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n June 2022, Kenya launched a “National Action Plan Against Hate Speech”, as part of its long-term “Roadmap for Peaceful Elections”, which was designed to curb and prevent disinformation and inflammation via social media and to inform peaceful counter-messaging.  Having helped Kenya to develop this milestone plan, the United Nations was equally determined to help find innovative ways to support its implementation.  

Djibouti seldom garners the kind of international attention usually given to its neighbors- Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. Yet the country’s experience living through cycles of drought and food insecurity offers immense lessons to the rest of the world. 

Since 2019, five consecutive failed rainy seasons across the Horn of Africa have created a devastating drought that has affected millions of people in the region. Water sources have dried up, crops and livestock have been decimated, and people’s capacities to support themselves have been eroded. Compounding the hardship, food prices have rocketed, partly as a result of the war in Ukraine, making it too expensive for most refugees and local communities to afford even basics.

Countries must address the “grave global harm” caused by the proliferation of hate and lies online, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, launching a key report designed to shore up information integrity on digital platforms.

“I feel that it's not me who has changed more, but the people around me. In a positive way, of course,” said Elina when she was asked about how her

Coupled with other extreme weather events, the ongoing drought caused widespread hunger and pushed thousands into near famine-like conditions. In the south of the country, where the land is arid and households more dependent on rain-fed agriculture, the issue of malnutrition is particularly acute. Crops are not only suffering from a lack of water, but have also been damaged by high winds and tiomena – sandstorms - which blow away the fertile topsoil. In these conditions, communities are struggling to grow key staples, including corn.