Month: December 2021

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Luxury Portfolio International Divulga Relatório Sobre Imóveis de Luxo para 2022

Número de vendedores de imóveis de luxo aumenta globalmente; alguns compradores expressam FOMO (Strong Fear of Missing Out – Forte Medo de Perder Oportunidades); Sustentabilidade “criticamente importante” entre compradores ricos em todo o mundo

Relatório abrange dados dos afluentes na faixa de renda do topo 1-5% pesquisados em 20 países, representando uma população afluente de quase 32 milhões de famílias

NOVA YORK, Dec. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Luxury Portfolio International® (LPI), a principal rede mundial de imobiliárias de imóveis de luxo, tem o prazer de compartilhar os resultados do seu Relatório Sobre Imóveis de Luxo de 2022 (SOLRE). O estudo inclui dados de indivíduos na faixa de renda do topo 1% a 5% em 20 países e aborda uma ampla gama de tópicos essenciais para o mercado de imóveis de luxo em todo o mundo.

Mais notavelmente, o relatório da LPI demonstra a continuidade das tendências dominantes relacionadas à compra de imóveis que tiveram início durante o terceiro trimestre de 2020 e continuaram durante todo o ano de 2021, mostrando que a demanda por imóveis de luxo permanece alta; os aumentos de preços devem continuar; a oferta permanece menor do que a demanda; o tempo no mercado de casas unifamiliares de luxo muitas vezes continua a “ser de apenas algumas horas”; e a sustentabilidade é “Extremamente Importante” (66%) na consideração de futuras compras de imóveis.

O estudo também mostra um aumento no número de vendas de imóveis residenciais de afluentes em todo o mundo; que entre os compradores de casas de luxo, a maioria (74%) com forte sensação de estabilidade econômica pessoal e ainda 75% estão significativamente preocupados que seu poder de compra discricionário possa mudar em breve.

E embora se espere que 2022 continue em um ritmo acelerado, há sinais de que o mercado de imóveis residenciais de luxo irá se estabilizar cada vez mais, fator essencial para que não haja complicações de um mercado superaquecido de longo prazo.

Com 75% dos compradores de casas de luxo escolhendo a próxima casa com sustentabilidade ambiental responsáveis pela ampla gama de resultados de um estudo de famílias ricas do mundo da Luxury Portfolio International® (LPI), 2021 entra para a história como um dos mais robustos mercados de imóveis residenciais de luxo.

“Depois de um ano recorde na área de imóveis de luxo, estamos prevendo que haverá um certo equilíbrio no mercado”, disse Mickey Alam Khan, Presidente da LPI. “É importante analisar o mercado de luxo ao longo de uma trajetória de vários anos, e levar em consideração que durante metade de 2020 o mercado esteve paralisado com a pandemia. O aquecimento do mercado teve início no final de 2020, continuou em 2021 e continuará com uma trajetória positiva em 2022. A diferença é que haverá mais imóveis de luxo no mercado em 2022 do que em 2021 e, embora o número de compradores de imóveis de luxo venha a ser menor, o mercado continuará a ser favorável ao vendedor. A loucura pandêmica que nos levou a um mercado superaquecido está sendo normalizada. A demanda permanecerá forte e um novo e saudável normal no setor imobiliário de luxo começará a surgir em 2022.”

A sustentabilidade, de acordo com o estudo, agora é um grande diferencial nas casas de luxo, e os compradores estão dispostos a pagar extra pelos recursos e comodidades que os preparem melhor para o futuro. 75% dos entrevistados observaram que escolheram a próxima casa com a sustentabilidade em mente e, pela primeira vez, 90% marcando “sim” na sustentabilidade como fator na escolha da casa no Próximo Capítulo da Vida. De acordo com o estudo, a compra de uma casa no “Próximo Capítulo na Vida” significa pessoas que se mudam para ficar mais perto da família, pela educação dos filhos, mudança de carreira e outros fatores atenuantes.

Dentre as pessoas interessadas em sustentabilidade como um fator importante para a compra da casa, 71% são da opinião que a casa comprada ficará para seus herdeiros. Além disso, com o aumento do interesse pela sustentabilidade, a qualidade do comprador aumenta, beneficiando o vendedor, pois o comprador deseja fazer transações mais cedo e com um orçamento relativamente maior.

FOMO, ou Fear of Missing Out (Forte Medo de Perder Oportunidades), é sensação de ansiedade que um evento emocionante ou interessante possa estar acontecendo em outro lugar, muitas vezes despertado por postagens nas redes sociais. Com um ano na casa e as manchetes exaltando o aquecimento do mercado, o FOMO passou a ser uma preocupação significativa para 26 por cento dos compradores de imóveis de luxo. O FOMO se manifesta de maneiras diferentes, primeiro como um verdadeiro momento de “perda do barco”, onde os preços ficam fora do alcance. Uma segunda preocupação – igualmente impactante – é organizar as finanças para grandes compras.

Embora a COVID-19 continue sendo uma preocupação significativa, o estudo revelou que o mercado já passou por grande parte dos seus efeitos. Isso em comparação com o ano passado, quando a principal tendência em imóveis de luxo era encontrar uma casa que acomodasse a família que trabalha em casa.

Dito isto, de acordo com o estudo, trabalhar em casa está desgastando uma grande parte dos compradores de casas de luxo. O estudo revelou que 27% dos compradores de imóveis de luxo citaram trabalhar em casa como uma “preocupação significativa”. O trabalho remoto, e a frustração e o estresse associados com o ficar em casa, continuam a ter um papel significativo no processo da decisão de compra.

Os compradores preocupados em remover a ênfase no ambiente de trabalho em casa passaram a incluir a diversão, como entretenimento em casa, vida noturna nas proximidades e comodidades que induzem ao relaxamento, como spa/hidromassagem, escala de coquetéis especiais, e salas especiais para mídia e jogos.

