AGP Executive Report

Martyrs Day Cleanup & Greening: At Sawa’s Martyrs Cemetery, over 1,300 members from the Sawa National Service Training Center helped renovate the grounds, plant trees, and carry out environmental sanitation as part of 20 June commemorations. Desertification & Drought Awareness: Eritrea marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with a national workshop in Asmara under “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore,” focusing on conserving rangelands and tackling climate change, recurrent drought, and land degradation. Climate-Linked Water & Agriculture Projects: An OCHA delegation met Eritrean officials and visited a solar-powered water supply project in Embadorho and the Akria National Model of Integrated Organic Agriculture, with climate change impacts highlighted. Local Sanitation Campaigns for 20 June: Across Eritrea’s Central Region, Martyrs Day activities included cemetery cleanups and tree planting in Asmara and Keren, plus water and soil conservation efforts in Nakfa sub-zone. Energy, Water & Climate Tradeoffs: A new Africa-wide study maps 3,139 power plants and warns that expanding electricity can strain water resources and raise greenhouse gas emissions, depending on fuel and cooling needs.

Electricity & Water Stress: A new study maps 3,139 power plants across Africa and warns that expanding electricity to meet 2030 goals will also raise water use and carbon pollution, with thermal and nuclear plants needing cooling water and coal driving major greenhouse emissions. Desertification Focus: Eritrea marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with a workshop on rangelands, stressing community action to restore degraded areas amid climate change, recurrent drought, and falling rangeland productivity. Martyrs Day Clean-Up: Eritrea’s Central Region carried out environmental sanitation campaigns tied to 20 June, including cemetery clean-ups, tree planting, and water/soil conservation efforts in Nakfa sub-zones. Humanitarian Climate Lens (Eritrea): An OCHA delegation met Eritrean officials to assess development priorities and climate change impacts, visiting nutrition services and a solar-powered water supply project, plus integrated organic agriculture. Regional Refugee Policy (Rwanda): Rwanda reaffirmed refugee protection and inclusion on World Refugee Day, highlighting socio-economic support and recent arrivals including Eritreans.

Martyrs Day Green Push: Eritrea’s Ministry of Agriculture and other institutions marked 20 June with tree cultivation and environmental sanitation campaigns across Asmara and the Central Region, including work at Martyrs Cemeteries and tree-planting at Biet-Gergis and Halibet National Referral Hospital, plus water-and-soil conservation efforts in Nakfa sub-zone. Desertification & Drought Focus: A national workshop for World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (17 June) urged community action to protect rangelands, citing climate change, recurrent drought, declining productivity, and livestock practices as key drivers of land degradation. Climate-Linked Water & Organic Farming: An OCHA delegation met Eritrean officials to assess climate-change impacts and development priorities, visiting solar-powered water supply work in Embadorho and the Akria National Model of Integrated Organic Agriculture. Sudan Conflict With Environmental Fallout: EEPA reports RSF mobilisation around El Obeid, including strikes that knocked out power in the city—raising risks for urban services and health amid ongoing fighting. Refugee Resettlement & Services: Rwanda reaffirmed refugee protection on World Refugee Day, while Ethiopia launched a roadmap to integrate refugees into national systems for more stable services and livelihoods.

Desertification & Drought Focus: Eritrea marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with a national workshop in Asmara under “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore,” urging community action to tackle climate change, rangeland decline, and drought impacts. Martyrs Day Green Push: Across Eritrea, Martyrs Day (20 June) included environmental sanitation and tree-planting drives—Asmara’s Martyrs Cemetery, Halibet Hospital, Keren city, and water/soil conservation work in Mariet (Nakfa sub-zone)—linking clean-up and conservation to stronger livelihoods. OCHA Climate & Water Visits: An OCHA delegation met Eritrean officials to review development priorities and climate-change impacts, visiting nutrition services in Adi-Tekelezan, a solar-powered water supply project in Embadorho (Serejeka), and the Akria National Model of Integrated Organic Agriculture. Horn of Africa Context (El Obeid): EEPA reported RSF mobilisation around El Obeid, raising concern amid wider regional instability that can worsen displacement and environmental stress. Food Security Angle: A wider regional note highlights Eritrea among countries backing potato value chains as a climate-resilient food option under FAO’s OCOP initiative.

