Nepal, Gaza, Zambia
Today's three stories you should know
Nepal
Pregnant women and babies are dying in Nepal due to President Donald Trump’s sudden slashing of U.S. foreign aid, AP reporting has found. Trump quickly eliminated the United States Agency for International Development at the start of his second term, gutting maternal and child health programs worldwide and decimating nutrition programs for millions of children and pregnant women. The Gates Foundation has predicted that because of global aid cuts, 2025 will be the first year this century in which child deaths will increase.
More from AP here.
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Gaza
Cancer patients in Gaza are dying at up to three times the rate they did before Oct. 7, 2023, doctors said, as Israel blocks people from traveling abroad for treatment having destroyed the enclave’s only specialist cancer hospital. The Israeli army blew up the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, saying Hamas had built a tunnel under it. Few people can afford to leave Gaza for medical help, but under the terms of an ostensible ceasefire agreed in October, Israel is supposed to coordinate medical evacuations with the U.N. Local officials, though, say far fewer patients than expected have been given permission.
More from Reuters here.
Zambia
Zambians voted today in a presidential election that is expected to return President Hakainde Hichilema to power for a second term after a campaign in which he emphasized economic progress since a pandemic-era debt crisis. Backed by an alliance of parties, first-time candidate Brian Mundubile, a 55-year-old former minister, emerged as Hichilema’s main rival, but despite drawing large crowds to his rallies, he is predicted to fall short. Though economic indicators such as growth have achieved strong numbers in recent years, many Zambians are frustrated by the cost of living amid high food and energy prices.
More from Africa News here.