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His Majesty King Mohammed VI sent a congratulatory message to His Majesty Charles III, on the occasion of his coronation as Sovereign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and to Her Majesty Queen Camilla on the occasion of her coronation as Queen.

In this message, the Sovereign expresses, on His own behalf and on behalf of the Moroccan people, His warmest congratulations to His Majesty Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla, wishing them "a most prosperous reign, and the people of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland further progress and prosperity. »

On this occasion, HM the King reiterates His deep pride in the close bonds of friendship and mutual esteem uniting the two Sovereigns and the two Royal Families, as well as the special relations rooted in fruitful cooperation and active solidarity between the two countries.

The Sovereign says he is convinced that these special ties will grow stronger given "our shared determination to develop and promote them, and further our peoples' interests. »

HM the King also reiterates His sincere congratulations and expressions of esteem to HM King Charles III and HM Queen Camilla, expressing to them and to all members of the Royal Family His best wishes for good health, happiness and long, happy life.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kingdom of Morocco - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates.

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the evacuation of 61 people holding Qatari residency from the Republic of the Sudan via a second Qatari plane that took off from Port Sudan Airport, bringing the total of those evacuated to 229 residents.

The State of Qatar had evacuated earlier Qatari citizens present in Sudan, as well as 168 Sudanese citizens.

The Ministry reiterated the keenness of the State of Qatar on security and stability in the Republic of the Sudan. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The State of Qatar.

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As catastrophe grips Sudan, the UN agency for reproductive health is stepping up support, with midwives playing a key role in helping provide safe deliveries amid growing violence.

“Health facilities and hospitals should be safe havens in times of crisis,” the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Saturday, condemning an attack on a hospital in Khartoum.

Laila Baker, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) regional director, said pregnant women in capital city are facing perilous conditions.

“We are acutely concerned,” she said. “There is no way we can monitor them, there is no access to safe delivery services, no way to ensure even meagre communication.

In addition, women can go into premature delivery, and complications can arise from panic, she said, adding that “the circumstances are so tenuous.”

Epicentre of violence

Two weeks of brutal fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have turned Khartoum, the epicentre of the violence, into a warzone and thrown the country into turmoil.

More than 500 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands forced to leave their homes, either within the country or across borders to neighbouring Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

Many of those fleeing have already been displaced multiple times due to political instability, hunger and climate crises, with untold numbers taking refuge in unsafe, crowded and unsanitary makeshift camps.

Health sector collapsing

Only one in four health facilities in Khartoum are fully operational, with most damaged only partially functioning, leaving millions of people without access to critical care, UNFPA said.

Dozens of attacks on hospitals, healthcare staff and ambulances, alongside widespread looting of already scarce medical supplies, water, fuel and electricity, are pushing the health sector to the brink of collapse.

Severe supply shortages

“We have a severe lack of supplies in Khartoum, especially oxytocin and umbilical clips,” said Jamila, a midwife working in a UNFPA-supported health centre in Khartoum. “Although services continue for the time being, we are praying for more supplies to arrive soon.”

Blood, oxygen, and other medical necessities, such as fuel for ambulances, are also running dangerously low.

Despite the catastrophic circumstances, those hospitals and health centres still functioning – and standing – are proving to be a lifeline for pregnant women and new mothers.

Where access is jeopardized, community midwives and skilled birth attendants trained by UNFPA are supporting pregnant women to give birth in the safety of their homes.

Midwives play key role

For women and girls, including the estimated 219,000 who are currently pregnant in Khartoum alone, not receiving essential health services could prove life threatening.

Access to midwives is the single most important factor in stopping preventable maternal and newborn deaths.

Some 24,000 women are expected to give birth in the coming weeks, in the throes of chaos and bloodshed, making it extremely hazardous for them to seek essential antenatal care, safe delivery services, or postnatal support.

Fighting threatens safe deliveries

Incessant fighting in the Jabal Awliya village in Khartoum State has severely affected reproductive health care.

“We have designated phone numbers to receive requests for home births, and a midwife goes to perform the delivery,” said Saadya, a midwife working in Jabal Awliya. “We are able to accept all requests for now.”

With continued strikes on infrastructure, there is a risk of electricity lines being cut and even these emergency hotlines being severed for people in dire need.

Some 90 UNFPA-trained community midwives are currently assisting pregnant women and girls to give birth safely, mainly at home, in the Kalakla, Jabal, Naser and Al Azhari areas of Khartoum.

Over the past two years, UNFPA has trained 460 midwives who are reaching even remote communities, including in humanitarian crises, building trust and delivering high-quality maternal health services.

Surge in gender-based violence

There are also alarming reports of surging forms of gender-based violence – sexual violence against women and girls fleeing the fighting, domestic abuse fuelled by movement restrictions and tension, and women and girls being targeted when they go out to get supplies.

In response to the rising risks for some 3.1 million women and girls who were already at risk of violence before the current crisis, efforts are underway to train service providers to provide remote psychosocial support.

Prior to the current crisis, UNFPA distributed supplies for more than 19,000 safe births and supplies to meet the reproductive health needs of more than 45,000 people, including for the clinical management of rape and treating sexually transmitted infections.