Os principais resultados da pesquisa incluem:

  • Em todo o mundo, a classe afluente continua altamente interessada em comprar imóveis residenciais a qualquer preço, com um aumento de 33% em relação ao ano anterior. Não há dúvida de que 2021 terminará com mais compradores, configurando 2022 como mais um ano forte para imóveis de luxo.
  • Mais de 14 milhões de famílias afluentes continuam interessadas em comprar uma casa, com 6,4 milhões na categoria de luxo. Outros 1,2 milhões de proprietários de imóveis de luxo estão interessados em vender seus imóveis nos próximos 3 anos, um aumento de 32% em relação ao ano passado. Sem dúvida, a apreciação do valor dos imóveis tem um papel fundamental nesta decisão.
  • Em conjunto, esses fatores indicam que a estabilização dos preços e a normalização do mercado em todo o mundo devem ocorrer a partir de 2022. O que antes parecia ser um grande abismo entre o número de potenciais compradores e vendedores (10,3 milhões de compradores e 4 milhões de vendedores) está gradativamente rumo ao equilíbrio (6,4 milhões de compradores e 5,2 milhões de vendedores).
  • A tendência global da demanda imobiliária residencial continuará a crescer em 2022. A porcentagem de indivíduos no mercado desejando comprar imóveis residenciais até o final de 2022 aumenta de 19% em 2021 para 39% em 2022 na Europa e de 30% em 2021 para 37% em 2022 na Ásia/Pacífico. 46% dos entrevistados do Oriente Médio, especificamente consumidores da Arábia Saudita e dos Emirados Árabes Unidos, têm maior interesse em adquirir imóveis residenciais, pois esses indivíduos continuam a diversificar suas participações. No geral, o rendimento global cai ligeiramente de 62% em 2021 para 60% em 2022.
  • Proprietários de imóveis de luxo estão começando a vender. Com as novas construções sofrendo atrasos devido aos desafios com bens e serviços, há um interesse consistente nas casas existentes. No entanto, os proprietários não estavam necessariamente interessados em vender no ano passado e, consequentemente, a falta de estoque tem sido um importante impulsionador dos preços na maioria dos mercados de imóveis de luxo. Parece que agora os proprietários de imóveis de luxo estão convencidos no aquecimento do mercado e, por isso, o interesse em vender aumentou mais do que o dobro (de 11% para 28%). Na verdade, 71% dos proprietários acreditam que o valor do seu imóvel residencial aumentará este ano, criando um forte incentivo para as vendas. O proprietário médio de imóveis de luxo espera um aumento de aproximadamente 4–5 por cento em comparação com 3–4 por cento no ano passado.
  • Psicologicamente, o mercado continua sendo favorável ao vendedor. Na prática, podemos esperar uma relação mais equilibrada entre compradores e vendedores nos próximos anos. Como os consumidores afluentes participam do mercado residencial, o número de compradores de imóveis residenciais de luxo caiu 58% em 2021 (de 34% para 20% do total de afluentes), enquanto, inversamente, neste equilíbrio delicado, o número de vendedores de imóveis de luxo aumentou 26% (de 13% para 16% do total de afluentes).
  • Embora a fuga para as áreas fora dos grandes centros tenha sido uma das principais manchetes da COVID, a pesquisa revela que os imóveis residenciais de luxo dos grandes centros estão indo muito bem. Mais da metade dos compradores de imóveis de luxo em todo o mundo (55%) esperam comprar sua próxima residência em uma cidade e 77% estarão dentro da faixa de deslocamento. E, em particular, os compradores de imóveis de luxo da Ásia-Pacífico são significativamente mais propensos a comprar em centros de cidades do que os de outras partes do mundo.
  • A popularidade das casas não geminadas aumenta além da América do Norte. A pesquisa revelou que a popularidade das casas não geminadas está crescendo em todo o mundo, com 40% dos compradores da Europa/Oriente Médio e 29% dos compradores da Ásia-Pacífico buscando o luxo dos espaços e privacidade adicionais. Ano após ano, a demanda por esse tipo de moradia está aumentando, pois, coletivamente, os espaços de convivência compartilhados estão se tornando menos atraentes para o comprador de imóveis de luxo. A América do Norte continua sendo o principal condutor da demanda por esse tipo de residência.
  • Uma nova classe de comprador de imóvel de luxo de nível básico entra no mercado. Em todo o espectro de consumidores afluentes, há maior interesse na compra de imóveis com preço abaixo de US$ 1 milhão. Isso indica um ressurgimento de compradores de classe média alta que se atrasaram na compra devido à pandemia ou que agora estão prontos e têm o poder de compra. E isso está criando um aumento no número de compradores de imóveis de luxo de nível básico, de 39% para 44%, na faixa de US$ 1-1,9 milhões. Esse efeito democrático do luxo para muitos é mais pronunciado na América do Norte e menos na Ásia-Pacífico e Europa/Oriente Médio, onde a classe rica tende a ser de grupos relativamente pequenos de pessoas com concentrações muito altas de riqueza.

Para mais informações e acesso ao relatório, clique aqui: Relatório Sobre Imóveis de Luxo de 2022.

SOBRE A LUXURY PORTFOLIO INTERNATIONAL® (LPI)
A Luxury Portfolio International (luxuryportfolio.com) é a principal rede de corretoras e agentes de imóveis de luxo que oferece serviços incomparáveis de marketing e inteligência em todo o mundo. É a unidade de luxo da Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, rede global das principais empresas imobiliárias independentes, com 550 empresas e 150.000 associados de vendas em 70 países. No ano passado, os membros da rede participaram de mais de 1,3 milhão de transações em todo o mundo. A LPI atrai um público global de visitantes de mais de 200 países/territórios todos os meses e comercializa mais de 50.000 casas de luxo por ano. Well Connected.™

Fonte: Luxury Portfolio International®

Foto deste comunicado disponível em https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cc7a46a4-e6fd-43f9-91e6-834f31b75e8e

PDF está disponível em https://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/3c08ae81-d703-4faf-8ea2-dc5c9c70ed7e

Contato: pr@luxuryportfolio.com
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Sophi.io Premiado no WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Worldwide 2021

Sophi Dynamic Paywall ganha prêmio global de Melhor Estratégia de Mídia Paga

TORONTO, Dec. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A Sophi.io, mecanismo de automação, otimização e previsão com base em inteligência artificial da The Globe and Mail, conquistou o prêmio Global de Mídia Digital de 2021 da WAN-IFRA na categoria Melhor Estratégia de Mídia Paga com o Sophi Dynamic Paywall, seu mecanismo de paywall personalizado em tempo real que analisa as características do conteúdo e do comportamento do usuário para determinar quando solicitar dinheiro ou um endereço de e-mail a um leitor e quando deixá-lo em paz.

