'Hand-In-Hand' cultural exchange program fosters friendship between Chinese, African children

A group of African children embarked on a visit to China on Sunday to experience local culture and form bonds with their Chinese peers.

Hosted by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the All-China Women's Federation, the China-Africa: Children Hand-In-Hand cultural exchange program is designed to forge stronger ties between Chinese and African children.

At the welcome ceremony held inside the China National Children's Center in Beijing, vibrant cultural performances including dances and martial arts were performed by youngsters from China and five African countries - Namibia, South Africa, Somalia, Uganda and the Central African Republic - to showcase their respective cultural heritages.

Together, the children were invited to color in a large picture that highlights China-Africa friendship.

In the center's intangible cultural heritage area, they shared the charm of traditional Chinese culture as they made scented pouches and shadow puppets.

"I want to introduce our history, culture, and some interesting attractions to African friends, tell China's stories well and serve as a good ambassador of China-Africa friendship to let more foreign children understand and like China," said Lu Xiangyi, a young Chinese girl.

"This is my first time. I'm very happy. I want to learn about the history, and how they do the traditions. I wish that we all become friendly to each other and be friends to expand our friendship," said Orathai, a girl from South Africa.

Over the next six days, children from China and the five African countries will also visit sites such as the Palace Museum in Beijing, as well as cultural sites in central China's Henan Province.

'Hand-In-Hand' cultural exchange program fosters friendship between Chinese, African children

'Hand-In-Hand' cultural exchange program fosters friendship between Chinese, African children

'Hand-In-Hand' cultural exchange program fosters friendship between Chinese, African children

The recent Israeli airstrikes on multiple sites in Yemen, including Hodeidah Port in the north, could have devastating consequences, potentially further worsening the humanitarian situation in the country, an United Nations official said on Friday.

On Dec 19, Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Houthi targets in northern Yemen, resulting in the destruction of two major power stations in the capital, Sanaa, and several ports along the coast of the Red Sea.

A total of three ports in Hodeidah Province were affected by the airstrikes: the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef, and Ras Isa.

On Thursday, Israel launched another round of airstrikes targeting key infrastructure and Houthi-controlled sites in Sanaa and Hodeidah, according to media reports.

Julien Harneis, UN resident coordinator in Yemen, stated that 80 percent of food and nearly 90 to 95 percent of medical supplies needed in northern Yemen rely on Hodeidah Port for passage, making the port extremely important.

He emphasized that if the port were to break down, it would have catastrophic consequences, leading to a rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

"So, the airstrikes some days ago which destroyed the two tugs was estimated to reduce the harbor capacity by 50 percent. Now, we don't know how long that reduction in capacity will be and we have yet to done a thorough analysis of what the impact of yesterday's airstrikes. So, we're still collecting information and trying to understand that," Harneis said.

The UN predicts that by 2025, the population in need of humanitarian assistance in Yemen will rise to 19 million people. If the internal conflict in Yemen persists, this situation may worsen even further, Harneis noted.

Israeli airstrikes on Yemen may trigger devastating consequences: UN official