Situated in the northernmost part of Africa on the south side of the Mediterranean Sea between Tunisia and Morocco, Algeria is the continent’s largest country—and for the past half-century, it has been plagued by violence. This country is ripe with history, and here’s some of the most important of Algeria’s facts and figures.
France first seized the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria back in 1830, ending three centuries of Algeria as an autonomous province of the Ottoman Empire. By 1954, the Algerian War of Independence had broken out, which was largely motivated by the National Liberation Front (the FLN—the nation’s primary political party), and they successfully gained their autonomy from France in 1962.
The current President of Algeria is Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who won the presidency in the 1999 election and has held power ever since. In 1991, a civil war broke out with Muslims against the government; when Bouteflika was elected in 1999, he was able to restrain the conflict of a brutal civil war by introducing a national reconciliation policy, restoring economic stability within the country.
When regarding facts and figures on Algeria’s economy, it is largely dominated by hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons account for 30 percent of the country’s GDP, 60 percent of budget revenues, and close to 95 percent of all export earnings, as Algeria holds the 10th-largest reserve of natural gas globally. Algeria’s economy also enjoys an extremely low debt, at just 2 percent of GDP.
When it comes to Algeria’s facts and figures regarding its climate, it is mainly arid to semi-arid, with wet winters and hot, dry summers along the coast—dusty, sand-laden wind is very common in the summertime. The average elevation is about 800m, contains 17.3 percent of usable agricultural land, and its main natural resources are petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead and zinc.
Algeria’s environment is subject to biodiversity, climate change, desertification, endangered species, hazardous wastes and ship pollution, among others.
Some of the leading current issues involving Algeria’s environment include the Mediterranean Sea becoming polluted from factors such as oil wastes, soil erosion and fertilizer runoff.
According to the Central Intelligence Agency, as of July 2016, facts and figures regarding the population of Algeria were at 40,263,711 people, with 99 percent of the population being Muslim and predominantly Sunni. The most common of languages in the nation are Arabic, French and Berber.
When broadcasting to the population, the government exercises a strong hold over the media, and the radio sector of the media is entirely state-run.
A major issue within Algeria is human trafficking, with women being subjected to atrocities such as forced labor, sex trafficking, prostitution, domestic service and begging. As for men, they can be subject to forced labor, criminal networks and domestic servitude.
Fortunately, slight improvement has been made with Algeria moving from a category three to a category two in human trafficking.
– Sara Venusti
Photo: Google
Relations Between the Philippines and the EU
Relations between the Philippines and the EU have soured in the past year. In 2016, EU member countries called for strict monitoring of human rights abuses committed under President Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ policy. Almost 9,000 people were killed in the Philippines since Duterte took office on June 30. Many were small-time users and dealers who police say were sho tin self-defense by officers during legitimate operations.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said that Duterte approved a recommendation from the finance ministry “not to accept grants that may allow interfering with internal policies.”
EU official Gunnar Wiegand defended the EU’s practice of setting conditions in exchange for aid. “You know why? Because it’s the money of our taxpayers. They want to know where their money goes,” Wiegand said.
The longstanding relationship between the Philippines and the EU became formal in 1980 in the European Cooperation Agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In July 2012, the EU-Philippines Partnership Cooperation Agreement provided a legal framework for further cooperation in a range of areas. These included political dialogue, trade, energy, transport, human rights, education, science, technology, justice, asylum and immigration.
This agreement also doubled the planned grant assistance to the Philippines for the period of 2014 to 2020. Funds increased to €325 million, up from €130 million in the period from 2007 to 2013. The Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines states that this seven-year support strategy focuses on “the rule of law” (improved governance and increased cooperation in the justice sector) and “inclusive growth” through sustainable energy and job creation.
The EU also provided aid to Manila’s efforts to end the insurgency in Mindanao, a 50-year conflict that killed more than 120,000 people, displaced one million and prevented economic growth in the region.
