Vietnam’s 3,260 km coastline and extensive river networks have given the country an economic and industrial advantage. However, the exploitation and resulting pollution of the rivers has severely limited people’s access to clean drinking water. Despite efforts taken to improve water quality in Vietnam and limit the unmindful disposal of factory waste, polluted water still causes up to 80 percent of illnesses nationwide.
Vietnam has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in Southeast Asia, and as many as 44 percent of Vietnamese children fall ill with whipworms, hookworms or roundworms. Other common water-borne illnesses in Vietnam include Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E and Typhoid Fever, all of which are most commonly spread by fecal contamination of drinking water.
The pollution most profoundly impacts those living in central and southern Vietnam, where the majority of waterways are used for farming and power. Although water quality in Vietnam‘s upstream rivers such as the Red River remains acceptable, those living downstream or in urban areas are at greater risk of contracting water-borne illnesses.
According to the National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation, water samples from Binh Chanh, Cu Chi and District 12 contain unsafe levels of ammonia and manganese. Arsenic contamination in water has also been a threat to the entire nation.
Untreated industrial waste is the primary cause of poor water quality in Vietnam, as fifty industrial zones discharge 105 million liters of largely untreated wastewater into the Saigon every day. International water resource organizations recommend limiting river flow exploitation to 30 percent, but, according to a report in the Voice of Vietnam online journal, the Ninh Thuan province exploits as much as 80 percent. This has degraded the basins in the Red River, the Thai Binh River and the Dong Nai River.
Hydropower plants have been built on all 13 big river networks, as well as on small rivers. The power plants have cut the river networks into artificial water reservoirs and have upset the river’s water storage. This not only devastates the forests and water life, but it makes people living downstream from these areas particularly vulnerable to pollution from farming pesticides, fertilizer, factory runoff, fish farms and wastewater.
Vietnam is developing its hydropower infrastructure to keep up with its increasing demand for energy. While the existing administrative and legal framework for pollution control is substantial, the problem, according to Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, a professor at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, is law enforcement. “We need to have strong punishments,” Oanh says, especially with larger power plants. He also says that people need to be aware of the issue so that they do not contribute to the pollution themselves.
Some of the greatest problems regarding pollution control are low fines, vague criteria for identifying polluters, low monitoring capacity, little willingness to enforce regulations and inadequate funding. Legislation passed in the last decade, however, has made provisions for harsher sanctions against polluters, such as the 2005 revised Law on Environmental Protection.
Funding for pollution control has also increased over the last ten years on both the national and provincial levels. For example, the HCMC Waste Recycling Fund targets waste management firms, while the Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund targets pollution control in urban areas, craft villages and hospitals.
Flexible funding, effective audits and knowledge as to who polluters are should reduce the waste going into Vietnamese rivers. The benefits of these changes will protect future generations from serious illnesses, and ultimately prepare the country for more sustainable economic development.
– Liliana Rehorn
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in Estonia
Poverty in Estonia? Since the country regained its independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Estonia has been relatively economically successful. In fact, it emerged as an economic pioneer among former Soviet states in the late 1990s.
The country takes good care of their 1.3 million citizens. Life expectancy for men is 70 years of age, while life expectancy for women hovers around 80 years. This puts Estonia in a fairly good position in relation to the rest of the modern world. In the wake of the Financial Crisis of 2008, Estonia has been able to almost fully restore its economy.
Poverty in Estonia: Recovering from the 2008 Crisis
During the period following the Financial Crisis, income inequality reached record highs. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) 2016 report shows that while the wealthy bounced back quickly from the crisis, the wages of those below the relative poverty line have yet to return to what they were pre-crisis. Despite decreases in unemployment, every fifth person in Estonia lives in relative poverty. More than one-quarter of Estonia’s wealth is hoarded by the richest members of the country.
The absolute poverty rate is highest in children, young people and pre-retirement age people. Education level significantly affects the chance of becoming impoverished in Estonia. Among those who had access to only lower education, every third existed in the poorest demographic and only one-twelfth existed in the largest income quintile. Thus, better education is a prerequisite for the eradication of poverty in Estonia.
