidation of the opposition and the humanitarian crisis caused by the Nargis cyclone, which left 77,000 people dead and 55,000 others missing.

PHILIPPINES: The appointment of the up to now chief of the army as the new presidential counsellor for

Charles is a pump mechanic, trained by AMREF, working to provide clean water in internally displaced people's camps in northern Uganda 'If it wasn't for the war, I would probably have become a successful farmer,' Charles Okana says, wiping sweat from his brow. Charles supervises seven men and women 2km from the Orom IDP (Internally Displaced People) camp, They have come here to repair a water pump. After carefully taking apart the equipment, they replace broken parts and reassemble

The vast majority of the 1 billion people who live on less than $1 a day go to bed hungry. In developing countries, one of every four children under the age of five is underweight, which is the most important indicator of hunger. Reducing the number of children who suffer from malnutrition is a key component of the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG1) to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. The current food crisis severely threatens progress in the fight against hunger and thus the achievement of MDG1.

The vast majority of the 1 billion people who live on less than $1 a day go to bed hungry. In developing countries, one of every four children under the age of five is underweight, which is the most important indicator of hunger. Reducing the number of children who suffer from malnutrition is a key component of the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG1) to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. The current food crisis severely threatens progress in the fight against hunger and thus the achievement of MDG1.

By Bill Oketch in Oyam (AR No. 172, 29-May-08)

For Ronald Odongo, a 14-year-old former Lord's Resistance Army, LRA, fighter, sitting in the dirt or on a log is something he grew accustomed to during his years in the bush.

But he never expected he would have to do this at the school in his home village, where he's attempting to rebuild his life, much like the thousands of other youngsters who were either dragooned into rebel ranks or forced to flee their villages.

Odongo goes to the Abella primary school,

Mortalité infantile en dessus et en dessous du Sahara

Le continent africain est divisé par le Sahara, le plus grand désert du monde, et cette démarcation n'est pas seulement géographique. Dans les pays situés essentiellement au nord du Sahara - Algérie, Égypte, Jamahiriya arabe libyenne, Maroc et Tunisie - le taux moyen de mortalité des enfants de moins de 5 ans en 2006 était de 35 pour 1 000 naissances vivantes, ce qui signifie qu'au cours de cette année particulière, environ 1 enfant sur 29 est mort avant son cinquième

TOKYO, 28 May 2008 - UNICEF today called for large-scale, focused investments in improved health systems for sub-Saharan Africa, to capitalize on recent achievements and help children who have inadequate access to health care.

The call came as the children's agency launched its first The State of Africa's Children 2008 report at the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in Japan.