Desertification & Drought: Eritrea marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with a national workshop on “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore,” urging community action to tackle land degradation, recurrent drought, and declining rangeland productivity. Water, Soil & Cleanliness Drives: Ahead of Martyrs Day, Eritrean institutions and communities carried out environmental sanitation, tree-planting, and water-and-soil conservation campaigns across Asmara, Keren, Barentu, and other areas, linking cleaner surroundings to stronger local resilience. Organic Farming & Climate-Linked Aid: An OCHA delegation met Eritrean officials to review development priorities and climate-change impacts, visiting nutrition services, a solar-powered water supply project, and the Akria National Model of Integrated Organic Agriculture. Martyrs Day Green Actions: Ministry of Agriculture and other government bodies held candlelight vigils and cultural programs, while PFDJ and defense-linked groups also organized tree cultivation and sanitation at key sites. Regional Context—Refugees & Climate Stress: Ethiopia launched a roadmap to integrate refugees into national systems, while Horn of Africa situation updates highlighted climate-driven land degradation and displacement pressures that can spill into Eritrea’s wider environment and migration realities.

Martyrs Day Green Push: Eritrea marked 20 June with candlelight vigils, tree planting, and environmental sanitation drives across regions, including Barentu and Keren, with Defense Forces joining clean-up and cemetery sanitation efforts. Desertification & Drought Focus: A national workshop in Asmara under “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore.” highlighted desertification, drought, and rangeland degradation, calling for community-led conservation and sustainable livestock practices. OCHA Meets Eritrean Climate & Water Work: An OCHA delegation met senior officials and visited solar-powered water supply and nutrition services, plus an integrated organic agriculture model, with climate-change impacts a key part of the discussions. Water & Sanitation at Africa Day: Eritrea’s Africa Day events stressed “saving every drop of water,” citing dams and reservoirs as resilience steps for safe water availability and sanitation. Atbai Desert Heritage (Eritrea-linked): A satellite-based survey mapped hundreds of ancient burial enclosures across northeastern Africa, including areas reaching toward Eritrea, adding new context to long-gone pastoral life.

Martyrs Day Green Push: Eritrean government institutions and regions marked 20 June with candlelight vigils, walkathons, tree planting, and environmental sanitation—plus cleanups at Martyrs Cemeteries in Barentu and Golij and similar efforts in Keren and other areas, linking remembrance with local environmental action. Desertification Focus: On 17 June, Eritrea marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with a national workshop under “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore,” highlighting climate change, drought, rangeland decline, and the need for community-led conservation and sustainable livestock management. Water & Sanitation at Africa Day: Eritrea’s Africa Day events (13 June) tied the AU theme on sustainable water and safe sanitation to Eritrea’s dam and reservoir building and “save every drop” approach, emphasizing resilience in a dry climate. Climate-Linked Humanitarian Work: An OCHA delegation met Eritrean officials to review development priorities and assess climate change impacts, including visits to nutrition services, a solar-powered water supply project, and an integrated organic agriculture model. Organic Agriculture & Soil Care: Alongside the OCHA visit, Eritrea’s reporting points to ongoing integrated organic farming and water/soil conservation campaigns aimed at protecting groundwater and boosting agricultural production.

Desertification & Drought: Eritrea marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (17 June) with a national workshop in Asmara under “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore,” stressing climate change, recurrent drought, declining rangeland productivity, and the need for community-led conservation and sustainable livestock management. Water & Sanitation: Africa Day (13 June) programming in Asmara highlighted the AU theme on sustainable water availability and safe sanitation, with Eritrea pointing to dams and reservoirs and the “save every drop” approach to protect water for the future. Martyrs Day Green Actions: On 20 June, government institutions and regions held Martyrs Day commemorations that included tree cultivation, environmental sanitation, and walkathons; in Barentu, Golij, and Keren, sanitation drives were paired with cultural events, and in Mariet (Nakfa sub-zone) a water and soil conservation campaign was reported. Climate-Linked Aid Work: An OCHA delegation met Eritrean officials (18–19 June) to review development priorities and assess climate change impacts, including visits to solar-powered water supply and integrated organic agriculture initiatives. Organic Agriculture Spotlight: The OCHA visit also included the Akria National Model of Integrated Organic Agriculture, tying environmental resilience to nutrition and local farming systems.