Os jurados selecionaram por unanimidade o Sophi Dynamic Paywall como o vencedor, e um deles comentou: “A Globe and Mail concorreu com tecnologia de ponta e o que eu mais importante é que o novo sistema foi comparado profundamente com o paywall antigo, por isso o resultado é realmente sustentável.”

O Digital Media Awards Worldwide da World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) é o concurso global de mídia digital da indústria de mídia de notícias. Os vencedores de todo o mundo são selecionados entre os vencedores dos Prêmios Regionais de Mídia Digital da África, Ásia, Europa, América Latina, Oriente Médio, América do Norte e Sul da Ásia, que fornecem aos editores de notícias uma mostra de inovação das melhores práticas em publicação digital de todo o mundo. Os prêmios reconhecem e homenageiam o melhor da mídia digital.

“O Sophi Dynamic Paywall tem sido crucial para gerar receita de leitores na The Globe and Mail”, disse Phillip Crawley, Editor e CEO da The Globe and Mail. “Estou pronto para compartilhar mais histórias sobre como os outros clientes da Sophi estão tendo ótimos resultados com a nossa tecnologia com base em IA.”

Sophi é um sistema de inteligência artificial que ajuda os editores a identificar seu conteúdo mais valioso e aproveitá-lo para alcançar os principais objetivos de negócios. O conjunto de ferramentas da Sophi consiste na Sophi Site Automation, que faz curadoria autônoma de conteúdo em todas as propriedades digitais de um editor, e o Sophi Content Paywall, que usa modelos complexos de processamento de linguagem natural para analisar cada conteúdo e selecionar artigos para colocar na frente ou atrás de um paywall rígido, maximizando o valor da oportunidade de receita com assinatura e receita com publicidade para os editores.

Editores de três continentes agora usam a tecnologia AI/ML da Sophi para impulsionar decisões de paywall, automação de sites e automação de impressão.

Sobre a Sophi.io 

Sophi.io (https://www.sophi.io) foi desenvolvida pela The Globe and Mail para ajudar os editores de conteúdo a tomar decisões estratégicas e táticas importantes. É um conjunto de ferramentas alimentadas por IA que inclui Sophi Site Automation e Sophi for Paywalls. Sophi foi projetada para aprimorar as métricas que mais importam para sua empresa, como retenção e aquisição de assinantes, engajamento, recentidade, frequência e volume. Sophi também alimenta o laydown automatizado da publicação de impressos e ePapers.

Contato  

Jamie Rubenovitch 
Dirigente de Marketing, Sophi 
The Globe and Mail 
416-585-3355  
jrubenovitch@globeandmail.com

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Sophi.io remporte le Digital Media Awards Worldwide de la WAN-IFRA en 2021

Sophi Dynamic Paywall remporte le prix mondial de la meilleure stratégie média payante

TORONTO, 02 déc. 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sophi.io, Le moteur d’automatisation, d’optimisation et de prédiction basé sur l’intelligence artificielle du Globe and Mail, a remporté le prix Digital Media Award Worldwide 2021 de la WAN-IFRA dans la catégorie Meilleure stratégie média payant pour Sophi Dynamic Paywall, son moteur de péage de lecture numérique entièrement dynamique, personnalisé et en temps réel qui analyse à la fois les caractéristiques du contenu et le comportement de l’utilisateur pour déterminer quand demander de l’argent ou un e-mail à un lecteur, et à quel moment ne pas le solliciter.

Les juges ont choisi à l’unanimité Sophi Dynamic Paywall comme lauréat, un juge commentant : « Ce que Globe and Mail a fait est à la pointe de la technologie et ce que j’apprécie le plus, c’est qu’ils ont testé en permanence l’ancien péage de lecture numérique afin que ces résultats soient vraiment durables. »

Les Digital Media Awards Worldwide de la World Association of News Publishers (« Association mondiale des éditeurs d’actualités »(WAN-IFRA)) sont le concours mondial des médias numériques du secteur des médias d’actualité. Les lauréats mondiaux sont sélectionnés parmi les lauréats des Digital Media Awards régionaux en Afrique, en Asie, en Europe, en Amérique latine, au Moyen-Orient, en Amérique du Nord et en Asie du Sud, qui, ensemble, offrent aux éditeurs d’actualités des présentations régulières pour l’innovation des meilleures pratiques dans l’édition numérique à l’échelle mondiale. Les prix récompensent et célèbrent le meilleur des médias numériques.

« Sophi Dynamic Paywall a joué un rôle crucial pour générer des revenus pour les lecteurs de The Globe and Mail », a déclaré Phillip Crawley, éditeur et PDG de The Globe and Mail. « Je suis impatient de partager davantage d’histoires sur la manière dont les autres clients de Sophi obtiennent d’excellents résultats avec notre technologie basée sur l’IA. »

Sophi est un système d’intelligence artificielle qui aide les éditeurs à identifier leur contenu le plus précieux et à en tirer parti pour atteindre leurs principaux objectifs commerciaux. La suite d’outils Sophi comprend également Sophi Site Automation qui gère de manière autonome le contenu de toutes les propriétés numériques d’un éditeur et Sophi Content Paywall, qui utilise des modèles complexes de traitement du langage naturel pour analyser chaque élément de contenu et sélectionner des articles à mettre devant ou derrière un péage de lecture dur, maximisant ainsi la valeur de l’opportunité de revenus d’abonnement et des revenus publicitaires pour les éditeurs.

Les éditeurs de cinq continents utilisent désormais la technologie IA et AA de Sophi pour alimenter les décisions de péage de lecture numérique, l’automatisation des sites Web et l’automatisation de l’impression.

