Day: November 21, 2022

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Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP) 2022 – 2023, Protection Dashboard – Quarter 3, January – September 202

The overall protection objective is to ensure that refugees and asylum-seekers have access to asylum, fair and swift asylum procedures as well as full enjoyment of their rights as set forth in international and domestic legal framework. It remains crucial for partners to continue strengthening the capacity of Government institutions to respond to emergencies, supporting improvements in registration and the asylum system. This needs to be done while continuing the provision of life-saving services, monitoring, mitigation of protection risks and finding durable solutions. Efforts will continue to reinforce comprehensive feedback and response mechanisms, to ensure accountability to affected populations (AAP). The response will continue to place a special emphasis on persons with specific needs (PSNs), ensuring that they have equal access to protection, assistance, and the opportunity to participate in community self-management and decision-making. The provision of mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS) is key in responding to the negative social economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, through a comprehensive coordination mechanism.

Product Scope

This product covers overview of the sector, key achievements, funding situation including Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Child Protection (CP), Registration, Refugee Status Determination (RSD), Community Based Protection (CBP), MHPSS, Legal and Feedback Referral and Resolution Mechanism (FRRM). It leaves out details of CP and GBV, which have been analyzed in separate dashboards.

Analysis of achievements of the sector

Refugee Status Determination (RSD)

From January – September 2022, the Refugee Eligibility Committee deliberated 16,361 asylum applications of 29,737 individuals largely involving Somalis, Eritreans, Ethiopians, Sudanese, Rwandans, Burundians, and other Nationalities. Of the 14,973 cases listened to, 24,697 individuals were granted refugee status while 1,150 cases of 4,266 individuals were rejected on first instance. South Sudanese refugees are granted refugee status on prima-facie basis, hence they do not go through individual RSD process except for a few cases. Most Congolese refugees are also recognized on prima facie basis, specifically those who enter Uganda through the official border entry points. The limited number who go to the settlements directly or to the urban centers undergo the individual RSD process. The Refugee Appeals Board (RAB) continued to hear appeal applications for cases from the Refugee Eligibility Committee. Since January 2022, the RAB has held 11 sessions, and reviewed 256 appeal cases of 886 individuals.

Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) and Community-Based Protection (CBP)

The inter-agency Feedback, Referral and Resolution Mechanism (FRRM) helpline handled a total of 10,158 queries in Q3, which represents a 21% decrease compared to the preceding quarter. Of the queries, 59% were resolved directly at the helpline level using FAQs, while 41% were referrals to UNHCR and partner focal points for follow-up and assistance. Of the calls received, 54% originated from just three locations (Nakivale: 2,363, Kyaka: 1,841, Kampala: 1,292). The majority of calls received across all locations were related to food assistance, protection, and general queries. UNHCR continued the coordination of interventions, ensuring the mainstreaming of accountability to affected people (AAP) within the operation, strengthening the communication with communities (CwC), conducting capacity building initiatives on AAP, AAP-aware contingency planning for the Congolese influx into Southwestern Uganda, and natural disasters in the Eastern Uganda region.

The Refugee Engagement Forum (REF) sat for its fifteenth session, where refugee representatives participated in the side event held before the CRRF Steering Group (SG) meeting. The meeting provided the opportunity for refugees to bring-out challenges and recommendations aimed at improving their living conditions in the settlements. UNHCR with support from Impact Initiatives, is planning for the 2022 participatory assessment scheduled from November to 31st Dec 2022. It is intended to build on findings of the exercise in 2021 and to collect the feedback and contributions from communities on the key sectors of the refugee response across the settlements and Kampala.

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

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WFP Burundi Country Brief, September 2022

In Numbers

579 mt of food assistance distributed

USD 594,980 cash transferred under assistance to refugees and returnees

USD 14.81 m six months net funding requirements (October 2022 – March 2023)

216,388 people assisted in September 2022

Operational Updates

• Assistance to refugees: WFP provided food and nutrition assistance to 55,363 refugees (24,360 males, 31,003 females, 14,948 children aged 0-59 months and 2,215 people with over 60 years of age) with the distribution of 311 mt of in-kind food and USD 552,263 in cash-based transfers (CBT).

