War and a collapsing economy have left some 100,000 people facing starvation in parts of South Sudan where famine was declared today, three U.N. agencies warned. A further 1 million people are classified as being on the brink of famine. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, UNICEF and the World Food Program also warned that urgent action is needed to prevent more people from dying of hunger. If sustained and adequate assistance is delivered urgently, the hunger situation can be improved in the coming months and further suffering mitigated. The total number of food insecure people is expected to rise to 5.5 million at the height of the lean season in July if nothing is done to curb the severity and spread of the food crisis. (WFP http://bit.ly/2lnO5we)
RIP…Russia’s combative ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, died suddenly in New York on Monday after being taken ill at work, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The ministry gave no details on the circumstances of his death but offered condolences to his relatives and said the diplomat had died one day before his 65th birthday. (Reuters http://reut.rs/2kFbyfs)
Top Stories
A convoy carrying the prime minister of Libya’s U.N.-backed government and the two leaders of an allied parliament and presidential guard came under fire in Tripoli on Monday, but none of the three men were harmed, officials said. (Reuters http://bit.ly/2lnSz60)
About 600 Africans tried to breach a border fence between Morocco and the Spanish enclave of Ceuta early Monday, Spanish news organizations reported, three days after hundreds of migrants used wire cutters and other implements to storm the 20-foot-high barrier. (NY Times http://nyti.ms/2kFf5dA)
Colombian authorities suspect the rebel group ELN of carrying out a bombing at a bullring despite peace talks between the leftist force and the government, an official said Monday. (AFP https://yhoo.it/2lo0m3U)
A retired Philippine police officer said Monday that President Rodrigo Duterte, when he was a mayor, ordered and paid him and other members of a so-called liquidation squad to kill criminals and opponents, including a kidnapping suspect, his family and a critical radio commentator. (AP https://yhoo.it/2kFcrEw)
Close to 3 million Kenyans are in need of relief assistance, said the secretary of communication and state house spokesman in his weekly address to the media in Nairobi. (East African http://bit.ly/2lnNgU5)
The Executive Director of the World Food Program and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees are concerned that critical shortages in food assistance are affecting some 2 million refugees in 10 countries across Africa. (WFP http://bit.ly/2lnOGOk)
El Salvador’s former first lady has declared her innocence as she entered a courthouse to face corruption charges related to her husband’s presidency. (AP https://yhoo.it/2lnPvqt)
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein has called on the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to take immediate steps to halt widespread human rights violations, including apparent summary executions, by the country’s armed forces. (UNHCR http://bit.ly/2lnXZhw)
A “solar revolution” is coming to Africa, comparable in scale and importance to the rapid surge in mobile phone use on the continent two decades ago, predicts the head of the International Renewable Energy Agency. (Reuters http://bit.ly/2lnGCNW)
The European Union is offering simplified visa procedures and increased economic aid to Tunisia and Egypt in exchange for smoother deportations of unwanted African migrants, two senior officials in Brussels said. (Reuters http://bit.ly/2kF66sX)
Opinion/Blogs
Molly Crabapple combines fine art and journalism to fascinating ends. (Global Dispatches Podcast http://bit.ly/1sETycl)
Three deadly viruses that could spawn the next pandemic (IRIN http://bit.ly/2lnRzig)
Why are we failing 75% of the world’s youth at a time of unique opportunity? (Guardian http://bit.ly/2kF5MdJ)
Human Life Is Getting Better. Faster Than Ever Before. (vlogbrothers http://bit.ly/2m5jZxI)
Unconventional cash project challenges aid status quo in Lebanon (IRIN http://bit.ly/2kFbNqw)
Africa’s First Lady (Africa is a Country http://bit.ly/2kFdnZz)
Unspoken pain: Gender-based violence in the conflict zone of Eastern Ukraine (report http://bit.ly/2lnF9a9)
6 key takeaways from DFAT’s Aid Supplier Conference (Devex http://bit.ly/2lnS3F8)
Yes, the private sector is good for development. The question is how. (Devex http://bit.ly/2lo0zUD)
Refugee film ‘Home’ wins best short film award (Dev Policy http://bit.ly/2lo82mN)
Three reasons for universal basic income (Brookings Institution http://brook.gs/2lf7OQu)