À propos de Sophi.io 

Sophi.io (https://www.sophi.io) a été développée par The Globe and Mail pour aider les éditeurs de contenu à prendre des décisions stratégiques et tactiques importantes. Il s’agit d’une suite d’outils basés sur l’IA qui comprend Sophi Site Automation et Sophi for Paywalls. Sophi vise à améliorer les mesures qui comptent le plus pour votre entreprise, telles que la rétention et l’acquisition d’abonnés, l’engagement,, la récence, la fréquence et le volume. Sophi apporte également la mise en page automatisée de l’impression et la publication des journaux électroniques.

Contact  

Jamie Rubenovitch 
Directrice du marketing, Sophi 
The Globe and Mail 
416-585-3355  
jrubenovitch@globeandmail.com
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Botswana’s Reported COVID-19 Cases Decrease Despite Presence of Omicron

GABORONE, BOTSWANA — Botswana’s reported COVID-19 cases have declined despite the detection of the highly transmissible omicron variant of coronavirus. Botswana was one of the first two countries in the world, along South Africa to report cases of the Omicron variant.

While COVID-19 cases are surging in neighboring South Africa, Botswana has reported a decrease.

Last week, Botswana reported 19 cases of the new omicron variant after it was first detected in four diplomats visiting the southern African country.

But COVID-19 Task Force scientific advisor Mogomotsi Matshaba says the country’s overall figures remain low, with only 27 cases recorded between Monday and Thursday.

“The new number of active cases has decrease to 431, a positive development that we encourage all of you to continue to work together so that it remains low,” Matshaba said. “The whole country remains green in terms of the COVID zones meaning the disease activity is relatively low, but it doesn’t mean there is no disease.”

Matshaba says the number of those infected with the new omicron variant is at 24, with all displaying mild symptoms and not requiring hospitalization.

He says the low number of cases despite the presence of a highly transmittable variant could be due to various factors.

He says, there could be a number of reasons for this. It could be vaccination or it could be the public education about the pandemic, Matshaba says. But, he warns the situation can change any moment.

Botswana is one of the few African countries to achieve the World Health Organization vaccination target of inoculating 10 percent of its population by the end of September.

At least 21.6 percent of its more than two million people are fully vaccinated, while nearly one million have received the first dose.

Due to the lower caseload, Botswana has decided against imposing stricter limits, unlike neighboring Zimbabwe.

Botswana’s president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, in an address to the nation, says despite the emergence of omicron, the situation remains stable.

“To date, all our key indicators remain stable,” Masisi said. “This is comforting although it still does not warrant any complacency on our part in terms of behavior and other attitudinal patterns towards this dreadful disease. We are actively monitoring the evolving situation in view of the new variant of concern.”

Masisi says it is unfortunate the country is paying the price for detecting and reporting the new variant to the world.

“It defeats the spirit of multilateral cooperation in dealing with this global pandemic,” Masisi said. “The decision to ban our citizens from travelling to certain countries was hastily made and is not only unfair but it is also unjustified. The harshness of the decision has the effect of shaking our belief in the sincerity of declared friendship and commitment to equality and economic prosperity for us.”

The outbreak of the omicron variant has seen most countries place travel bans particularly on southern African countries.

The variant has since been reported in countries across the globe.

Source: Voice of America

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FAO Food Price Index rises in November

The barometer of food commodity prices in international markets rose for the fourth consecutive month in November, led by strong demand for wheat and dairy products, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reported today.

The FAO Food Price Index averaged 134.4 points in the month, its highest level since June 2011 and 1.2 percent higher than during October. The index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, was 27.3 percent higher than its level in November 2020.

The FAO Dairy Price Index led November’s aggregate rise, increasing by 3.4 percent from the previous month. Strong global import demand persisted for butter and milk powders as buyers sought to secure spot supplies in anticipating of tightening markets.

The FAO Cereal Price Index increased by 3.1 percent in November from the previous month and was 23.2 percent higher than its year-ago level. Maize export prices rose slightly and international rice prices remained broadly steady, while wheat prices hit their highest level since May 2011. The increase reflected strong demand amid tight supplies, especially of higher quality wheat, while prices were also supported by concerns about untimely rains in Australia and uncertainty regarding potential changes to export measures in the Russian Federation.

The FAO Sugar Price Index was 1.4 percent higher in November than in October and nearly 40 percent above its level in November 2020. The increase was primarily driven by higher ethanol prices, though large shipments from India and a positive outlook for sugar exports by Thailand tempered the upward pressure on quotations.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index declined by 0.3 percent from a record high reached in October, reflecting lower values for soy and rapeseed oils as well as lower crude oil prices. International palm oil prices remained firm.

The FAO Meat Price Index decreased by 0.9 percent, its fourth consecutive monthly decline. Influenced by reduced purchases of pig meat by China led to lower international quotations, while ovine prices also fell steeply on increased exportable supplies from Australia. Bovine and poultry meat prices were largely stable.

Record cereal production to keep markets supplied

FAO’s new Cereal Supply and Demand Brief, also published today, forecasts world cereal production at 2 791 million tonnes in 2021, a new record and 0.7 percent higher than the previous year. Compared to 2020, worldwide coarse grains and rice outputs are expected to increase, respectively, by 1.4 percent and 0.9 percent, while that for wheat to drop by 1.0 percent.

World cereal utilization in 2021/22 is forecast to rise by 1.7 percent to 2 810 million tonnes, while world cereal stocks by the close of seasons in 2022 are predicted to decline by 0.9 percent form opening levels. The consequent stocks-to-use ratio of 28.6 percent “would still indicate a comfortable supply situation overall,” according to FAO.

FAO forecasts global trade in cereals in 2021/22 to increase by 0.7 percent to 480 million tonnes, with an anticipated 2.2-percent expansion in world wheat trade more than offsetting a likely contraction in coarse grains trade.

Crop production to fall in low-income food deficit countries

Conflicts and drought are exacerbating food insecurity conditions in several parts of the world, particularly in East and West Africa, according to the latest Crop Prospects and Food Situation Report, also released today. FAO assesses that globally 44 countries, including 33 in Africa, nine in Asia and two in Latin America and the Caribbean, are in need of external assistance for food.