• Assistance to returnees: WFP provided food and nutrition assistance to 3,609 Burundian returnees (1,768 males or 49 percent and 1,841 females or 51 percent), distributing a combination of in-kind food and cash-based transfers (CBT). The assistance consisted of hot meals provided at transit centres, and a three-month in-kind food or CBT return package depending on availability. Thus, out of the 3,609 returnees assisted, 1,487 received a return assistance package in CBT for a total of USD 42,717, while the rest (2,122) received in-kind food. In total, 45 mt of in-kind food were distributed to these returnees in September.

• School Feeding Programme: On 12 September, schools reopened for the new 2022/2023 schoolyear after a two-month vacation, and school feeding activities resumed in schools assisted under the school feeding programme. However, WFP reached only 119,200 school children which is 20 percent of its target because of a pipeline break in cereals, vegetable oil and salt. The programme assisted the school children with 105 mt of food.

• Treatment of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM): In September, MAM treatment activities benefitted 3,853 children aged 6-59 months who received 15 mt of specialized nutritious foods in Cankuzo, Kirundo, Ngozi, and Rutana provinces. Pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls could not be treated due to lack of SuperCereal Plus (CSB++).

• Stunting prevention: Under the KfW-funded nutrition and resilience programme and BMZ-funded nutrition programme, WFP provided 103 mt of specialized nutritious food to 34,363 PLWGs and children aged 6-23 months (14,769 PLWGs and 19,594 children) for the prevention of stunting in Kirundo, Karusi, Ruyigi and Rutana provinces.

• Food insecurity Integrated Phase Classification (IPC): The projections of the August 2022 IPC indicate that during the projected period (Oct. to Dec. 2022) 12 percent of the population (1.404 million) is facing acute food insecurity (IPC phases 3 and above). During the current period (June to Sept. 2022), this proportion stood at 10 percent (1,185 million). The main factors of food insecurity are recurrent climatic hazards, displacement, the lingering effects of COVID-19, the Rift Valley Fever and the global inflation of food prices.

• Food price monitoring: The monthly increase in food prices observed since June 2022 continued in September 2022. The average price of beans and rice has increased by 16 percent and 4 percent respectively between August and September 2022 in all provinces of Burundi. This price increase will continue, particularly as we enter the lean season (October to December 2022) which, in addition to the normal depletion of household reserves, is also compounded by disruptions to market supplies caused by fuel shortages.

Source: World Food Programme

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Jérémie Misago : ’’Je suis au pays, c’est tout ce que je peux dire’’

Le reporter Jérémie Misago du Journal Iwacu introuvable depuis samedi a donné signe de vie ce lundi 21 novembre vers 12 heures. Il a appelé ses proches et sa rédaction mais sa voix semblait hésitante, comme s’il était sous contrainte. Ce n’est pas dans ses habitudes, Jérémie parle fort d’une voix assurée.

Au téléphone, ce journaliste du desk politique et responsable de la rubrique « Chronique sur les messages de haine », n’a pas voulu répondre aux questions de ses confrères : « Je suis au pays, je suis bien portant, personne ne m’a brutalisé, je n’ai pas été enlevé ».

Peu convaincus, ses collègues, lui ont demandé où il était exactement pour qu’ils aillent le chercher et le ramener mais la réponse était la même : « Je suis au pays, mes téléphones étaient éteints et je n’ai pas pu communiquer pour rassurer tous mes proches ».

Samedi matin, relate-t-il, je m’apprêtais, avec quelques amis, à aller présenter ma fiancée à ma famille mais je ne sais pas et je ne comprends pas comment je me suis retrouvé en dehors de Bujumbura, annulant du coup mon programme sans prévenir mes amis.

Dans une vidéo transmise à ses amis et à sa rédaction, ce reporter du Journal Iwacu semble parler sous contrainte, malgré son insistance pour expliquer, à qui veut le croire, qu’il se porte à merveille : « Je serai là dans la soirée de ce lundi ou dans la matinée de ce mardi. Et je vous dirai ce qui s’est passé ».