The EU is also one of the most important providers of aid to the Philippines in the case of natural disasters. One example of such was after Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. The EU provided €180 million in humanitarian assistance and early recovery interventions to help those affected by Haiyan.
Wiegand stated that the EU will not “beg” the Philippines to accept its aid and that there are “no lack of other countries” for the EU to fund if the Philippines rejects its offer.
Some officials contend that this is only a temporary setback for relations between the Philippines and the EU. Economic Planning Minister Ernesto Pernia is skeptical of Manila’s decision. “I will not take that as policy. It is more of a reaction to criticism. I don’t think it’s going to remain as such,” Pernia said.
– Hannah Seitz
Photo: UN Multimedia
Eight Facts About Education in Somalia
In the coastal African country of Somalia, a long history of famine and war has made it difficult for the school system to flourish. Civil conflict, an underdeveloped government and natural disasters have all served to stunt the growth of education in Somalia.
But hope is not lost—both government and nonprofit organizations are developing methods to increase access to quality schools. Below are eight facts about the country’s education system and current efforts to improve the landscape.
While the current circumstances may look bleak, the future holds a wealth of possibilities. With the continued support of the government and organizations such as the GECPD, education in Somalia is on track to turn around.
– Madeline Forwerck
Photo: Flickr
An Uphill Battle: Common Diseases in Ethiopia
With a population of more than 98 million people, Ethiopia has a depth of history and diversity that has captivated the world for centuries. It has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, yet common diseases in Ethiopia are still a pressing problem.
The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that more than half the population of Ethiopia doesn’t have access to healthcare, cases being more prominent in rural areas. An estimated 42 percent of people living in rural areas are within walking distance of health facilities, while 75 percent of people living in urban areas are within walking distance. Furthermore, many of the healthcare facilities lack adequate medicines and supplies and are staffed by under-qualified workers.
As reported by the WHO, the most common diseases in Ethiopia, responsible for 74 percent of all deaths and 81 percent of disabilities per year, are malaria, prenatal and maternal death, nutrition deficiency, diarrhea, acute respiratory infection and HIV/AIDS.
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), consisting of a large group of parasitic diseases, are also a prominent problem throughout Ethiopia. Ethiopia has the highest number of NTD cases in sub-Saharan Africa, including trachoma, podoconiosos and cutaneous leishmaniasis.
However, progress has been made to combat common diseases in Ethiopia. As reported by the World Bank, between 2005 and 2013, “the number of small health posts or clinics nearly quadrupled from 4,211 to 14,416, the number of health centers increased from 519 to 3,245, and the number of public hospitals grew from 79 to 127.” Furthermore, with World Bank-funded programs promoting citizen participation in helping to improve living conditions, NGOs, communities and civil society organizations are increasingly communicating and developing plans to address common diseases in Ethiopia.
Yet, there is still much work to be done. The country still reels from recent protests that killed hundreds of people and battles entrenched ethnic divisions perpetuated under the current government. As Ethiopia fights to end inadequate and inaccessible healthcare, there must be increased communication between citizens and all governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations.
With repressive anti-terror laws, this is a daunting task, yet one that must be addressed if common diseases in Ethiopia are to be eradicated. The entire population depends on international and national pressure to increase funding and expand infrastructure that will be accessible to all people no matter their ethnicity, religion, geographic location, gender and many other factors that divide the country.
– Joseph Dover
Photo: Flickr
What are the Causes of Poverty in Haiti?
Haiti is known as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. According to a Global Sisters Report, more than half of its citizens live either on or below the poverty line, contributing to a dearth of resources like food. Severe hunger is one of the biggest consequences of Haitian poverty, which has gotten worse in recent times. Given the severity of the situation, it’s important to know what the causes of poverty in Haiti are.
