International
FG, UN Agencies, Dev Partners, Ambassadors Others Commit To Coordinated Approach, Durable Solutions for Humanitarian Response in Nigeria
…To Raise $5 billion annually for Nigeria’s Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund
It was the first humanitarian coordination meeting in Nigeria which featured a heart-to-heart frank discussion at the United Nations House, Abuja Tuesday as Nigeria’s Minister For Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu engaged Ambassadors, UN agencies, Development Partners, International and and other NGOs on their Commitment to Humanitarian crises in Nigeria.
The meeting, which was at the instance of the Minister, brought all the humanitarian responders in Nigeria under one roof, where they all committed to a durable, smart, and coordinated approach to humanitarian response.
Part of the resolutions of the meeting, was the commitment to raise $5 billion annually for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund in Nigeria by the federal government, other countries, private sector, donor agencies and the Development Partners,. The hosting of the African Humanitarian summit, which is a follow-up to the World Humanitarian Summit of Istanbul in 2016, joint field assessment by government and partners,Quarterly humanitarian coordination meeting and Nigerian humanitarian report, creation of the Nigeria Humanitarian Dashboard amongst others
Dr. Edu conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s appreciation to UN agencies and development partners for their immense contributions to easing humanitarian challenges in Nigeria. She, however, stressed that the era of uncoordinated, unaccountable, and silotic approaches to humanitarian response in Nigeria was over.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does appreciate the effort of the UN agencies as well as other organizations that are working in the humanitarian space. but we just need to bring this effort in a more coordinated manner so that we can achieve more, especially in the face of dwindling resources.
“There is a need for the government to take the lead and properly coordinate.The days of uncoordinated responses to the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria should be over.
” The days of operating in silos and duplicating efforts that lead to wastage amongst other things should be over. The government must take the lead to coordinate, to ensure that we are first in line with government priorities, and then secondly, we are meeting our targets.”Plan with government, implement with government, and let’s get the right results in the right direction.
“Government will follow up. The government will be proactive, and the government will monitor because we want to see results. Like I told you, We signed a bond, so that bond, we will deliver on it together as a team. Yes, we will.”the Minister said.
She emphasized the federal government’s commitment to reduce, prevent, mitigate, and respond adequately to the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria in a more coordinated manner, thereby reducing poverty by 50 per cent.
On his part, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Matthias Schmale who spoke on behalf of UN agencies expressed absolute support to the government of Nigeria in its effort to tackle humanitarian challenges facing the country and commended Dr.Edu for providing dynamic leadership in that regard.
“We’ve heard very clearly from you, honourable Minister, that humanitarian needs of course span the rest of the country.We are here as United Nations Agencies to support in ensuring proper coordination, develop review and implementation response plan, mobilise resources for country response as well as align to Federal Government priorities.
The UN chief was optimistic that the “Renewed Hope Agenda of the government is leading the way forward in terms of Nigeria being able to deliver on the SDGS, and address humanitarian needs”
The Ambassador of Malaysia, Norway and United Arab Emirates, amongst other Ambassadors present, committed to supporting Nigeria in a more strategic way to address humanitarian crises in Nigeria.
International
JUST IN: Four Pilots Die After Mid-Air Collision of Military Planes in Philippine
Four Philippine Air Force pilots died Friday after two SF-260 trainer aircraft collided mid-air during a training flight and crashed at Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas, south of Manila, the air force confirmed Saturday.
The accident occurred at about 3:51 p.m. local time on October 23, 2026. Both single-propeller planes went down within the base perimeter. No other casualties were reported on the ground.
Philippine Air Force spokesman Colonel Alvin Capinguian (also referred to as Alvin Jay Capinguian) said the aircraft were involved in a training flight. Officials with knowledge of the incident, speaking anonymously, and local reports confirmed the planes collided while flying at low altitude. Some accounts noted they were part of a larger formation or flyby rehearsal, with other aircraft landing safely.
The air force described it as an “aviation accident” and said an investigation is underway to determine the cause. As a precaution, the entire fleet of SF-260 aircraft has been temporarily grounded. The air force is coordinating assistance with the families of the deceased and asked the public to respect their privacy. One of the pilots was later identified in some reports as 1st Lt. Angeleo Adrian Peñaflor.
The SF-260 is a light Italian-designed trainer used by the Philippine Air Force. The incident is the latest fatal crash involving the type; two pilots were killed in a similar SF-260 training accident in Benguet province in May.
International
“Mother of all bombs,” Trump Plans To Hit Iran
The 21,600-pound airburst weapon is designed to affect surface targets over a wide area and has so far not been deployed by the U.S. in previous strikes on targets inside Iran. It was used in Afghanistan in 2017 during the previous Trump administration.
The U.S. military is considering use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb if it resumes strikes inside Iran, CNN reported Thursday, citing U.S. officials.
The 21,600-pound airburst weapon is designed to affect surface targets over a wide area and has so far not been deployed by the U.S. in previous strikes on targets inside Iran. It was used in Afghanistan in 2017 during the previous Trump administration.
Trump said Oct. 8 that he would not resume U.S. strikes on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, while attacks on shipping near the Strait of Hormuz and deadly Houthi strikes in Saudi Arabia have raised regional tensions.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran will combine military capabilities and negotiations to press its demands.
International
Child marriage in southern Germany: Over 350 cases recorded, some brides as young as 11
The most recent entries in the overview relate to 2026. They include, among other things, marriages of 16- and 17-year-old girls to adult men.
• Child marriage / UNICEF
In the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, a total of 358 so-called child marriages have been officially recorded since 2012.
Euro News reported that only eight of these forced marriages have so far been legally annulled.
According to authorities, the other 350 cases were brought to an end in other ways.
This alarming finding comes from a response by the Baden-Württemberg state government to a minor inquiry submitted by AfD state parliament members Nikolaos Boutakoglou and Emely Knorr.
The Tübingen regional authority is responsible for recording the data, the answer came from the Ministry of the Interior.
The eight final annulments took place between 2018 and 2024. Among the documented cases was the marriage of an 11-year-old girl from Iraq to a 17-year-old Iraqi, which was annulled in 2020.
As early as 2018, the marriage of a 14-year-old Afghan girl to a 30-year-old man had been ended.
In 2024 two further annulments were added: they concerned a 16-year-old German girl and a 25-year-old Pakistani man and a 16-year-old Syrian girl and a 27-year-old man from the same country.State parliament member Nikolaos Boutakoglou wrote on Facebook that the issue was “really awful” but was being treated as a taboo.
According to its own account, the ministry deals exclusively with such marriages entered into abroad.
Since summer 2017, the Act to Combat Child Marriages has been in force in Germany.
In 2024, the Bundestag adopted new rules to protect minors in marriages concluded abroad.
Hundreds of cases without state intervention
The significantly higher number of cases concluded in other ways raises questions about how these marriages continued.
For the period from 2015 to 2026, the regional authority lists a total of 350 proceedings under the heading “other disposals.”But what became of the other child marriages?
The state government cites, among other things, the death of a spouse, reaching adulthood, a decision not to seek annulment or a new marriage concluded abroad.
In these cases, there was therefore no legally binding annulment.
For 2023, the records include the case of a 12-year-old Afghan girl who was married to a 21-year-old Afghan man. Girls aged 13 and 14 also appear several times in the statistics.
The most recent entries in the overview relate to 2026. They include, among other things, marriages of 16- and 17-year-old girls to adult men.
The statistics record the age of the spouses at the time of marriage and their respective nationalities.
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