The record exports allowed Asian and African countries to import the staple at a time when supplies of wheat and other grains were hit by drought and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A two-year drought has decimated crops and livestock across Horn of Africa nations, while the price of food imports has soared because of the war in Ukraine.

The far right argues that MP Gregoire de Fournas was not aiming the words at the MP who asked the question, Carlos Martens Bilongo, but at migrants stranded on an NGO boat.

The surprise deal between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and Tigrayan rebels was unveiled after negotiations led by the African Union in South Africa and was hailed by the UN and the US among others.

WHO estimates that up to 200,000 children die each year of the highly contagious infection, which is the leading cause globally of severe, dehydrating gastroenteritis in children under the age of five.

This is only the second outbreak of Marburg in West Africa.

African countries are acutely affected by the growing crisis, which has sent prices of grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertiliser soaring.

Insufficient rainfall has destroyed crops, killed livestock and forced huge numbers of people to leave their homes in search of food and water.

Health Minister Joe Phaahla says that although hospitalisations are picking up there is no dramatic change in admissions to intensive care units or deaths.

Astou Sokhna died nine months pregnant on April 7 in a public hospital in the northern town of Louga, local press reported, after she repeatedly pleaded with doctors to perform the operation.

The study has found that by September 2021, 800 million Africans had been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, compared with 8.2 million cases reported at that time.

Moderna and Gavi have agreements for up to 650 million doses of the company's vaccine to be made available to Covax participants through 2021 and 2022.