Photo : Moses Sawasawa, AP
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Moses Sawasawa, AP
IN BRIEF
Anu Maria Joseph
Democratic Republic of Congo: Worsening humanitarian crisis
On 29 March, the UN warned of the deteriorating security situation and humanitarian conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo amidst the increasing M23 campaign. The head of the UN’s DRC peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, Bintou Keita, told the UNSC: “One Congolese person out of four faces hunger and malnutrition. More than 7.1 million people have been displaced in the country. That is 800,000 people more since my last briefing three months ago.” Since February, the fighting between the DRC forces and the M23 rebels has intensified with the rebels significantly advancing towards the major regional economic hub, Goma. (“Eastern DRC ‘at breaking point’ as security, humanitarian crises worsen,” Al Jazeera, 29 March 2024)
Egypt: Population declines by 1.4 per cent
On 29 March, Egypt’s Ministry of Planning announced that the population growth of the country decreased by 1.4 per cent. According to Egyptian statistics, Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world with 106 million. Although the ministry did not mention any cause behind it, the development is perceived as advantageous. 60 per cent of the population lives in poverty and the country faces challenges in terms of schools and hospitals alongside the growing debt. (“Egypt: population growth declines to 1.4%,” Africanews, 29 March 2024)