The 44 countries in need of external assistance for food are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guinea, Haiti, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Venezuela, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The quarterly report also provides updates on cereal harvest trends, forecasting production in 2022 to grow by 2.0 percent in developed countries but slightly contracting by 0.1 percent in developing countries. For Low-Income Food Deficit Countries, the contraction is expected to be 2.4 percent, due to significant drops foreseen in Near East and East Africa.

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

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Killings, Kidnappings Send Thousands of Nigerians Fleeing to Niger

GENEVA — The U.N. refugee agency says more than 11,500 Nigerians have fled to neighboring Niger over the last month, seeking refuge from increasingly violent, deadly attacks by armed groups.

In November, armed groups repeatedly attacked villages in Sokoto state in Nigeria’s northwest. U.N. officials express alarm at the frequency, intensity and brutality of the raids.

Violence is not unknown in this region. Intercommunal clashes between farmers and herders often erupt as competition increases resource scarcity that has been aggravated by the climate crisis.

But those clashes were not as destructive as the recent criminal attacks to which villages are being subjected.

U.N. refugee agency spokesman Boris Cheshirkov says Nigerian refugees arriving in Niger are telling aid workers horrific details about their ordeal. They say killings and other atrocities have prompted them to flee their homes.

“These armed groups, they have criminal motives,” he said. “In fact, the arriving refugees are telling our staff that they call them bandits. They are taking people, kidnapping them for ransom. They are looting homes and houses and villages.”

Refugees’ needs growing quickly

Cheshirkov says the majority of the refugees are women and children. Most, he says, are living with local communities in 26 villages across Bangui, a rural commune in Niger’s Tahoua region. He says that area already hosts 3,500 Nigerians.

He says the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, in coordination with Nigerien authorities, is registering new arrivals and providing them with emergency assistance. He notes the need for shelter, food, water and health care is rising rapidly.

At the same time, he says, the UNHCR has established a presence in Nigeria’s Sokoto state to assist people displaced by the violence.

“What we are attempting to do is to deliver humanitarian assistance to communities that are internally displaced and that are being affected by these attacks inside Nigeria,” Cheshirkov said. “But we are concerned that this year, especially in the last few months and in the month of November, that the frequency of these attacks has increased, and we are seeing more people fleeing across the border into Niger.”

Niger now hosts more than 200,000 Nigerian refugees. The UNHCR says humanitarian efforts to respond to the massive caseload are dangerously overstretched.

It says only 64 percent of the $110 million needed for its operation in Niger this year has been funded. It is appealing to international donors to provide the support it needs to continue providing lifesaving assistance.

Source: Voice of America

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Feature: Chinese Films Appeal To Egyptian Audiences, Artistes at Cairo Film Festival

CAIRO, The small theatre of the Cairo Opera House seemed packed, as the audience were watching a group of short films, starting with China’s ‘Poem for a Distant Village,’ which is one of the 22 works, contesting in the International Short Film Competition, in the 43rd edition of Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF).

Directed by Liu Bing, the 30-minute fiction, which makes its world premiere at CIFF, tells a story of a producer who has to cancel a film project, due to the COVID-19 outbreak and returns to his native village with the director and cinematographer. The village life amid the crisis inspires them to make another film about childhood and death.

“It tells about a very important period we all have gone through, which is the COVID-19 lockdown,” Sami Creta, a programme manager at Alexandria’s Jesuit Cultural Centre, said.

He highlighted the importance of the participation of films “from an ancient culture like China.”

Among the films screened in the same programme was Egyptian short film, ‘It’s Nothing Nagy, Just Hang up!’ by Youhanna Nagy, who expressed his admiration of the Chinese short film.

Besides the inspiring storyline, Nagy said, he admired the Chinese film’s cinematography, as well as, the sound effects that show “the Chinese director’s awareness that sound represents half the quality of the film.”

In a movie theatre in downtown Cairo, an Egyptian young woman seemed relaxed, while watching ‘A Chat,’ a Chinese feature film screened during the festival.

“The film has put me in a peaceful mood. Its pace is perfect and the faces of the Chinese actresses and their costumes made me feel so comfortable,” Eman el-Badry, a filmmaking student, said, after watching the film.

Written and directed by Wang Xide and starring Ying Ze and Mu Ruini, the film was screened under the International Panorama section of CIFF 43, outside the official competitions, among 15 films from different countries, including Lebanon, Germany, France, Sweden and Spain.

‘A Chat’ is a story about three generations of women in a southern Chinese family, including Gu Qing, a quiet tailor in her 30s, who lives in a small town on her own. Her life is dull, until one day her niece, Sun Yue, comes from afar to learn sewing from her.

“I love China and when the Chinese do something, they make it excellent,” the Egyptian student said.

The 43rd CIFF, which screens over 100 films from more than 60 countries, has four main competitions, including the international competition for feature fiction, documentary films, and the international short film competition.

Egyptian veteran movie star, Hussein Fahmy, who was CIFF president for four years, hailed the Chinese cinema industry and said, he visited Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) twice and established close cooperation between CIFF and SIFF.

“The Chinese films are good and the cinema industry in China, as I saw in the studios I visited there, is very advanced,” the renowned Egyptian actor told Xinhua.

For his part, CIFF President, Mohamed Hefzy, said that, the festival pays great attention to the participation of Chinese films, noting that, the Chinese cinema industry now competes with Hollywood cinema, in terms of box office revenues.

The 43rd CIFF kicked off on Nov 26, and will conclude on Dec 5 (today).

Source: Nam News Network

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Hamilton leads Mercedes one-two in practice for Saudi GP

Jeddah, Lewis Hamilton set the pace ahead of team mate Valtteri Bottas as they completed a one-two for Mercedes on the opening day of practice for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Friday, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc walked away from a heavy crash.

The 36-year-old Briton, who pipped 24-year-old championship-leading Red Bull rival Max Verstappen in the opening hour of running, went even quicker at night under the floodlights, lowering his benchmark to one minute 29.018 seconds.

Bottas was 0.061 seconds behind while Verstappen dropped behind AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly to fourth, 0.195 seconds slower than his Mercedes rival.

The top three were separated by less than 0.1 seconds, Reuters reports.

