A home is the foundation on which we build our lives. It leads to better health, education and well-being, more economic growth and less poverty. Yet every day, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of a safe, decent home. The crisis is particularly acute in Africa, where an estimated 62% of urban dwellings are informal, putting millions of families at heightened risk from climate and economic shocks. 

Knowing the importance a home has on families and its impact on communities, Habitat for Humanity in Africa has joined hundreds of Habitat organizations and partners worldwide to launch the Let’s Open the Door campaign to bring awareness of the worldwide housing crisis and to rally people everywhere to take action. 

This year, Habitat for Humanity marks 50 years of bringing people together to build prosperous and healthy communities. Drawing upon this milestone, this global campaign supported by various partners will bring this urgency forward through pop-up installations, on-the-ground builds, and digital storytelling across more than 60 countries. This coordinated effort is designed to help ignite a global movement around an issue shaping health, equity and economic resilience. 

East African partner states and the Horn of Africa have called for harmonised labour agreements to promote skilled employment abroad, marking a shift from the region’s heavy reliance on exporting untrained casual labour. The consensus emerged during the 7th Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration held at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala on Tuesday, with officials emphasising the need to secure better pay, protection, and dignity for migrant workers. … Migration experts raised concerns over increasing irregular migration facilitated by criminal networks exploiting porous borders. Lucy Daxbacher of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) said human trafficking and migrant smuggling remain major threats. … Participants also highlighted the need to streamline migration systems, improve data collection, and strengthen identification frameworks to enhance governance. Monitor

Kenya’s President William Ruto said on Wednesday that his government had finalised a trade deal with China this week, without giving further details. Ruto made the comments at an investment conference in the capital Nairobi. In January Kenya announced a preliminary trade deal with China that would give 98% of its exports duty-free access to the large Chinese market. The East African nation has been forging closer ties with China, with Ruto making a state visit to Beijing last year during which a number of financing and cooperation agreements were signed. The two countries’ bilateral trade is currently heavily tilted in favour of China. Reuters

Kenya’s flower industry has reported weekly losses of up to $1.4 million since the Iran war began, with growers attributing the losses to a decline in demand and shipping disruptions. The Kenya Flower Council, a private sector organization representing growers and exporters of cut flowers and ornamentals in Kenya, said Tuesday the ongoing conflict has resulted in over $4.2 million in losses over the last three weeks. “We are seeing a reduction in movement, delays in movement of produce, and longer routes, while pricing is extremely high. … Kenya’s horticulture sector, one of its most important industries, is worth over $800 million annually, according to the Central Bank of Kenya. Normally, direct flower exports to the Middle East account for about 30% of business at Isinya Flower Farms and up to 15% nationally, with Europe being the largest market, accounting for up to 70%. However, while the Middle East isn’t Kenya’s main export market for flowers, cargo freight to Europe been disrupted by the conflict in the Middle East, resulting in reduced exports as well as higher costs. … The Kenya Flower Council now says it is lobbying the Kenyan government to introduce direct cargo flights to Europe in a bid to maintain the European market and cushion growers. AP