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Deadly flooding in Nigeria displaces thousands

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Deadly flooding in Nigeria displaces thousands

Nigerian officials estimate that over 500 people are still missing and presumed dead, according to news reports.

Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, a former Nigerian Government minister, said she was heartbroken at the extent of the loss and damage.

“My deepest condolences to all those affected – especially the families who have lost loved ones. My prayers are with you,” she said.

UN relief operation 

United Nations agencies and partners are working alongside the Nigerian Government to provide essential humanitarian aid to individuals and households in Niger State who have been affected.

Beginning 29 May, heavy rains in the Local Government Area of Mokwa – known as a trading hub – prompted flash flooding which flattened entire neighbourhoods.

Hundreds were killed, thousands displaced and key roads and bridges were damaged, disrupting movement and economic activity.

Nigeria’s rainy season extends from April-October, making it particularly prone to flooding, which has become more severe in recent years.

Climate change factor

In 2024, a flood in September killed 230 people in Borno state in eastern Nigeria and displaced over 600,000 people. In 2022, severe flooding across the country impacted 34 out of the 36 states, killed hundreds and displaced more than 1.3 million.

A recent report from the UN weather agency (WMO) said the worsening severity is related to climate change and increasing surface and water temperatures, all of which is taking a high toll throughout the African continent.

Agencies on the ground

According to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric Nigerian authorities are leading recovery efforts and UN agencies and partners are providing supplementary assistance.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing to ship medicine and medical equipment to supplement and support existing primary care systems.

For their part, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is providing materials for temporary shelter and other non-essential food items.

The UN reproductive health agency (UNFPA) is working to establish temporary clinics and safe spaces for women and girls displaced by the flooding. In these spaces, women can access maternal and reproductive health services, dignity kits and psychosocial assistance. UNFPA is also working to deploy midwives and nurses.

Mohammed M. Malik Fall, resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, commended Government efforts to respond to the humanitarian situation in Mokwa and said that the UN “stands ready to support the response.”

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EIT Founders2Founders | EIT

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Take your startup global. The world is waiting! 

The EIT Founders2Founders programme is a hybrid entrepreneurial training programme implemented in Ukraine for innovative SMEs and early-stage startups. The programme is developed to provide Ukrainian founders with tailored support for market expansion, funding readiness, legal compliance, and capacity building.

EIT Community together with Vacuum Deep Tech Acceleration are accepting applications for ambitious Ukrainian entrepreneurs to participate in an intensive training programme.

What to expect in 2025 

The EIT Founders2Founders 2025 programme has been redesigned to offer a deeper, more hands-on experience tailored to the needs of early-stage Ukrainian startups. Participants will benefit from a powerful mix of strategic training, international mentorship, and ecosystem exposure all designed to accelerate their path to global markets.

The EIT Community has supported Ukraine for the last few years, mainly in ecosystem development. Currently, we offer top-tier entrepreneurial support to bring Ukrainian talents closer to the European innovation ecosystem and equip them with a specific skill set that will aid in the future reconstruction of the country. With a strong track record of successful ventures and built-in programmes such as EIT Jumpstarter, the EIT Community continues working with Ukrainian talents interested in changing the world via deep technologies

Piotr Pawelec, RIS and EIT Community Manager at InnoEnergy

EIT Founders2Founders is part of a broader initiative aimed at building a strong, resilient, and globally competitive innovation ecosystem in Ukraine. By empowering entrepreneurs with knowledge, mentorship, and international exposure, the programme contributes to the long-term development of the country’s tech and startup sectors.

Discover and Apply Here

Deadline: June 23, 2025

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Press briefing – Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport and Telecommunications) of 5-6 June 2025

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Press briefing – Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport and Telecommunications) of 5-6 June 2025

The press briefing ahead of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport and Telecommunications) of 5-6 June 2025 will take place on Tuesday 3 June 2025 starting at 11.00. Source link

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MedTech Bootcamp | EIT

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EIT Health Bootcamps: Learn how to develop your startup to its full potential

If you’re steering an early-stage medtech or digital health startup, brace yourself for a tailormade Bootcamp designed to launch your business into the European market. EIT Health’s MedTech Bootcamp has been exclusively crafted for trailblazers like you to help you get a clear and valid proof of concept for your idea.

In this six-week online programme: 16 September – 24 October 2025, you will collaborate with experts and mentors to refine your project, create a robust financial plan, understand your market and competitors, navigate regulations with confidence and perfect your pitch to investors maximising your chances of success.

Who should apply?