“I’m generally happy,” said Hamilton, who trails Verstappen by eight points in the overall standings and is gunning for a third successive win on Sunday to force a final-race title showdown with the Dutchman a week later in Abu Dhabi.

“As I said, made some changes between sessions.

“We’ll study through it tonight and work with the guys back at the factory and try and make sure we come with the correct set up for tomorrow.”

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the first of only two races left on this year’s Formula One calendar, with the hard-fought battle of the generations between Hamilton and Verstappen racing towards its conclusion.

Verstappen has his first shot at wrapping up a maiden title with a race to spare this weekend. Hamilton, his sights set on an unprecedented eighth world title, can keep the battle alive into Abu Dhabi so long as he finishes at least fifth.

The pair were separated by 0.056 seconds in the first session, with Verstappen wasting no time attacking and exploring the limits of the track.

But the Dutchman struggled to get heat into his soft tyres in the floodlit second hour of practice.

“There are of course a lot of things to work on and improve,” he said. “So we’ll see what we can do to get more pace out of the car overnight.

Mercedes could also wrap up a record eighth constructors’ title on Sunday if they score 40 points more than Red Bull.

Friday’s action around the Jeddah street track, its flat-out blasts hemmed in by walls, was not without incident.

Leclerc lost control of his Ferrari at high speed on the approach to the fast Turn 22-23 chicane, crashing backwards into the barriers. The Monegasque, winded, walked away but the crash halted the session five minutes early.

Several drivers, including Hamilton, also got away with near misses as they were nearly caught out by slower moving cars while on their flying laps.

The Briton said the difference in closing speeds was approaching a “danger zone.”

Teams carried a tribute on their cars to Frank Williams, co-founder of the Williams team, who died aged 79 on Sunday.

The team, among the sport’s most successful outfits which was sold to new owners last year but continues to race under the Williams name, carried the words: “I feel the need, the need for speed,” on the halo cockpit protection device.

The line was Williams’ favourite quote from the film Top Gun starring Tom Cruise.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

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U.S. job growth likely picked up; unemployment rate seen at 20-month low

Washington, U.S. employers likely stepped up hiring in November as they scrambled to meet strong demand for goods and services, giving the economy a strong boost as another challenging year draws to a close, though worker shortages remained a constraint, Reuters reported.

The Labor Department’s closely watched employment report on Friday is expected to show a rapidly tightening jobs market, with the unemployment rate seen falling to a 20-month low of 4.5% and wages increasing further. It would come days after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told lawmakers that the U.S. central bank should consider speeding up the winding down of its massive bond purchases at its Dec. 14-15 policy meeting.

“There is clearly massive demand out there for workers. The bigger issue is the supply to meet that demand,” said James Knightley, chief international economist at ING in New York. “If supply doesn’t show any meaningful increase, that would suggest we are going to be in a situation where the labor market is going to continue to add to upside inflationary pressures.”

Nonfarm payrolls likely increased by 550,000 jobs last month after rising 531,000 in October, according to a Reuters survey of economists. That would leave employment about 3.7 million jobs below its peak in February 2020. Estimates ranged from as low as 306,000 to as high as 800,000 jobs.

Strong employment gains would add to solid consumer spending and manufacturing data in suggesting that the economy was accelerating after hitting a speed bump in the third quarter. They would also put an early interest rate increase from the Fed on the table. The Omicron variant of COVID-19, however, poses a risk to the brightening picture.

While little is known about Omicron, some slowdown in hiring and demand for services is likely, based on the experience with Delta, which was responsible for the slowest economic growth pace in more than a year last quarter.

“No company wants to hire more labor if there isn’t going to be a demand for that labor,” said David Wagner, portfolio manager at Aptus Capital Advisors in Cincinnati, Ohio.

For now, the stars are perfectly aligned for November’s employment report. First-time applications for unemployment benefits were near their pre-pandemic levels in mid-November. The ADP National Employment report on Wednesday showed strong private payrolls growth last month.

A measure of manufacturing employment hit a seven-month high, a survey from the Institute for Supply Management showed.

The Conference Board’s labor market differential – derived from data on consumers’ views on whether jobs are plentiful or hard to get – jumped to a record high in November.

The anticipated drop in the unemployment rate to 4.5% from 4.6% in October would leave the jobless rate down 1.8 percentage points from January. There were 10.4 million job openings at the end of September.

With the labor market tightening, companies are boosting wages. Average hourly earnings are forecast rising 0.4%, matching October’s gain. That would lift the annual increase in wages to 5.0% from 4.9% in October.

But the higher wages are not luring millions of Americans who lost their jobs during the pandemic recession back into the labor force. About 3 million people remain outside the workforce also despite generous federal government-funded unemployment benefits ending in September and schools reopening for in-person learning.

Economists say a strong stock market and rising house prices have increased wealth for many Americans, encouraging early retirements. Households have also accumulated massive savings and there has been a surge in self-employment.

“An unwinding of the forces keeping workers out of the labor force will not occur overnight, and with a sizable chunk of exits concentrated among retirees, the jobs market is set to remain tight,” said Sarah House, a senior economist at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina. “Wage pressures are likely to remain elevated and full employment is nearer in sight.”

Employment gains in November were likely led by leisure and hospitality businesses, following a pattern similar to October. Manufacturing likely added 45,000 jobs compared to 60,000 in October, probably held back by a since-ended strike at John Deere (DE.N), involving about 10,000 workers.

A rebound in government payrolls is expected after three straight monthly declines. Pandemic-related staffing fluctuations have distorted normal seasonal patterns at state and local government education. There have been shortages of bus drivers and other support staff.

“Governments generally cannot easily raise wages or offer hiring bonuses to compete with private sector employers,” said Dean Baker, senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington. “Over time, they can arrange for needed pay increases, which may lead to a reversal in job loss in November.”

Source: Bahrain News Agency

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Untapped Global and Asaak Partner to Finance 2,000+ Motorbikes in Uganda

Partnership expands financing options for African entrepreneurs through Smart Asset Financing™

KAMPALA, Uganda, Dec. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Untapped Global, an innovative investment company focused on emerging markets, announced today a scale up of its partnership with Asaak, a financial services provider to unbanked Ugandan entrepreneurs, to provide financing for over 2,000 motorcycles over the next 12 months.