Assis à même le sol, avec un arrière-plan rappelant le paysage montagneux de Bujumbura rural avec ses palmiers à huile, Jérémie est apparemment inquiet, il jette de temps en temps un regard fuyant à gauche à droite : « Ne vous inquiétez pas pour moi, tout va bien, regardez, je porte un survêtement et des babouches. Pour ce qui est de l’endroit où je suis pour le moment je vais vous le dire quand je serai à Bujumbura. Je me porte bien, n’ayez pas peur », a-t-il conclu son message vidéo qui a laissé ses collègues perplexes.

« Comment est-ce qu’il peut dire qu’il se porte à merveille, qu’il ne faut pas s’inquiéter pour lui, alors qu’il ne peut même pas communiquer l’endroit où il se trouve ? Il n’est pas à l’aise. Et puis, c’est quel accoutrement pour quelqu’un qui s’apprêtait à aller présenter sa fiancée à sa famille à Kayogoro au sud du Burundi ». Des questions sans réponses.

Source: IWACU Burundi

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‫CoverGo توسع حضورها في الشرق الأوسط باستثمار استراتيجي من نوريا كابيتال

دبي، الإمارات العربية المتحدة والرياض، المملكة العربية السعودية، 21 نوفمبر، 2022 / PRNewswire / — تتوسع CoverGo ، المنصة العالمية الرائدة  في مجال مكننة قطاع التأمين على الممتلكات والحوادث والصحة والحياة، إلى الشرق الأوسط بعد تمويل من الفئة أ بقيمة 15 مليون دولار أمريكي، مع انضمامالشركة الرأسمالية المغامرة   نوريا كابيتال    كأحد المستثمرين الاستراتيجيين.

اعتمد عدد متزايد من شركات التأمين على الممتلكات والحوادث وشركات التأمين الصحي والتأمين على الحياة بما فيهم شركات التأمين الرقمية  والناشئة في جميع أنحاء العالم CoverGo لبناء وإطلاق جميع أنواع منتجات التأمين في غضون أيام، وتطوير توزيع متعدد القنوات ورقمنة إدارة السياسات والمطالبات. يشمل عملاء CoverGo أكسا وبوبا و MSIG (MS & AD ) و Dai-ichi Life وبنك دي بي إس وبنك الصين المجموعة للتأمين وغيرها الكثير.

وقد رسخت “ CoverGo ” مؤخرًا حضورها في مركز دبي المالي العالمي ( DIFC ) وأصبحت جزءًا من  DIFC FinTech Hive في مركز دبي المالي العالمي، أكبر مسرع للتكنولوجيا المالية في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا وجنوب آسيا.

يقود توسع CoverGo في الشرق الأوسط المدير الإقليمي المعين حديثًا جورج مجدلاني . جورج هو مسؤول تنفيذي كبير يتمتع بأكثر من ١٨ عامًا في مجال التحول الرقمي للتأمين والابتكار في مجال التأمين الصحي.

George Majdalani, Rakan Abunayyan, Tomas Holub

“توفر منصة الجيل التالي من CoverGo بدون رمز لشركات التأمين سرعة لا تضاهى في السوق وتوفير التكاليف مع زيادة الكفاءة عبر سلسلة القيمة بأكملها. وتتمتع “ CoverGo ” بموقع فريد يمكنها من أن تصبح الشركة الرائدة في سوق منصات التأمين، لا سيما التأمين الصحي في الشرق الأوسط، ومساعدة الشركات على تسريع تحولها الرقمي من دون الحاجة لإستثمار كبير مادياً وزمنياً “. “نحن متحمسون لدعم CoverGo في رحلة نموها وتوسعها في سوق الشرق الأوسط وكذلك السوق الأفريقية.”

