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World Refugee Day on 20 June provides an opportunity to recognize the perils asylum seekers, stateless and displaced people around the globe face; celebrating their strength and resilience in extraordinary circumstances. 

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.