Asaak Boda Boda Driver

The partnership will revolutionise motorcycle leasing in Uganda, by leveraging the rapid digitization happening across the continent. In the past, access to money-making assets such as motorbikes was limited to those who could afford to purchase them in full, and markets were dominated by informal lenders. Now, companies like Asaak are digitizing the lending process, making it safer and easier for entrepreneurs to lease and finance their own assets – a key to economic development on the continent.

Asaak offers financial services via a digital platform to entrepreneurs who otherwise would not have access. Asaak’s boda boda (motorbike) financing program approves drivers for loans based on financial and behavioral data, such as the number of trips completed on mobility apps, including Bolt (Taxify), Safeboda, Uber and Jumia. Most boda drivers rent motorcycles because they cannot afford to buy one in cash, nor do they have the formal credit or income history to qualify for a bank loan. This is where Smart Asset Financing™ comes in.

Untapped Global’s Smart Asset Financing investment model finances revenue-generating assets for entrepreneurs and SMEs in the world’s fastest-growing emerging markets, such as Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, and Mexico. Untapped and Asaak had a successful initial pilot in November 2020 to finance 40 motorbikes, and this month, Untapped signed on to provide scale-up financing for over 2000 vehicles in the next 12 months.

The pilot and scale up prove Untapped Global’s innovative Smart Asset Financing model offers great potential for follow-on funding for growing partners. The company uses real-time IoT data for the assets it finances to track key metrics such as usage and revenue, allowing for faster due diligence. While Asaak’s fast growth and expansion have enabled an equally fast scale-up of investment from its financing partner.

“Mobility is an important driver of economic development in Africa, and digitizing financing for boda bodas is key to making transport more accessible and affordable,” says Jim Chu, Founder and CEO at Untapped. “We look forward to providing the financing to help Asaak scale their business as much as they, and their entrepreneurs, need.”

“Our goal at Asaak is to make it easier for gig economy workers across Africa to access sustainable financial services,” Dylan Terrill, Chief Business Officer of Asaak said. “The team at Untapped is aligned with that goal and our growing partnership underscores the dedication to ensure that business owners have the opportunity to reach their full economic potential.”

Untapped Global is currently running a crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder to enable any investor large or small to participate in the movement to empower entrepreneurship around the world.

About Untapped Global
Based in San Francisco with teams in East Africa, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe, Untapped Global is reshaping profitable investing in frontier markets. On a mission to empower the next billion entrepreneurs to scale to their full potential, Untapped creates opportunity by connecting frontier market innovators to global investors through its Smart Asset Financing™ platform that provides CAPEX financing for revenue-generating assets. Press or other inquiries please reach out to Lundie@untapped-global.com.

About Asaak
Asaak  is an African fintech company that provides asset financing to entrepreneurs across Africa. In 2019, they launched a motorcycle financing product for taxi (“boda”) drivers in partnership with the country’s largest ride hailing apps: Jumia, Uber, SafeBoda, and Bolt. Asaak is backed by leading American and African VCs (Resolute Ventures, Social Capital, 500 Startups, HOF Capital, Catalyst Fund). For more information, visit www.asaak.com or contact press@asaak.com

Untapped Global Logo

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1700940/Asaak_Boda_Boda_Driver.jpg

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1640513/Untapped_Global_Logo.jpg

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Surge in Cooking Gas Prices in Nigeria Worries Suppliers, Environmentalists

ABUJA, NIGERIA — Abuja resident Freda Igri was preparing to make her native afang soup for her family, but her cooking gas tank was empty.

The price to refill a 12.5 kg tank with gas — about $25 U.S. — was nearly triple the normal price, and she said she couldn’t afford to spend that much on gas alone.

“This scarcity of gas and the high price, it is unbearable, because going to the market right now, buying foodstuffs [is] costly, and coming back to cook again with the gas [is] costly. It’s not easy,” Igri said.

The Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers attributes the increase in the cost of the fuel to the introduction in August of a 7.5 percent import tax, or value-added tax, on gas in a bid to expand the country’s revenue base.

Up to 70 percent of the gas consumed locally in Nigeria comes from imports, even though the country is a major oil producer with huge gas reserves — ninth globally. Economists also say devaluation of the Nigerian naira currency and an unstable inflow of foreign exchange are driving up prices.

The situation is causing many Nigerians like Igri to turn to cheaper alternatives — firewood and charcoal.

“We just use it because it’s at least manageable,” Igri said. “If you want to go for gas, it’s quite expensive.”

The growing demand for charcoal fuel is helping local dealers like Ashiru Mohammed make more profit. He said he’s increasing his output. Business hadn’t been good because people were using gas, but now his customers are all buying charcoal, he said.

But environmentalists warn that the demand for charcoal could lead to serious deforestation. David Michael Terungwa, a conservationist and founder of the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation, wants authorities to reverse the gas import tax.

“There will be massive deforestation, which is already going on, but this hike in prices will even make it worse,” Terungwa said. “The average Nigerian could afford to use gas, but right now, not everybody can afford it.”

In November, the Nigerian gas dealers association called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the issue. Nigerian authorities have yet to respond, but at the recent global climate change summit, Buhari pledged to end deforestation by 2030 and carbon emissions by 2060 — a goal conservationists say now hangs in the balance.

Source: Voice of America

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Two Soldiers Killed in Militant Attack in Benin, Army Says

COTONOU, BENIN — Two soldiers were killed and several more were wounded when Islamist militants attacked a border security post in northern Benin on Wednesday night, the army said.

The raid in Porga region was the second in Benin this week. Islamist militants attacked an army patrol in the department of Alibori on Tuesday morning, army chief Colonel Fructueux Gbaguidi said in an internal statement on Thursday seen by Reuters.

The army killed one militant in Tuesday’s attack and another on Wednesday night, he said. An official statement by the army later confirmed the deaths and attributed the attacks to unidentified armed men.

Militant attacks are rare in Benin, but groups linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State are active in its northern neighbors Burkina Faso and Niger and have made increasing incursions south.