Education & Soft Power: Egypt’s Supreme Council of Universities has approved a Cairo University branch in Eritrea, part of a wider push to expand branch campuses across Sub-Saharan Africa and deepen cultural diplomacy. Climate & Water Resilience (Eritrea): Eritrea marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with a workshop on rangelands—highlighting desertification, drought, declining rangeland productivity, and the need for community-led conservation and sustainable use. Water, Nutrition & Organic Farming (Eritrea): An OCHA delegation met Eritrean officials and assessed climate-change impacts while visiting solar-powered water supply work, nutrition services, and the Akria National Model of Integrated Organic Agriculture. Martyrs Day Sanitation (Eritrea): Popular environmental sanitation and tree-planting campaigns were carried out in Asmara and Keren, including at martyrs’ cemeteries and hospitals, alongside water and soil conservation efforts in Nakfa sub-zone. Food Security (Regional): A FAO-backed push highlights potatoes as a climate-resilient, locally grown option for food security, noting Eritrea among countries selecting it for value-chain support. Desert Knowledge from Space: An international survey using satellite imagery identified hundreds of ancient burial monuments across the Atbai Desert, including sites newly mapped near the Eritrea border.

Climate & Water Resilience: An OCHA delegation in Asmara met senior Eritrean officials to review development priorities and assess climate-change impacts, including visits to solar-powered water supply work in Embadorho and an integrated organic agriculture model at Akria. Desertification Watch: Eritrea marked the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with a workshop on “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore,” highlighting climate change, drought, rangeland decline, and the need for conservation and sustainable use. Local Environmental Action: On Martyrs Day-related activities, popular sanitation campaigns and tree-planting were reported across Eritrea’s Central Region, including at Asmara Martyrs Cemetery, Halibet Hospital, and Keren, plus water and soil conservation efforts in Nakfa sub-zone. Food & Land Use: A wider regional push for climate-resilient livelihoods also surfaced in coverage of Eritrea’s role in potato value chains under FAO’s OCOP initiative, linking resilient crops to food security.

Desertification & Drought Response: Eritrea marked World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with a national workshop in Asmara under “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore,” with officials pointing to climate change, recurrent drought, falling rangeland productivity, and livestock practices as key drivers—and calling for community-led conservation and sustainable use. Martyrs Day Environmental Sanitation: Popular environmental sanitation and tree-planting campaigns were carried out across Eritrea ahead of 20 June, including at Asmara Martyrs Cemetery, Halibet Hospital, and in Keren, plus water and soil conservation work in Nakfa sub-zone—linking cleaner surroundings to stronger groundwater and farm output. Water & Sanitation Policy Focus: Africa Day events in Asmara highlighted the AU theme on sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems, with Eritrean officials stressing long-term planning and dam/reservoir efforts to secure water in a dry climate. Health System & Local Capacity: A WHO Africa Regional Director visited Eritrea and toured facilities including Azel Pharmaceutical Factory and Orotta Cardiac Center, underscoring priorities like universal health coverage and health security. Climate Signals: NOAA reported the return of El Niño, warning it can tilt odds toward drought, heat, and extreme weather across distant regions.

Desertification & Drought Focus: Eritrea marked World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought in Asmara with a workshop under “Rangelands: Recognize. Respect. Restore,” calling out climate change, recurrent drought, falling rangeland productivity, and livestock practices that prioritize quantity over quality—plus plans for rangeland conservation and sustainable use. Martyrs Day Sanitation Drive: Popular environmental sanitation and tree-planting campaigns were held across Eritrea ahead of 20 June, including at Asmara Martyrs Cemetery, Halibet Hospital, and Keren, alongside water and soil conservation work in Nakfa sub-zone. Africa Day Water & Sanitation Theme: Eritrea’s Africa Day events in Asmara tied the AU theme to “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems,” with Minister Osman Saleh stressing water as life and Eritrea’s dam-and-reservoir approach to saving every drop. Food Safety Push: Eritrea commemorated World Food Safety Day in Asmara, highlighting food-borne illness risks, pesticide misuse on produce, and steps toward stronger national food control policy and better coordination. Red Sea Cooperation: Egypt and Eritrea discussed accelerating Red Sea/Gulf of Aden border coordination, while Eritrea’s leadership continues maritime cooperation talks tied to regional security. Climate Outlook: NOAA’s return of El Niño raises the odds of drought and extreme weather across multiple regions, a reminder for Eritrea’s climate-risk planning.