“تدرك شركات التأمين في الشرق الأوسط الآن أكثر من أي وقت مضى أن تطوير تكنولوجيا المعلومات المخصصة بطيء للغاية ومكلف في حين أن الأنظمة القديمة الغير مرنة لا يمكنها تلبية احتياجات العملاء المتغيرة ومتطلبات المنتجات التأمينية المبتكرة. ونتيجة لذلك، شهدنا طلبا متزايدًا بسرعة على CoverGo كمنصة بدون رمز قابلة للتكوين حقًا، “قال توماس هولوب، المؤسس والرئيس التنفيذي لشركة CoverGo . ومن شأن الاستثمار الاستراتيجي من نوريا كابيتال أن يسهم في تسريع نمو ‘ CoverGo ‘ في الشرق الأوسط وتوفير علاقات مع الشركاء الرئيسيين وشركات التأمين في المنطقة”.

وقال جورج مجدلاني، المدير الإقليمي لمنطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا: “تعد منصة التأمين التي تعتمد على واجهة برمجة التطبيقات بدون رمز من CoverGo مناسبة تماما للقيمين في مجال التأمين في الشرق الأوسط الذين يتطلعون إلى إطلاق منتجات مبتكرة جديدة وإدارتها بكفاءة وتمكين التوزيع الرقمي السلس “.

نبذة عن نوريا كابيتال

نوريا هو صندوق رأس المال الاستثماري الذي يعمل مع الشركات الناشئة Insurtech خلال مراحل نموها وتوسعها. تتمثل مهمة الصندوق في جلب الابتكار إلى صناعة التأمين في الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا. لمعرفة المزيد يرجى زيارة http://www.noriacapital.co .

عن مجموعة CoverGo

CoverGo هي منصة التأمين العالمية الرائدة بدون رمز للممتلكات والحوادث والصحة والحياة، مما يمكن شركات التأمين من التحول رقمياً بأكثر الطرق مرونة وقابلية للتطوير وفعالية من حيث التكلفة. للمزيد من المعلومات، يرجى زيارة https://covergo.com .

الصورة –  https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1949671/George_Majdalani_Rakan_Abunayyan_Tomas_Holub.jpg

الشعار –  https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1812114/CoverGo_Logo___High_Res_Logo.jpg

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CoverGo expands its presence in the Middle East with a strategic investment from Noria Capital

DUBAI, UAE and RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — CoverGo, the leading global no-code insurance SaaS platform for P&C, health, and life, is expanding to the Middle East after a US$15 million Series A funding, with a Middle East insurance fund Noria Capital joining as one of the strategic investors.

CoverGo has been adopted by a growing number of P&C, health and life insurance companies and emerging insurtech companies across the globe to build and launch all types of insurance products within days, develop omni-channel distribution and digitize policy admin and claims. CoverGo’s clients include AXA, Bupa, MSIG (MS&AD), Dai-ichi Life, DBS Bank, Bank of China Group Insurance and many others.

CoverGo has recently set up its presence in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and became part of DIFC FinTech Hive, the largest financial technology accelerator in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region.

CoverGo’s expansion in the Middle East is led by newly appointed Regional Director George Majdalani. George is a senior executive with over 17 years in digital insurance transformation and health insurance innovation.

George Majdalani, Rakan Abunayyan, Tomas Holub

“CoverGo’s next-generation no-code platform provides insurance companies with an unbeatable speed to market and cost savings while driving efficiencies across the whole value chain. CoverGo is uniquely positioned to become the insurance platform market leader, in particular for health insurance in the Middle East, and help companies accelerate their digital transformation without heavy IT development”, said Rakan Abunayyan, General Partner of Noria Capital. “We are excited to support CoverGo on its growth journey and expansion in the Middle East as well as the African market.”

“Middle East insurance companies are realizing now more than ever that custom IT development is too slow and costly while rigid legacy systems can’t satisfy changing customer needs and product requirements. As a result, we have seen a fast-growing demand for CoverGo as a truly configurable no-code platform,” said Tomas Holub, Founder & CEO of CoverGo. “The strategic investment from Noria Capital will further accelerate CoverGo’s growth in the Middle East and provide relationships with key partners and insurance companies in the region.”