Exploring the Causes of Poverty in Haiti
One of the biggest causes of poverty in Haiti is government instability. Throughout the past 30 years, Haiti has had 18 different leaders, with 18 different governments. Due to this upheaval, several officials and businesses have taken advantage of the situation for their own power and wealth, to the detriment of the rest of the Haitian people.
Another consequence of this instability is the lack of government funds due to a lack of paid taxes. This leads to poor or even nonexistent services, such as aid for natural disasters. When these disasters occur, it creates a bigger burden for a country already struggling with few resources.
Two recent disasters that have exacerbated Haitian poverty are the 2010 earthquake and 2016’s Hurricane Matthew. According to The Economist, the earthquake left tens of thousands homeless, many of them still living in relief tents seven years later.
Still reeling from the earthquake, Hurricane Matthew destroyed much of the country’s livestock and crops. According to the Miami Herald, this leads to either desperate measures to attain food, like eating poisonous plants, or an over-dependence on foreign aid.
A study explored in the Global Sisters Report discussed how “[imported] rice accounts for the vast bulk [83 percent] of consumption.” The dependency on foreign food leads to less investment on local foods, hurting the already fragile economy.
Regardless, foreign relief alleviates a lot of the burden of Haitian poverty. Organizations like Food for the Poor and Misiόn Belem feed Haitians in areas where food is scarce.
In response to those areas of scarcity, current Haitian President Jovenel Moise vows to build up Haitian agriculture, like clearing the Duclos canal so the waters can be used to grow rice. Moise is also considering matters in Haiti beyond agriculture.
The Economist discussed how he received a report from The Copenhagen Consensus Centre outlining what it felt were the best investments into Haiti’s future. These investments included electricity reform, first responder training and infant immunization.
Although the causes of poverty in Haiti are varied and extreme, there are many people both within and outside of the island who are working towards ending Haitian poverty.
– Cortney Rowe
Photo: Flickr
Why Is the Dominican Republic Poor?
According to a 2014 World Bank Report on Dominican inequality, only 2 percent of the population climbed to a higher income group, as opposed to the Latin American and Caribbean average of 41 percent. The 2003-2004 Dominican economic crisis is partly to blame. Several Dominican banks collapsed and the Dominican Peso experienced severe inflation. While the economy has recovered from the crisis, the nation’s poorest residents have been left behind.
As recently as 2013, according to the Palma ratio, the wealthiest 10 percent of Dominicans earn as much as 2.5 times as the bottom 40 percent. In the U.S., that earning disparity is only 1.9.
Why is the Dominican Republic poor? Poor Dominicans have it especially bad in urban areas. The cost of living is so high in urban areas that the Dominican minimum wage has failed to keep pace. At 8,310 Dominican Pesos (DOP) per month, roughly $175, many residents have a hard time covering the basic necessities.
Access to basic education is another issue that needs addressing when answering the question “why is the Dominican Republic poor?” Many kids simply drop out of school to help provide for their families. Children that do attend schools must cope with overcrowding and inexperienced teachers. Failure to receive an education lends itself to several problems and has been linked to an increased teen pregnancy rate on the island.
Fortunately for the Dominican Republic, GDP per capita has been steadily growing at one of the fastest rates in the world, due in part to an injection of American tourism dollars. In December 2016, President Danilo Medina promised to redouble efforts to include the country’s poorest citizens in the economic boom, and increase spending on the nation’s public school system.
The World Bank has suggested that the government make direct investments in both informational and physical infrastructure that promote upward mobility and increase access to the expanding labor market. This could include expanding access to the internet and investment in the nation’s schools and teachers.
In answering the question of why the Dominican Republic is poor, we must understand that while the island nation itself isn’t poor, problems of wealth inequality and barriers to accessing information and education still persist. But, the Dominican government is not oblivious to these problems. Through investment in infrastructure and the expanding labor market, the government hopes to raise the incomes of its poorest citizens.