Martyrs Day Clean-Up in Eritrea: Popular environmental sanitation campaigns were held across Asmara and beyond, including cemetery cleanups and tree-planting at Halibet National Referral Hospital, with Defense Forces and government workers joining efforts in Keren and water-and-soil conservation work reported in Nakfa sub-zone. Africa Day Water & Sanitation Focus: Eritrea marked Africa Day in Asmara under a theme tied to sustainable water and safe sanitation, with Foreign Minister Osman Saleh highlighting Eritrea’s dam and reservoir building and the “save every drop” approach. Food Safety Push: Eritrea commemorated World Food Safety Day in Asmara, pointing to food-borne illness risks from microbes and chemical contamination, including pesticide misuse, and announcing work on stronger national food control coordination and policy. Red Sea Cooperation: Egypt and Eritrea discussed accelerating regional security coordination for Red Sea and Gulf of Aden states, emphasizing collective security and respect for sovereignty—an environmental-adjacent issue given the stakes for coastal and maritime stability. Desert Heritage from Space: Researchers using satellite imagery identified hundreds of ancient stone burial enclosures across the Atbai Desert, including sites spanning toward Eritrea—new data for protecting fragile desert landscapes.

Martyrs Day sanitation push in Eritrea: Asmara and other towns carried out popular environmental sanitation and tree-planting activities linked to 20 June Martyrs Day, including work at Asmara Martyrs Cemetery, Halibet Hospital, and Keren—plus water and soil conservation efforts underway in Mariet (Nakfa sub-zone). Africa Day water and sanitation focus: Eritrea marked Africa Day in Asmara under “Africa: One Heart, One Land, One Destiny,” with Foreign Minister Osman Saleh highlighting the AU theme on sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems. Food safety at home: Eritrea commemorated World Food Safety Day with renewed attention on pesticide misuse and food-borne illness, and steps toward a stronger national food control policy and better coordination across ministries. Red Sea security coordination: Egypt urged faster activation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden border council during talks with Eritrea, stressing collective maritime security and respect for sovereignty. Climate risk reminder: El Niño is back, with scientists warning it can tilt odds toward drought, heatwaves, and wild weather—raising the stakes for water and land planning across the region.

Martyrs Day Sanitation Drive in Eritrea: Asmara and other towns saw popular environmental sanitation and tree-planting efforts tied to 20 June commemorations, including cemetery cleanups and hospital grounds work, plus water-and-soil conservation activity in Nakfa sub-zone—showing local momentum for cleaner public spaces and stronger land stewardship. Africa Day Water & Sanitation Focus: Eritrea marked Africa Day in Asmara with officials highlighting the AU theme on sustainable water availability and safe sanitation, linking it to health, dignity, and development in Eritrea’s dry-climate reality. Food Safety Push: Eritrea commemorated World Food Safety Day with renewed attention on preventing food-borne illness, including concerns over pesticide misuse on fruits and vegetables, and plans for a stronger national food control policy. Red Sea Cooperation: Egypt and Eritrea urged faster activation of a Red Sea and Gulf of Aden border council to improve collective maritime security and coordination among littoral states. Desertification Threats in the Sahel: A photo essay warns how rising heat is pushing sand into oases across the Sahel belt (from Mauritania to Eritrea), threatening farmers and wildlife and underscoring the need for practical anti-desertification measures. Climate Signal—El Niño Returns: NOAA says El Niño is back, raising odds of drought, heat, and extreme weather across parts of Asia and beyond, a reminder to plan for climate-linked shocks.

Red Sea Water & Security: Egypt’s foreign minister urged faster activation of the Council of Arab and African States Bordering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, calling it a key pillar for maritime security and regional stability, while stressing respect for sovereignty. Red Sea Cooperation: Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki met Egypt’s Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in Cairo, with talks covering Horn of Africa developments and Red Sea security alongside plans to deepen economic and trade ties. Food Safety at Home: Eritrea marked World Food Safety Day in Asmara, highlighting concerns over pesticide misuse on fruits and vegetables and food-borne diseases, and pointing to work on a national food control policy and stronger coordination. Climate Risk for Eritrea’s Neighbors: A photo essay warns that rising temperatures are pushing sand into Sahel oases, threatening livelihoods and ecosystems; it links the threat to desertification pressures across the Sahel belt that stretches toward Eritrea. Water as a Policy Theme: Eritrea’s Africa Day events tied the AU theme—sustainable water availability and safe sanitation—to Eritrea’s dam and reservoir efforts aimed at “saving every drop of water.” Agriculture & Resilience: FAO support for climate-resilient, locally produced foods spotlights potato value chains, with Eritrea listed among countries selecting potatoes under its OCOP initiative.