The Denden Award was presented to 136 outstanding students in the Southern region for their exceptional performance in the 2023/2024 national school-leaving examinations. The awardees, who achieved a GPA of 3.0 and above, hailed from schools in the sub-zones of Dekemhare, Adi-Keih, Senafe, Tserona, and Mai-Aini.

At the award ceremony, held on 13 September in Dekemhare, Mr. Girmay Gebru, head of the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students in the region, highlighted that the Denden Award is part of a continuous effort to enhance the performance of schools and students. He emphasized that the award aims to recognize top-performing students and inspire their peers to strive for academic excellence. He also noted that, over the past three years, 881 students have received this award.

Mr. Gebremicael Okbagebriel, head of secondary schools in the Southern Region, praised the National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students for its contribution to the educational development and performance of students. He extended his congratulations to the awardees, their parents, and teachers.

Additionally, Mr. Yemane Abera, administrator of the sub-zone, encouraged the students to maintain their hard work in higher education, aiming to become competitive and successful in their future endeavors.

In related news, Anseba Elementary and Junior School in Keren presented awards on 8 September to 22 outstanding students, including 10 female students who achieved high scores in the 2023/2024 national school-leaving examination. The awardees were members of the 36th round of the national service.

Mr. Mohammed-Saleh Mohammed-Seid, director of the school, stated that the award’s objective was to recognize the students for their outstanding performance and to encourage others to follow in their footsteps.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved a $6.6m grant to support the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) in strengthening state capacity to build its financial architecture in order to promote inclusive and equitable growth.

The Somalia Financial Sector Development Project will focus on improving the capacity of financial institutions, including the Central Bank of Somalia, Somalia Development and Reconstruction Bank, and the Financial Reporting Center (FRC), to formulate efficient credit delivery, and to implement anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures. It will also enhance financial sector expertise through targeted training and assistance.

The reforms seek to build a competitive and globally connected financial sector in Somalia, enhancing stability, trust, and financial inclusion, and attracting private investment.

Somalia has long grappled with security threats from armed groups that depend on illicit financing. Strengthening its financial institutions is therefore crucial for its stability and that of the wider horn of Africa region. Integration into the global financial system has been hindered by insecurity as well as institutional barriers. The absence of intermediary and correspondent banking services has further isolated the country from international financial networks, limiting critical remittance inflows.

Strengthening the country’s Anti-Money Laundering/Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) response, and bringing it in line with international standards will enable the integration of Somalia into the global financial architecture.

“This is a timely intervention that will enhance governance, accountability, skills, and technology development while fostering private sector growth through regulatory improvements and financial sector development,” said Ahmed Attout, the Bank Group’s Director of Financial Sector Development. “This will also build robust national financial systems that offer increased long-term finance availability, reduced intermediation costs, and improved financial infrastructure.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Contacts:
Communication and External Relations Department
Email: MEDIA@AFDB.ORG  

Technical contact: 
Grace Kyokunda
Email: G.KYOKUNDA@AFDB.ORG

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. For more information: www.AfDB.org

Thousands of people displaced by the floods in Koukou Angarana, in Sila province, eastern Chad, are still living in makeshift shelters without reliable access to clean water, food, or sufficient health facilities a month later. Water levels continue to fluctuate, and although the fear of another flood is decreasing, needs are only rising.

Teams from Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have assessed that people’s most immediate needs are food, water and sanitation, shelter reinforcement, and primary and secondary health care.

“The living conditions of displaced people in Koukou are extremely difficult,” explains Julie Melichar, MSF project coordinator. ”They are exposed to the risk of epidemics given the lack of drinking water, people living on top of one another in the camps, and the absence of health facilities.”

Urgent need for clean drinking water

Access to clean drinking water is almost nonexistent in Koukou. The quality of the water at the few functional sources needs to be assessed, and the quantity available does not cover the needs of huge numbers of people in displacement sites.  

“Water sources were contaminated during the flood by a mixture of sewage and waste, including feces,” explains Melichar. “Water is not always available, pushing people to use water from flood plains. Although MSF is cleaning water wells, they are at risk of being contaminated again in the event of further rains or flooding. The situation remains precarious and requires an effective water, sanitation, and hygiene response to reduce the risk of communicable disease outbreaks.”

Lack of protection from the elements

In the shelters, there are very few blankets, and insufficient tarpaulins to protect people from repeated rains and storms. This lack of physical protection promotes the development of diseases such as acute respiratory infections and malaria.  

MSF has set up a health post where our teams provide primary health care. Between August 14 and September 9, MSF teams carried out 1,850 health consultations. Over 340 people had acute respiratory tract infections, 265 tested positive for malaria, and more than 220 were treated for diarrhea. MSF also provided prenatal consultations to 232 pregnant women who were also tested for malaria and provided with intermittent preventive treatment.

“People can’t wait much longer” 

MSF teams on the ground consistently hear from people that hunger is an immediate concern. The floods destroyed much of the food supply and made essential activities such as collecting firewood and working in the fields impossible. Many fields of sorghum, peanuts, and millet have been destroyed or are no longer suitable for cultivation. Prices have skyrocketed so what little food is available is unaffordable for many.

Despite the massive needs, international organizations have yet to materialize a significant response.

“An immediate food distribution would significantly help many people here in Koukou,” says Melichar. “This would be a crucial and much-needed first step, but despite these floods happening a month ago there has been very little in terms of international response. People can’t wait much longer.”  

Concerns for people outside Koukou  

Nearly 1,500,000 Chadians have been affected by the floods countrywide, with nearly 260,000 hectares of fields destroyed as of September 3, 2024, the government announced.

With roads still largely impassable due to flooding, information about affected villages on both sides of the Wadi Bahr Azoum river in Sila Province is beginning to trickle in. People describe many flooded villages, destroyed fields, and multiple displacements. Reaching these people is a logistical challenge and a rapid response from other organizations is essential to meet people’s most urgent needs, particularly access to health care in areas affected by the floods.

Chad is particularly vulnerable to climate change. It is frequently hit by recurrent droughts and floods, and weather projections indicate that the country will experience more days of heavy rainfall in the future.   

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).