– Tj Anania
Photo: Flickr
Debt Crisis Affects Human Rights in Puerto Rico
The human rights of Puerto Ricans have been radically affected as the U.S. government works with Commonwealth officials to manage and reduce the debt crisis in Puerto Rico. Essential public services including healthcare, education, social security and basic necessities of food and housing have been undermined as further spending cuts were made in an attempt to recover the economy.
After being in an economic recession for nearly a decade, Puerto Rico relinquished control of its finances after filing for bankruptcy in May 2017. The lack of protection under Chapter Nine bankruptcy leaves the government in Puerto Rico with fewer means to restructure debt. With their inalienable right to self-determination in jeopardy, citizens of Puerto Rico faced the opportunity to claim equal rights as U.S. citizens by voting for statehood, according to Governor Ricardo Rosselló. With only 23 percent of eligible voters casting ballots on June 11, the quest for financial relief and development remains in the hands of the U.S. Congress.
Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory with its own constitution and government. Island residents elect a governor and members to the island’s legislature, but they may not vote in the U.S. general election for president and they do not have a voting member of Congress. Becoming the fifty-first state would allow the island access to bankruptcy protection, although many still oppose statehood.
The financial crisis is also deteriorating human rights in Puerto Rico in terms of health care. Low-income citizens are currently only able to access healthcare through Affordable Care Act funds, which are nearly exhausted. With these funds running out, Puerto Rico could use all of its Medicaid funding, plunging the island into a health crisis, and putting healthcare for the poor and elderly in danger.
Among the 400,000 people who have left for the mainland since 2004 are doctors and physicians, primarily for economic opportunities. Puerto Rican residents have lower household incomes and higher child poverty rates than those living in the U.S. With an increasing number of hospital closures, Puerto Ricans are at risk of losing access to healthcare services.
The debt crisis has also shed light on discriminatory policies affecting human rights in Puerto Rico for people with disabilities. Puerto Ricans with disabilities are excluded from the federal Supplemental Security Income program (SSI), leaving them to rely on limited support. SSI provides American citizens with disabilities residing in the U.S. with $540 per month, while the federal Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled Program can only provide Puerto Ricans with disabilities $74 per month.
Basic necessities such as the right to adequate food and housing are slipping out of financial reach in Puerto Rico. The cost of living on the island is high, with grocery products 21 percent higher than the U.S. average. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Puerto Rico is 11 percent, and with 45 percent of residents below the line of poverty, adequate housing has become increasingly difficult to pay for.
Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, an independent expert on the effects of foreign debt on human rights, said, “Schools are paying a significant amount of their funds to provide school children at least with one decent meal.” The right to education has been steadily declining in Puerto Rico, with 150 schools being closed and an anticipated 600 due to close within the next five years.
Whether the island becomes a state or a nation, one thing is clear: financial reform measures must ensure that human rights in Puerto Rico are protected.
– Jennifer Mcallister
Photo: Google
A Country Steadily Improving: Algeria’s Facts and Figures
Situated in the northernmost part of Africa on the south side of the Mediterranean Sea between Tunisia and Morocco, Algeria is the continent’s largest country—and for the past half-century, it has been plagued by violence. This country is ripe with history, and here’s some of the most important of Algeria’s facts and figures.
France first seized the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria back in 1830, ending three centuries of Algeria as an autonomous province of the Ottoman Empire. By 1954, the Algerian War of Independence had broken out, which was largely motivated by the National Liberation Front (the FLN—the nation’s primary political party), and they successfully gained their autonomy from France in 1962.
The current President of Algeria is Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who won the presidency in the 1999 election and has held power ever since. In 1991, a civil war broke out with Muslims against the government; when Bouteflika was elected in 1999, he was able to restrain the conflict of a brutal civil war by introducing a national reconciliation policy, restoring economic stability within the country.