We’re looking for committed, driven and ambitious people with a business idea for a new healthcare product that’s in the research and development phase. To take part, you should also be one of the following:

  • Master’s or PhD student
  • Post-doc
  • Scientist
  • Health professional
  • Patient or caregiver

Don’t miss your chance and be a part of this journey.

More information here

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EIT Community at Warsaw Week: Igniting Innovation across Europe

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EIT Community at Warsaw Week: Igniting Innovation across Europe

From 11 to 15 May 2025, Warsaw becomes a vibrant hub of innovation as the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) hosts the EIT Community at Warsaw Week. This dynamic series of events will bring together entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, and academia, with a strong focus on narrowing the continent’s innovation gap. A Week of […]

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Helpless in the face of hunger: Gaza families pray for deliverance – or death

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Helpless in the face of hunger: Gaza families pray for deliverance – or death

Zeenat and her husband, Moamen Abu Asr, live with their children in a flimsy canvas tent, one of thousands that now line Gaza’s coastline. 

Once a place of rest and leisure, the beach has become a last refuge for Palestinians displaced by relentless Israeli bombardment and military operations.

As displacement orders push people into ever smaller pockets of land, the strip of coast around Gaza’s seaport has turned into a makeshift camp. Its frayed tents and overcrowded conditions reflect the gravity of a humanitarian crisis that has plunged to unprecedented depths after more than 600 days of conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas.

The seaport, once a centre of Gaza’s fishing economy, is now a wasteland. All the boats have been destroyed, and in their place stands a sprawling encampment – a harsh and barren environment with almost none of the basic necessities for survival.

Moamen Abu Asr fixing a water tank by his tent.

A family with nothing left

Moamen and his family have been living in the camp for around two months, surviving in a tent cobbled together from salvaged mats and broken utensils recovered from nearby rubble.

He sits outside with his children, scrolling through pictures on his phone – fragments of a past life left behind in Shujaiya, east of Gaza City, when residents were ordered to evacuate without warning.

“There have been times when we’ve been displaced once every two months,” he told UN News. “Every day is suffering for us. We came to Gaza port with no food, no water – not even our iron tent.”

“There is nothing of life’s basics for us,” he said. To feed his family, Moamen repairs small water tanks for five shekels – about $1.43 – barely enough for anything in a place where prices have soared. “One kilo of flour is a hundred shekels [around $28.60],” he explained. “Our situation is very difficult, and we do not know what to do. By God, this is not life. We would rather die.”

Flies hover over one of the Abu Asr family's sleeping children in their tent in Gaza.

Flies hover over one of the Abu Asr family’s sleeping children in their tent in Gaza.

‘We live on water’

The humanitarian situation has worsened since March, when Israeli authorities imposed a complete blockade on aid. Though this was slightly eased in recent weeks, the limited trickle of supplies cannot meet the overwhelming demand. Desperate civilians, starving and fearful, have resorted to looting whatever aid does arrive.

In their tent, Zeenat washes a few cooking utensils – all she could find in the communal makeshift kitchen. Most days, there is no food to prepare.

“Yesterday I cried a lot about my son,” she said. “He told me, ‘Mum, I want to eat.’ I stood helpless, not knowing what to do. The food didn’t come from the charity kitchen. We now live on fresh water. I recommend it to my children to help fill their stomachs. Today, thank God, we got a plate of food and ate it.”

Zeinat Abu Asr describes the hardship her family is facing in Gaza.

Zeinat Abu Asr describes the hardship her family is facing in Gaza.

‘Enough is enough’

Conditions in the tent are dire. Flies swarm everywhere, and stray dogs – thin and hungry – prowl nearby. “Yesterday, a dog came into the tent and was pulling on a tarpaulin while my son was sleeping. I thought it was pulling my baby. I screamed and my husband kicked the dog out.”

“We don’t know where to go or what to do. They uprooted us. Our hearts are extinguished. We can’t be patient anymore. Our patience has run out.”

The tents scattered along Gaza’s coastline are a stark symbol of the deepening humanitarian tragedy. The cries of hunger are louder than any voice of hope. There is no shelter left – only the sea remains.

Nothing encapsulates the despair more than Zeenat’s final plea: “Let the war end. Give us a break. Otherwise, let all countries come together and drop a nuclear bomb on us and end our misery, because we are tired of this life. Enough is enough.”

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EIT Community at Warsaw Week: Igniting Innovation across Europe

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From 11 to 15 May 2025, Warsaw becomes a vibrant hub of innovation as the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) hosts the EIT Community at Warsaw Week. This dynamic series of events will bring together entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, and academia, with a strong focus on narrowing the continent’s innovation gap.

