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Photo : Azad Essa | Al Jazeera

Sub-Saharan Africa: Region accounts for 56 per cent of under-five deaths, says UN report
NIAS Africa Studies Daily Briefs | 10 January 2023

IN BRIEF

by Apoorva Sudhakar and Anu Maria Joseph

Sub-Saharan Africa: Region accounts for 56 per cent of under-five deaths, says UN report

On 10 January, Africanews reported that a latest report by United Nations Inter Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation says that nearly five million children under the age five died in 2021 alongside 2.1 million aged between five and 24. The report also says at least 1.9 million  stillborn births are estimated during the same period. Besides, sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 56 per cent of all under-five deaths. The report adds that nearly 59 million children and youth will die by 2030 and nearly 16 million will be lost to stillbirth if proper action is not taken to improve the health services. (“UN Reports child death every 4.4 seconds in 2021,” Africanews, 10 January 2023)

Rwanda: Will not send back refugees to DRC, government clarifies

On 10 January, a government spokesperson said Rwanda does not intend to expel refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The spokesperson said the media had misrepresented President Paul Kagame’s stance on the refugees from DRC and said Kagame only highlighted “the blatant hypocrisy in criticising Rwanda which simultaneously gets the blame for state failure in the DRC [DR Congo], and is then expected to accommodate those who seek refuge from the consequences of that failure.” The development comes a day after Kagame told the Senate on 9 January that Rwanda cannot continue accommodating refugees for which Kigali is later “held accountable in some way, or even insulted and abused about.” (“Rwanda says it will not accept DR Congo refugees any more,” Al Jazeera, 10 January 2023)

Nigeria: Six rescued after kidnappers abduct over 30 from train station

On 10 January, security forces rescued six people after 32 people were abducted from a train station in Edo state on 7 January. The rescued include women and children. The federal government termed the incident “despicable and utterly barbaric.” (“Six rescued after Nigeria train station kidnapping,” BBC, 10 January 2023)

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