Islamist militant violence has ravaged much of West Africa’s Sahel region, and states on the Gulf of Guinea have reinforced security to try to keep it at bay.

“This new test reminds us in blood and pain that the danger on the ground is real,” Gbaguidi said in his note to officers.

Benin had not reported an Islamist attack since 2019, when two French tourists were kidnapped in a national park and later taken by the militants into Burkina Faso. They were rescued by the French military.

Neighboring Togo said last month it had repelled an attack near its northern border, which was the first by suspected Islamists in the country.

Source: Voice of America

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UN Human Rights Chief Makes First Visit to Burkina Faso

OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO — The United Nations’ human rights chief has called for increased efforts to protect the vulnerable in Burkina Faso’s growing conflict with Islamist militants. Rights groups say Burkina Faso has struggled to uphold human rights during its long-running conflict with armed groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaida.

Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, held a press conference in Ouagadougou Wednesday at the end of a three-day visit to Burkina Faso. It was the first time a U.N. human rights chief had visited the country. Her office said in October it was setting up a presence in the country to support the government.

Bachelet noted the “challenging context,” of a six-year conflict with armed groups linked to al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and local banditry. She cited allegations of summary executions, abductions, forced disappearances and sexual violence by violent extremist groups, local defense groups, national security and defense forces, among others.

A woman who escaped the unrest told VOA earlier this year about how her husband was abducted one night from an internally displaced persons camp close to the town of Ouahigouya.

Asked who took her husband, she said, “I don’t know if they were volunteers or security, but I know they weren’t terrorists.” She added, “The only thing I want right now is to be sure that nothing will happen to me and my family. The message I have for the government is to make sure that we stay alive, where we are now.”

Burkinabe authorities did not respond to a request for an interview on this abduction.

Rights groups have said that extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances by security forces are widespread in Burkina Faso, with hundreds of families having lost relatives

Asked what the new U.N. human rights office could do to prevent attacks on the civilian population, Bachelet said this.

“We believe that these attacks must stop immediately. Those attacks against the population and the population must be protected … And today with the civil society groups they said justice is important. That is why we have said to the government that all perpetrators be brought to justice,” she said.

So far, no one in Burkina Faso has been convicted of extrajudicial killings against civilians.

Daouda Diallo runs the Collective Against Impunity and the Stigmatization of Communities, a Burkinabe human rights group.

He told VOA it is important to respect the commitments of Burkina Faso at the regional and international levels because it has signed up to the universal declaration of human rights.

Most human rights abuses, however, are being carried out by armed groups, not security forces. Ousmane Diallo a researcher on Burkina Faso for Amnesty International says “the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara has willfully targeted civilians and committed mass atrocities against them. I think one of the most symbolic cases was the attack on Solhan in June 2021.”

At the beginning of June, Burkina Faso saw its worst terrorist attack on civilians since the conflict with armed groups linked to al-Qaida and Islamic State started. At least 138 people were killed in the village of Solhan.

Source: Voice of America

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UN says aid needs will surge in 2022 amid pandemic, conflict

The UN warned that the need for humanitarian aid was skyrocketing worldwide, as the pandemic continues to rage, and climate change and conflicts push more people to the brink of famine.

The United Nations’ humanitarian agency OCHA estimated that 274 million people worldwide would need some form of emergency assistance next year, up 17 percent on an already record-breaking 2021.

That means one in 29 people will need help in 2022, marking a 250-percent-increase since 2015 when one in 95 needed assistance, OCHA found in its Global Humanitarian Overview report.

The number of people in need “has never been as high as this”, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told reporters.

Providing aid to so many “is not sustainable, but it has to be sustained,” he said.

The annual appeal by UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations said that providing aid to the 183 million most vulnerable people across 63 countries next year would require $41 billion — up from the $35 billion requested for 2021 and double what was requested just four years ago.

The report presented a depressing picture of soaring needs brought on by conflicts and worsening instability in places like Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Myanmar.

Natural disasters and climate change also drove up displacement and humanitarian needs, as did the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, it found.

It pointed out that the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic — which has officially killed more than five million people globally and likely many times that — along with measures aimed at reining in the virus, had pushed some 20 million more people into extreme poverty.

It has also devastated health systems worldwide, with testing for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria for instance plunging 43 percent, and 23 million children worldwide missing basic childhood vaccines in 2021.

At the same time, climate-related disasters are becoming more frequent, the report said, warning that by 2050 as many as 216 million people could be forced to move within their own countries due to the effects of global

warming.

Climate change is contributing to rising hunger and food insecurity, with famine-like conditions remaining a “real and terrifying possibility for 45 million people in 43 countries around the world”, it warned.

“Without sustained and immediate action, 2022 could be catastrophic,” it cautioned, pointing out that as many as 811 million people worldwide are already undernourished.

Conflicts are also taking a devastating toll across a range of countries.

Need had especially surged in Afghanistan, in the grip of multiple crises that have been exacerbated since the Taliban swept back into power in August and international aid dried up.

Thursday’s appeal warned that more than 24 million people — 65 percent of the Afghan population — needed aid, including around nine million people expected to be on the brink of famine.

It requested $4.5 billion to help the 22 million most vulnerable people in Afghanistan in 2022 — tripling its ask from a year ago.

Billions of dollars were also requested to help the many millions of people impacted by the drawn-out conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

And the appeal highlighted swelling needs in Ethiopia, where thousands have died and millions have been displaced since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into the northern Tigray region more than a year ago.

It estimated that 26 million people there need humanitarian aid, including 400,000 people on the brink of famine.

Griffiths said the situation in Ethiopia was perhaps the world’s “most alarming”.

But he stressed there were many other dire situations, with violence and unrest continuing to force millions to flee their home.

According to UN numbers, more than one percent of the global population is currently displaced.

Despite the devastating picture painted in the report, Griffiths stressed that humanitarian aid often manages to contain the worst consequences of crises.

Last year, the humanitarian organisation provided aid to around 107 million people — 70 percent of those they had wanted to reach — including helping bring half a million people in South Sudan back from the brink of famine.

Source: Nam News Network