UNFPA partners are currently making sure these reach those health facilities and hospitals that are still functioning across Sudan.

Heading to a breaking point

Sudan was already one of the world's most impoverished countries before the conflict broke out, with one third of the population in need of humanitarian assistance and facing acute hunger.

The recent violence and attacks on health centres are a violation of international law and the right to health, the agency said.

As the situation reaches breaking point, and despite mounting risks, UNFPA said it will continue to assist safe births, seek protection for vulnerable women and girls, and support midwives to save lives.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

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At a time when more than 100 armed groups are plaguing communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with grave human rights violations and sexual violence, the UN chief said on Saturday that swift, bolstered efforts must end the chronic cycle of conflict in the natural resources-rich Great Lakes region of Africa.

“It is time to end the violence,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the high-level meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region, held in Bujumbura, Burundi.

Since the resurgence of the M23 armed group in DRC in 2021, more than 500,000 people have fled the violence, he said, also raising concerns about the current “extremely worrisome” security situation in Ituri province.

Current crisis demands action

“The current crisis shows that much still remains to be done,” he warned, adding that the ongoing violence is threatening the stability of the entire Great Lakes region.

The Framework, signed in 2013 in Addis Ababa, had “raised many hopes” of ending decades of violence, he said, encouraging redoubled efforts from the signatory countries, African Union, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

‘Lay down your arms'

Reiterating his call to armed groups, he said “lay down your arms immediately and rejoin the demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration progress.”

Within the Framework, boosted efforts must now focus on building a foundation of dialogue among parties to identify sustainable solutions to differences, ending impunity for perpetrators of cross-border crimes, and inclusively advancing peace, he stressed.

Indeed, for peace to be sustainable, he said the voices of women, young people and displaced persons must be fully heard in all political, security and judicial processes.

Peace and development go ‘hand in hand'

Turning to the region's bounty of rich natural and cultural resources, he said DRC is home to the world's second largest rainforest, accounting for 10 percent of global biodiversity.

“We must ensure that it becomes a source of prosperity and development, not of conflict, rivalries, and unsustainable exploitation,” he said. “Peace and development must go hand in hand.”

“The UN remains fully engaged, by your side,” he said, welcoming the initiative taken by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in February to revitalize the Framework.

“Only together can we achieve the common objectives of peace, security, and cooperation of the Addis Ababa Framework,” he said. “The peoples of the region are counting on us.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.

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350 people in Kisoro District have received relief non-food Items (NFIs) today from the Uganda Red Cross Society. The supported families are from selected households that were worst hit by the floods and landslide occurrences that ravaged the districts 2 days ago. On 2nd and 3rd May 2023, Kisoro district which neighbors Rwanda to the south, experienced above-normal rains that caused heavy flooding and landslides, leading to the death of 8 people, and 6 injuries. The affected communities include villages of Bunyora and Kimbuba in Chibumba Parish, Chahafi town council.

Uganda Red Cross together with the community responders went to the rescue of the people, offered first aid to the injured and referred them to hospital for further management. The dead were retrieved from the rubble and accorded a descent burial. Under the coordination of the Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda Red Cross worked closely with the Kisoro District Disaster Management Committee to complete rapid assessment in less than 24 hours to establish the magnitude of disaster and arranged delivery of relief aid to the affected communities.

While presiding over the distribution exercise, the Kisoro district Woman Member of Parliament who also doubles as the Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs Hon. Sarah Mateke appreciated the Uganda Red Cross for the quick response.

"I thank the Red Cross for the quick response to the affected families. The nonfood items given will help our people to develop coping mechanisms temporarily as Government also prepares to support them with any other support required.” Mateke added.

Honorable Mateke also represented the Minister of State for Relief and Disaster Preparedness, Office of the Prime Minister - Hon. Esther Davinah Anyakun.

While speaking to the beneficiaries and the authorities, Dr, Brian Kanaahe, Uganda Red Cross Director of Disaster Risk Management highlighted the standard operating procedures for the Red Cross that guide such emergencies. He appreciated the coordination and collaboration with the district authorities and extended sympathies to the affected families.

“The past 2 days we have been so busy for our team, carrying out rapid assessments, and verification of beneficiaries, to inform this response. We have tried to respond within the turnaround time of between 12 -72 hours as per our emergency standard operating procedures. As the Red Cross, we find pride in alleviating the suffering of people, and saving lives.”

“In collaboration with the Government, District leadership, I am happy that we are to put a smile on the faces of over 300 people receiving these nonfood items today.” Kanaahe added.

Among the relief aid delivered include shelter kits, Tarpaulins, Blankets, Saucepans, Knives, plates, cups, Jerrycans, Mats, bars of soap, solar lamps, Aqua tabs (for water treatment), bed nets, and shelter kits containing digging kits to enable people set up new shelters.

The exercise was witnessed by the Kisoro District leadership, including the District Disaster Management Committee, Woman Member of Parliament for Kisoro, the RDC Hajji Shafic Kagimu, among others.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Uganda Red Cross.