When regarding facts and figures on Algeria’s economy, it is largely dominated by hydrocarbons. These hydrocarbons account for 30 percent of the country’s GDP, 60 percent of budget revenues, and close to 95 percent of all export earnings, as Algeria holds the 10th-largest reserve of natural gas globally. Algeria’s economy also enjoys an extremely low debt, at just 2 percent of GDP.
When it comes to Algeria’s facts and figures regarding its climate, it is mainly arid to semi-arid, with wet winters and hot, dry summers along the coast—dusty, sand-laden wind is very common in the summertime. The average elevation is about 800m, contains 17.3 percent of usable agricultural land, and its main natural resources are petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead and zinc.
Algeria’s environment is subject to biodiversity, climate change, desertification, endangered species, hazardous wastes and ship pollution, among others.
Some of the leading current issues involving Algeria’s environment include the Mediterranean Sea becoming polluted from factors such as oil wastes, soil erosion and fertilizer runoff.
According to the Central Intelligence Agency, as of July 2016, facts and figures regarding the population of Algeria were at 40,263,711 people, with 99 percent of the population being Muslim and predominantly Sunni. The most common of languages in the nation are Arabic, French and Berber.
When broadcasting to the population, the government exercises a strong hold over the media, and the radio sector of the media is entirely state-run.
A major issue within Algeria is human trafficking, with women being subjected to atrocities such as forced labor, sex trafficking, prostitution, domestic service and begging. As for men, they can be subject to forced labor, criminal networks and domestic servitude.
Fortunately, slight improvement has been made with Algeria moving from a category three to a category two in human trafficking.
– Sara Venusti
Photo: Google
Water Quality in Bhutan Improves After New Government Policies
The Bhutan Drinking Water Quality Standard was adopted in 2016 by the National Environment Commission to protect public health and improve water quality. Unclean water has been traced to numerous diseases, such as cholera, fluorosis and typhoid fever. Before the standard was adopted, water providers had no obligations to conduct water testing and treatment. This left the 745,000 Bhutanese citizens with potentially hazardous water.
According to the standards document, the objectives are:
To further ensure better water quality, Bhutan hosted a National Water Symposium (NWS) on May 9, 2017. The NWS will improve water quality in Bhutan by devising a system of water management and sustainability. Organizers of the Symposium gathered 60 water sanitation professionals to decide priority focus areas for the twelfth Five Year Plan (FYP), a series of five-year economic goals.
One of these focus areas is supplying and conserving safe drinking water for families. Climate change’s effects in the region have made water conservation a significant concern. While Bhutan has one of the highest per capita water availabilities in the world, the rapidly melting glaciers and snow in the country’s often cold region pose a threat to future water availability. The Symposium will identify ways to manage and conserve natural water resources to improve water quality in Bhutan.
According to the Bhutan Times article, “National Water Symposium Brings Experts Together,” event organizer Lyoncchen Tobgay said that “managing water resources and providing continuous safe drinking water to every household is one of the flagship projects prioritized in the twelfth FYP.”
With the new standards and efforts from participating agencies from the National Water Symposium, Bhutan’s water quality should vastly improve over the next few years.
– Marie Adigwe
Photo: Google
Why Is Swaziland Poor?
Buffeted over the course of the last few years by drought, the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and increasing food insecurity, the Kingdom of Swaziland continues its struggle with poverty. It is a lower-middle-income nation with approximately 63 percent of Swazis living below the poverty line. Why is Swaziland poor?
In understanding why Swaziland is poor, there is a need to explore the unequal distribution of land and wealth within the nation. A small, landlocked country in southern Africa, Swaziland is home to 1.1 million people. The majority live on government-owned Swazi National Lands, often less than one hectare in size. On the other hand, private title deed lands receive significant investment and produce important Swazi exports like sugar and wood.
With a rapidly increasing population size, land availability has decreased, and Swaziland’s poor have been forced to farm on the increasingly over-cultivated land. According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the intensification of land use may lead to a further decrease in productivity, poorer living conditions and an increase in a number of people living in poverty.
