Africa's aviation industry negatively impacted by Russia-Ukraine conflict
The Russia-Ukraine conflict is exerting a negative impact on Africa's aviation sector, experts said.
Abderahmane Berthe, secretary-general of the African Airlines Association, said at a continental aviation forum that the conflict has resulted in a high cost of fuel for aircraft.
"We hope that this crisis will not continue because this will continue to impact our airlines and if the airlines have high operating costs, it means that the airfares will go up and will impact the passenger traffic," Berthe told the 10th Aviation Stakeholders Convention.
He added that Africa's travel sector and cargo operations of many African airlines also face challenges. The aviation industry has seen rising prices of many imported goods amid the Ukraine crisis.
Jackson held out for more than a week as gunfire ripped through his poor neighborhood in the Haitian capital, hoping help would come to end the bloody turf war between rival gangs.
"For eight days, the bursts of bullets flew nonstop but we thought that the police were going to intervene," he said. But the police never showed. So like thousands of others, 29-year-old Jackson-taking nothing but the clothes he was wearing-fled his home.
The United Nations said Friday that clashes between rival gangs in the downtrodden slums of northern Portau-Prince have claimed the lives of at least 75 people, including women and children, since all-out war started on April 24. The world body said it was "deeply concerned by the rapid deterioration of the security situation" in the city.
"According to multiple sources, at least 75 people, including women and children, have been killed and 68 others injured," the UN statement said.
It added that at least 9,000 residents of the conflict-hit northern suburbs have been forced to flee their homes and take refuge with relatives or in temporary shelters such as churches and schools. Jackson held out until last Sunday. He was just returning from church when the fighting came right to his door.
"I didn't know that the members of the '400 mawozo' gang had managed to cross the bridge" next to his home, Jackson said, referring to the most feared of all the gangs.
"Suddenly I heard neighbors yelling 'They're at Shada crossroads', which meant they were 30, 40 meters from me. I had my identity card, my driver's license and my insurance card on me. I took my passport and ran out," he said.
As he passed a nearby gas station, he saw gang members accusing the motorcycle taxi drivers who were parked there of being lookouts for a rival gang. "So they shot them," Jackson said.
For decades, armed gangs have run amok in the poorest neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, but they have drastically increased their hold across the Haitian capital and the country atlarge in recent years, sending murders and kidnappings skyrocketing.