Briefly

SUDAN

At least 48 people lose lives in tribal conflict

At least 48 people were killed in a tribal conflict in Sudan's West Darfur state, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, a nongovernmental organization, said in a statement on Monday. Sudanese authorities have not released details on the number of people who were killed or injured in those events. Governor of Darfur Region Arko Minni Minnawi said work was underway to prevent tribal divisions. Sudan's Darfur region has, since 2003, witnessed a civil war that began during presidency of Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in 2019.

SWITZERLAND

Malaria killed 69,000 more in 2020, WHO says

Healthcare disruptions linked to the coronavirus pandemic helped malaria kill 69,000 more people in 2020 than the previous year, but a worst-case scenario was averted, the World Health Organization said on Monday. In total, over 627,000 people globally－most of them babies in the poorest parts of Africa－were killed by malaria last year compared with 558,000 in 2019, the WHO said. The number eclipses the 224,000 people reported to have died from the coronavirus in Africa since the start of the pandemic. About two-thirds of the additional malaria deaths last year were due to coronavirus restrictions disrupting prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria. The number of deaths in the sub-Saharan Africa rose 12 percent compared with 2019.

Xinhua - Agencies