Top of the Morning: Famine Looms in South Sudan

Top stories from DAWNS Digest

Famine Looms in South Sudan…It is planting season in South Sudan, and the areas of the country with the worst fighting also happen to be its breadbasket. The Details: “The UN estimates that a third of the country of 11 million are facing starvation unless farmers can plant a critical round of crops before the annual rains hit in May. Experts believe as many as 50,000 children could die. It would be the most devastating famine anywhere in 30 years.” What can be done?  $230 million, over the next two months is  what the UN and international partners need to stave off full blown famine. But so far, donors have not ponied up. Deeper Dive: National Geographic http://bit.ly/QpAxQd

The Ebola virus has claimed 61 lives in Guinea out of 109 laboratory-confirmed cases since January, the government said. (AFP http://bit.ly/1mrTNdn)

Nobel peace laureate Desmond Tutu warned Sunday that the Central African Republic was “on the brink of genocide”, as he urged warring sides to reconcile their differences and “re-learn to live together.” (AFP http://yhoo.it/1mrWlIo)

Carlyle this week became one of the first major private equity players to launch a dedicated sub-Saharan Africa fund, underscoring the growing investor interest in the continent’s growing middle class. (AFP http://yhoo.it/1mrWxYd)