A Week of Collaborative Innovation

The EIT Community programmes will feature a rich agenda of networking events, panel discussions, and strategic meetings. Highlights will include:

  • Discover & Delight: Cultural Explorations – an immersive experience powered by EIT Health InnoStars, giving participants a chance to explore Warsaw’s heritage while connecting with local innovators.
  • The Spark Zone: Networking with Innovators – an evening dedicated to informal exchanges between EIT Community members and Polish stakeholders, supported by local cuisine and music.
  • Fuel for Thought: Innovation Breakfast – a morning session focused on site visits, showcasing Poland’s innovation infrastructure and potential for scaling up innovation.
  • EU Innovation Journey 2025 Conference – a key event where the EIT Community will participate in discussions on innovation competitiveness in Central and Eastern Europe, support for startups, and strategies to attract venture capital to the region. Highlights include the launch of the EIT Community Hub and an Investor Dinner co-organised with the European Innovation Council.

Strengthening Regional Innovation

The EIT Community events will underline the EIT’s mission to support high-potential startups in emerging ecosystems and reduce fragmentation across Europe. By connecting local, national, and EU-level efforts, we will work to create smoother, more connected pathways for startups to grow, succeed, and go global.

As part of this deepened collaboration, the EIT will officially open its new EIT Community Hub in Warsaw and further strengthen its engagement with Poland.

Looking Ahead

These few days will contribute to building a more inclusive and balanced innovation landscape across Europe. The connections and ideas sparked during the week will help to drive long-term impact, economic growth, and technological leadership across Central and Eastern Europe.

For more information visit the Polish Presidency website

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AMLA Executive Board Members Appointed

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AMLA Executive Board Members Appointed

The Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA) warmly welcomes the decision of the Council of the European Union to appoint the first full-time members of its Executive Board. On 22 May 2025, the Council appointed to serve a four-year term beginning on 1 June 2025: Mr. Simonas Krėpšta Ms. Rikke-Louise […]

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Lifting of Israeli blockade ‘the only way to avert mass starvation’ in Gaza: UNRWA chief

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Lifting of Israeli blockade ‘the only way to avert mass starvation’ in Gaza: UNRWA chief

Philippe Lazzarini posted on social media saying that aid distribution “has become a death trap,” citing reports from international medical staff on the ground and local health authorities who reported at least 31 deaths and more than 150 injured as civilians were lining up to receive aid from the Israel and United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – which bypasses existing aid agencies.

‘Humiliating system’

“A distribution point by the Israeli-American plan was put far south in Rafah,” Mr. Lazzarini said on X.

This humiliating system has forced thousands of hungry and desperate people to walk for tens of miles to an area that’s all but pulverized due to heavy bombardment by the Israeli army.”

He said aid delivery and distribution “must be at scale and safe. In Gaza, this can be done only through the United Nations including UNRWA.”

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – which uses private contractors and involves Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to secure its sites – has strongly denied that civilians were fired on, accusing Hamas militants of misinformation.

Disputed events

The IDF said on social media that reports of them firing towards residents receiving aid from the foundation were false: “Findings from an initial inquiry indicate that the IDF did not fire at civilians while they were near or within the humanitarian aid distribution site.”

The IDF posted video which it said showed gunmen shooting at civilians collecting aid, adding that “Hamas is doing everything in its power to prevent the successful distribution of food in Gaza.”

Medical staff at Nasser hospital in nearby Khan Younis told media outlets that around 79 people were admitted on Sunday, mostly with gunshot wounds, along with the bodies of some of those killed. Journalists on the scene posted video footage of bodies being carried on carts along with wounded arrivals.

‘Lift the siege’

UNRWA chief Lazzarini called on Israel to lift the three-month old aid blockade and allow safe and unhindered access. “This is the only way to avert mass starvation including among one million children.”

Highlighting the difficulties of clearly establishing facts on the ground due to Israel’s ban on international media from entering the Gaza Strip, the UNRWA chief said that amid competing narratives and “disinformation campaigns in full gear,” the ban on eyewitness reporting must be lifted immediately.

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United Arab Emirates: 4th High-level Political Dialogue held in Abu Dhabi on 27 May

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United Arab Emirates: 4th High-level Political Dialogue held in Abu Dhabi on 27 May

United Arab Emirates: 4th High-level Political Dialogue held in Abu Dhabi on 27 May

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