Nairobi’s $45 billion new Athi River Smart Green City to house two million people upon completion
Nairobi’s dispersion to the outlying areas took another turn towards the decongestion and modernisation last month following the approval of development of a smart city project in Athi River, some 30 kilometres southeast of the Kenyan capital’s central business district. The project will cost a total of Ksh5 trillion ($45...
Flying cars deal between Kenya Airways, Brazil’s aircraft maker Embraer to ease movement in Nairobi
Kenyan capital Nairobi expects to experience ease in commuter movement in the coming three years following the signing of an agreement between national carrier Kenya Airways and Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer to supply flying taxis. As business hub if the region, Nairobi which also hosts headquarters a number of international,...
Ex-Boko Haram fighters surrender: Nigeria torn between pardoning killers or bringing them to justice
A surge of surrenders by Boko Haram jihadists in north-eastern Nigeria has turned the spotlight onto how the government deals with fighters who claim to have repented and are now – controversially – looking to be reintegrated into a society scarred by 12 years of war. The New Humanitarian visited...
Colombia ‘crop substitution’ programmes: Reality on the ground is the illicit drug business is thriving
As part of the Colombia peace agreement, the government pledged to invest heavily in rural infrastructure and in crop substitution programmes for coca growers like Pípe under what was called the Plan for Development and Territorial Focus, known by its Spanish initials, PDET. Since the plan was launched in 2017,...
Five years on Colombia’s coca regions remain at war, narcotics trade rebuilding and distrust is growing
Colombia’s 2016 peace deal was lauded for bringing to an end the longest-running war in the Americas. But five years on, aggressive counter-narcotics tactics and unkept government pledges are blamed for fuelling distrust in rural areas and driving a new cycle of violence. President Iván Duque’s administration has launched a...
Afghanistan: Humanitarian work at risk after Taliban took control of ‘keys to the server room’ with biometric data
From ethical dilemmas on data security to worst-case scenarios unfolding in real time – the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan is spurring urgent concern about the safety of data that aid groups have collected over the past 20 years. Data protection experts warn that aid groups must quickly review...
Largest study yet on Covid spread puts to rest doubts about effectiveness of masks in reining in transmission
A study involving more than 340,000 people in Bangladesh offers some of the strongest real-world evidence yet that mask use can help communities slow the spread of Covid-19. The research, conducted across 600 villages in rural Bangladesh, is the largest randomised trial to demonstrate the effectiveness of surgical masks, in...
UK parliamentary group wants greater inclusion of women, minority ethnic groups in sciences
A cross-party group of UK parliamentarians is urging the government to increase the diversity of the nation’s workforce in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Among other recommendations, a report issued by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Diversity and Inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths...
Religious groups in UK misuse concept of ‘forgiveness’ to sweep sexual crimes under carpet
There are “shocking failings” and “blatant hypocrisy” in the way major UK religious groups handle child sex abuse allegations, an inquiry has found. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) said some religious organisations in England and Wales were “morally failing” children. It examined evidence from 38 groups, including...
Distress calls flow out of Afghanistan as scholars fear Taliban reprisals after US military forces exit
“The situation in Afghanistan is horrifying. We need immediate assistance.” This is one of several distressing messages sent out by researchers in Afghanistan, following the Taliban’s capture of Kabul on August 15 and the evacuation of US military forces on August 31. Researchers are among those who are now especially...