During the 2015-16 agricultural season, Swaziland, already susceptible to low and unpredictable amounts of rainfall, experienced one of its worst droughts in the last 35 years. The drought caused poor harvests and a decrease in food security, which now affects more than 30 percent of the population. Approximately 6 percent of children under the age of five are underweight, and 3 percent of Swaziland’s annual GDP is lost due to child malnutrition.
The answer to the question of why is Swaziland poor must also consider the presence of diseases like HIV/AIDS. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Swaziland has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the world. This leaves nearly 45 percent of children orphaned and vulnerable. HIV affects 26 percent of those between the ages of 15 and 49, greatly diminishing the country’s workforce and life expectancy, which is approximately 49 years.
Swaziland also has one of the highest incidence rates of tuberculosis, and 80 percent of tuberculosis patients are also affected by HIV. In its effort to provide care and treatment to HIV and tuberculosis patients, the CDC has provided thousands in Swaziland with antiretroviral treatment, HIV testing and counseling services since 2012. These services attempt to both help those needing treatments and ease the strain put on the economy by these diseases.
According to Geremia Palomba, in charge of conducting the International Monetary Fund 2017 visit to Swaziland, the main challenges currently facing the country are the significant fiscal readjustments and reforms needed to ensure future economic stability.
“Policies need to be carefully designed to address the main sources of recent fiscal deterioration and include both expenditure and revenue measures that can support long-term growth,” Palomba stated in an end-of-mission press release. “Structural reforms to address the lack of skilled workers, better align wage and productivity dynamics, simplify business regulations and strengthen the institutional environment have the potential to significantly boost investment and employment.”
By focusing reform efforts on these particular issues, Palomba believes that Swaziland may be able to achieve sustainable economic growth that is both strong and inclusive and will contribute greatly to the lasting stability of the country.
– Amanda Quinn
Photo: Flickr
World Health Organization Prioritizes Global Mental Illness
Mental illness has recently become one of the top priorities of the World Health Organization (WHO). Though most renowned for contributions to the prevention and treatment of physical disabilities, the WHO has embarked on a lengthy Mental Health Action Plan that addresses global mental illness exclusively.
The action plan, initiated in 2013 and meant to see completion in 2020, outlines four encompassing goals:
More specifically, the WHO seeks to achieve these goals by promoting human rights for the mentally ill, increasing access to health care for all groups of people around the globe and supporting research as well as research-backed treatment methods. On May 29, 2017, the organization endorsed an action plan specific to dementia, in concordance with the 2013-2020 Mental Health Action Plan, which included objectives such as risk-reduction and improved care systems. Additionally, the WHO initiated a year-long global campaign against depression, highlighted on World Health Day of 2017.
While mental health is a universal concern, the WHO has pointed to low-income regions in particular as at-risk. Not only is there a strong correlation between mental illness and poverty, but poorer populations are less likely to have access to adequate health care and information concerning treatment. Often, they receive little to no protection against discrimination. Therefore, the WHO has particularly emphasized mental health care implementation in developing nations.
The scope and intensity of the WHO’s global mental illness action plan mirror the severity of the issue. Behavioral health disorders are on the trajectory to surpass all other diseases as a major cause of disability by 2020. Each year, approximately $2.5 trillion is lost in the global economy to mental illness; this number is expected to increase to $6 trillion in a little over a decade. Approximately one in every four people in the world suffers from mental illness.
Fortunately, there is strong evidence that efforts to address global mental illness can aid both prevention and treatment tremendously. For example, enabling health care systems to detect behavioral abnormalities in children could have an enormous impact, as early diagnosis makes a substantial difference in the treatment of mental disease. By employing effective strategies that maximize global impact, the 2013-2020 Mental Health Action Plan is certainly a promising step in the right direction.
– Kailey Dubinsky
Photo: Flickr