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'What's the point of going to work when you're starving?' - Mass nurse sit-in sees healthcare paralysed amid surge in patients in South Kivu

'What's the point of going to work when you're starving?' - Mass nurse sit-in sees healthcare paralysed amid surge in patients in South Kivu

"The collective of healthcare workers in Uvira, South Kivu province, has held a sit-in for a week, demanding respect for their rights and guaranteed salaries, paralysing the system and leaving patients almost unattended. Footage captured on Thursday shows patients waiting for treatment outside the Uvira Central Bureau of Health Zone and South Kivu Provincial Health Division. Some were seen lying in the facility's hall, and others, with more critical wounds, resting on mattresses on the ground. "A minimum service is being organised; that is, a doctor in charge who saw us," shared a patient. "Back then, they used to visit the patients three times a day [...] But currently, that's not the case. They just pretend to treat the patients, and only once instead of three times," he continued. The patient, however, expressed sympathy for health workers, attributing responsibility for the sector's challenges to government policies that undermine their labour. "Why not address the situation for those in healthcare, considered a key driver of the system?" he emphasised. Olivier Ndugu, spokesperson for the Union of Nurses in South Kivu, highlighted the root causes of the ongoing protest, including sudden suspensions and frozen bank accounts, while emphasising the workers' demands for rights, salaries, and bonuses. "We suffer the same things as the sick people in the community. We ourselves have families, we ourselves are sick, we are already adults," Ndugu remarked. "If we go two years, three years, or even eight months without being paid, the temptation becomes real - a devil that could even lead someone to divert medication. What’s the point of going to work when you’re starving?" he added. The sit-in reportedly began last Thursday, with protesters calling for their demands to be met. The action comes amid a widespread healthcare strike across South Kivu, ongoing since early November, leaving patients untreated and wounded soldiers from the conflict in urgent need of care, according to local reports. The crisis exacerbates as threats, violence, and unpaid wages drive many health professionals from the region, creating a severe shortage of qualified staff. The government has repeatedly highlighted the humanitarian crisis in South Kivu, urging the UN and international community for more funding. It warns that the health system is nearing collapse due to rising numbers of displaced people and funding shortfalls that have forced cuts in humanitarian support."

‘Preserve future for generations to come!’ – Zacatecas farmers take stand against overexploitation ahead of water law reform

‘Preserve future for generations to come!’ – Zacatecas farmers take stand against overexploitation ahead of water law reform

"Farmers in Zacatecas on Thursday called on the Mexican federal government and the Chamber of Deputies to audit transnational mining, soft drink, and brewing companies for their alleged excessive use of the country's aquifers, before approving reforms to the General National Water Law. Footage shows farmers driving their tractors in protest outside Grupo Modelo’s brewery in Calera, Zacatecas - the world's largest - against the proposed law. If passed, farmers fear the reform could devalue their land by preventing them from inheriting or selling water rights, while giving the government full control over water resources. They also warn that reviewing concession titles could affect existing permits. Alberto Santiago Murillo, president of Zacatecas' agricultural and livestock associations, said the reform criminalises farmers.  "We feel attacked… economically penalised and criminalised," he said. "The law should punish polluters and support those of us producing food and strengthening the national food security plan.” Morena, the ruling party promoting the law in the Chamber of Deputies, said the bill will be amended following farmers’ protests and technical observations. Morena coordinator Ricardo Monreal said changes will specifically address the ban on transferring water rights between private parties, a key concern for the agricultural sector."