“CoverGo’s no-code API-driven insurance platform is a perfect fit for the Middle East insurance stakeholders who are looking to launch and efficiently manage new innovative products and enable seamless digital distribution without disrupting their existing systems,” said George Majdalani, Regional Director, MENA.

About Noria Capital

Noria is a venture capital fund that works with Insurtech startups during their growth and scaleup phases. The fund’s mission is to bring innovation to the insurance industry in the Middle East & Africa. To learn more, visit http://www.noriacapital.co

About CoverGo

CoverGo is the leading global no-code insurance platform for P&C, health, and life, enabling insurance companies to transform digitally in the most flexible, scalable and cost-effective way. To learn more, visit https://covergo.com.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1949671/George_Majdalani_Rakan_Abunayyan_Tomas_Holub.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1812114/CoverGo_Logo___High_Res_Logo.jpg

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CGTN: China urges for a free, open trade environment for APEC economies, eyes win-win cooperation

BEIJING, Nov. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Since joining the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 31 years ago, China has been committed to regional partnerships and win-win cooperation, and this year the Chinese side reiterated the importance for a free and open trade environment for the APEC economies.

Home to 2.9 billion people, the 21 APEC member economies share a total economic volume of over 60 percent of the world’s total gross domestic product (GDP). Amid the headwinds coming from the pandemic, high inflation, geopolitical crisis and climate change, APEC members sat down in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, and decided to further deepen their multilateral cooperation.

Free and open trade and investment are the purposes and principles of APEC, said Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on Saturday, in which issues related to sustainable trade and investment were discussed.

That is also the pillar for the realization of the Putrajaya Vision 2040, Xi added.

Upholding true multilateralism

President Xi called for upholding true multilateralism and preserving the multilateral trading system.

More should be done to safeguard the rules-based multilateral trading system, keep global industrial and supply chains secure and stable, foster an open, fair and non-discriminatory trade and investment environment, and strive for the early realization of a comprehensive, high-standard Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), he said.

China, which was among the first to ratify the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement last year, is also seeking to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) for further regional economic integration.

Both the RCEP and CPTPP are believed to be viable pathways toward the wider FTAAP, which the 21 APEC members aim to establish.

Upholding inclusiveness for the benefit of all

Highlighting the importance of inclusive development, Xi stressed that efforts are needed to build a regional economic cooperation architecture featuring equal-footed consultation, joint participation and shared benefits, and foster a big Asia-Pacific market that delivers benefits to all.

All economies could grow together through interconnected development and carry out win-win cooperation through complementarity, he said.

China has put forward initiatives on revitalizing rural areas, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises that use special and sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products, and advancing economic inclusion through trade and investment, according to Xi.

Upholding open regional cooperation

The Chinese president also underlined upholding open regional cooperation, saying that it is important to take greater initiative to open up and raise the level of regional economic cooperation in all respects.

China will not waver in its commitment to high-standard opening-up and will open its door still wider, he said.

The fifth China International Import Expo held recently is a good demonstration of China’s firm resolve to support free and open trade.

Tentative deals with a total worth of $73.5 billion were reached during the import-themed event, a testament to China’s gigantic market and numerous business opportunities.

Meanwhile, as a vivid epitome of the country’s exploration of high-level opening-up, Beijing, China’s capital, has been accelerating the development of the city’s “two zones” — the pilot free trade zone and the national comprehensive demonstration zone for expanding opening-up in the services sector.

Over the past two years, the Chinese capital has introduced more than 100 pioneering or breakthrough policies related to the “two zones” and landed over 100 landmark projects and functional platforms.

The reform and opening-up have tremendously propelled China’s social and economic development, especially in the past decade.

China contributed more than 30 percent of global economic growth on average between 2013 and 2021, ranking first in the world, according to a report released by the country’s National Bureau of Statistics.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-11-19/China-urges-for-a-free-open-trade-environment-for-APEC-economies-1f5uxVsV9UQ/index.html

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