1.8 million Haitians have been affected by Hurricane Sandy

Credit: MINUSTAH/Logan Abassi

An estimated 1.8 million Haitians have been affected by Hurricane Sandy, including 60 people killed and more than 18,000 homes flooded, damaged or destroyed. Food insecurity is also a major concern as a result of the devastation caused by Sandy.  

26 Oct, Haiti: The most vulnerable displaced communities in the camps, mainly in Port-au-Prince, were evacuated before the storm. Floodwater has been receding since Sunday and many of them have now returned home. About 1,500 people still remain in 15 hurricane shelters. More pictures after the cut.....

One of Cameroon's lagest revenue source the Mboppi market in Douala City is on fire !!!

More than 12 shops in Mboppi market situated on the peripheries of the center town of Douala were on May 15 2011 destroyed by an inferno which began at about 3pm. Witnesses said the fire sparked off form a small paper workshop before spreading to the cosmetic section of the market, considered to be very influential in the Central Africa sub region.

One of the Traders, Jules Alain told reporters that it took the fire-fighters close to one hour to put out the flames because of difficult access into the Mboppi market. The situation was further complicated because the market does not own adequate water supply points.

The Rivers State Government has confirmed the purchase of a brand new $45million Bombardier Jet for Governor Chibuike Amaechi.

The Rivers State Government has confirmed the purchase of a brand new $45million Bombardier Jet for Governor Chibuike Amaechi. Reacting to inquiries, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari Commissioner for Information said; “It was paid for two years ago. The reason is for safety. The new aircraft is a much safer one.” She said plans are already in place to sell the old aircraft.

A report criticizing Ameachi over the purchase of a new aircraft at a time his state is ravaged by flood and several people rendered homeless said Amaechi acquired the brand new Bombardier Global 5000 (N565RS) for his exclusive use.

TWO SUICIDE BOMBERS DRIVE VEHICLES INTO A CHURCH IN KADUNA; NIGERIA

Suicide bomber drove a jeep packed with explosives into a Catholic church in northern Nigeria on Sunday, killing at least eight people, injuring more than 100 and triggering reprisal attacks that killed at least two more, officials said. (Tim Cocks, 2012).

Photo credit: Garba Mohammed and Isaac Abrak

The bomber drove right into the packed St Rita's church in the Malali area of Kaduna, a volatile ethnically and religiously mixed city, in the morning, witnesses said. A spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Yushua Shuaib said eight people had been confirmed killed and more than 100 injured. There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Islamist sect Boko Haram has claimed similar attacks in the past and has attacked several churches with bombs and guns as it intensified its campaign against Christians in the past year. "The heavy explosion also damaged so many buildings around the area," said survivor Linus Lighthouse.

PHOTOS :Of PSquare's Private Jet Business Trip With Bracket Duo, Aki and Pawpaw

 

These men are real Igbo men strictly on a business trip it seems. Attendance: Psquare Bracket Duo, Aki and Pawpaw. We cant wait to see what this business trip would yield at in the nearest future.What ever the agenda is, there is no doubt that every work can be done by virtue of unity. More pictures after cut......

Can the Cameroon Entertainment Industry be a model for unity and fairness?

 By Nadine T.

Cameroon is a country divided. Like many colonies left stranded after World War I, it has the mixed heritage of France and Britain. As a result, there are many tensions especially with regards to language. Southern Cameroon for example is part of the British legacy and there have been increasing demands for secession from the mainland body.

In today’s world, divisiveness and disunity in the Republic of Cameroon can have a devastating effect both on its political stability as well as its economy. Conflicts all over the world have shown that such an environment is not conducive for improving the well-being and standards of living of the people. With this in mind, it is critical that every attempt is made to unify the two sections of Cameroon’s population - those who speak French and English.

A starting point can be the entertainment industry. Historically, the arts have played a key role in allowing people from diverse backgrounds to accept each other and to see themselves as a united body. The Cameroon Entertainment Awards or CEA is a case in point. For a long time, so many awards celebrations in Cameroon have been dominated by french-speaking artists or Francophone which has been a matter of some concern amongst those who wish to see the entertainment industry promote peace and harmony.

Therefore it was a matter of some pride and hope that the recent Cameroon Entertainment Awards in 2012 also included anglophones in their list of winners not forgetting the Francophone. Such a choice should send a strong message to people in the country that they are one and that segmentation based on language – or indeed anything else is not welcome in Cameroon society. One can only hope that this trend continues forward in the future and is expanded upon in the coming years. Even though the announce date for CEA 2013 is yet to be published, the CEA team are doing the best they can to make sure CEA 2.0 (2013) is an exceeding success.

Can this model of unity and fairness be replicated in other parts of the country and in other aspects of Cameroon’s social life? We can’t say. All one can be sure of is that, if the entertainment industry improves on its record and takes efforts to create a more inclusive atmosphere, it will certainly have an effect on others. After all in a country laden with strife and division, unity is an essential component if democracy is to ever take root. Let us hope this signals a small but important change in Cameroon’s checkered history.

Technology may soon speed the distribution of food to crisis regions

Getting food into the hands of the hungry in the Horn of Africa is about to go high tech. Seattle-based humanitarian organization World Concern is piloting a new mobile phone app in the drought-stricken region, aiming to streamline the process of tracking food distributed to hungry families and payment to local merchants.

The mobile app was developed by Seattle start up ScanMyList, whose founder, Scott Dyer, created a mobile application to help retail businesses track inventory. When Dyer saw one of World Concern’s vouchers, he realized the same system could help the humanitarian organization reach people during a disaster more efficiently and track aid more accurately.

Democracy or not and why? you decide

We got this carefully designed picture from our source. What does it say? what do you see? what are your views on democracy issues in some African countries? What is democracy and why is it soo  hard to be accepted?

Nigeria first Lady; Patience Jonathan Turns 55

First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan being supported by her children, her husband, President Goodluck Jonathan, his mum, Mama Eunice Jonathan (2L), to cut her cake during a family get-together to mark the First Lady's 55 birthday at the State House, Abuja

The First Lady, who turned 55 Thursday and celebrated it in a low key manner inside the presidential Villa, Abuja, said that whatever might have happened to her was God's design for her life.

Forbes nominee for the Africa Person of the Year Award.

Forbes nominated Alhaji Aliko Dangote the president of Dangote Group and Mr Tony Elumelu the Chairman of Heirs Holdings for the Africa Person of the Year Award. Three other Africans completed the five man list for the 2012 Forbes Africa Person of the Year award:Malawian President Joyce Banda, Managing Director of Kenya’s Equity Bank Limited, Dr. James Mwangi and co-founder of Aspen Pharmacare, Mr. Stephen Saad. Alhaji Aliko Dangote who was the runner-up on 2011 Forbes Africa Person of the Year Award, is still Africa’s richest man, worth more than $11.2 Billion. The winner of this award whoever he is must have had a remarkable influence on the events of the year on the African continents.