However, the most notable aspect of poverty in Estonia is not how it effects, but who it effects. Those who are most at risk for poverty are pensioners. Pensioners are often older citizens who need pensions. Thus, the highest cases of poverty exist within the elderly community. In 2013, nearly 32 percent of Estonian citizens above the age of 65 lived in relative poverty.
These are all problems that may be remedied with internal drive and external aid. Some solutions that have been posed include The Strategy of Children and Families and increasing benefits for elderly citizens. Meanwhile, those who are not citizens can aid the poor in Estonia by supporting such acts as the “Education for All Act” which ensures funding is allotted in areas where education deficit remains a problem globally.
– Kayla Provencher
Photo: Flickr
“Thomas Rhett and Friends” Concert Aids 147 Million Orphans
Thomas Rhett emerged in 2016 as one of country music’s notable rising stars. This year he released his sophomore studio album Tangled Up, which spawned multiple hits including “T-Shirt,” “Star of the Show” and CMA song of the year, “Die a Happy Man.”
Off stage, however, Rhett’s success is supplemented by his enthusiastic support of relief projects for impoverished communities in developing nations. Following the conclusion of his ‘Six String Circus Tour’ co-headlining Jason Aldean, Rhett hosted the first annual “Thomas Rhett and Friends” charity concert benefiting 147 Million Orphans.
On Twitter, Rhett often calls attention to 147 Million Orphans, an organization sponsoring trips to Africa and Latin America with a purpose of building up local communities. Beginning in 2009, the organization’s original mission was to provide food, water, medicine and shelter to children in Uganda.
However, it has since expanded to Haiti and Honduras with remarkable achievements such as funding the construction of a large-scale medical center in Gressier, Haiti. According to its website, the organization accomplishes its goals by focusing on sustainable income projects that encourage healthier technologies and family preservation.
As a longtime supporter of the organization, Rhett announced a charity concert held on the evening of October 4, 2016. Tickets were limited and hopeful attendees raised money by bidding for the chance to take part in the event. Before the concert, guests participated in a silent auction to bid on exclusive items such as autographed guitars and appropriately customized t-shirts. Guests then arrived at The Old School in Nashville for dinner and drinks, a private concert, a personal meet and greet and an after-party bonfire.
Drawing additional publicity, Rhett’s performance was accompanied by fellow musicians: Dierks Bentley, Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line, Walker Hayes, Shane McAnally and Russell Dickerson. With all proceeds benefiting his charity, the concert all in all raised over $250,000.
Further, Rhett’s wife Lauren Atkins is an avid supporter of the organization. Atkins is professionally trained as a nurse, and she frequently embarks on mission trips herself to deliver medical supplies, new mattresses, and bed covers to the aforementioned nations.
Most recently, the couple also celebrated Giving Tuesday in Kenya by raising awareness of a wildlife refuge. Rhett then announced a few dates for his solo “Home Team Tour” beginning in spring 2017. While a follow-up “Thomas Rhett and Friends” concert has not been formalized yet, it is clear that the causes in developing nations will remain an important component of the Atkins’ family philanthropy.
– Zachary Machuga
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in Vietnam
Vietnam’s 3,260 km coastline and extensive river networks have given the country an economic and industrial advantage. However, the exploitation and resulting pollution of the rivers has severely limited people’s access to clean drinking water. Despite efforts taken to improve water quality in Vietnam and limit the unmindful disposal of factory waste, polluted water still causes up to 80 percent of illnesses nationwide.
Vietnam has one of the highest child malnutrition rates in Southeast Asia, and as many as 44 percent of Vietnamese children fall ill with whipworms, hookworms or roundworms. Other common water-borne illnesses in Vietnam include Hepatitis A, Hepatitis E and Typhoid Fever, all of which are most commonly spread by fecal contamination of drinking water.
The pollution most profoundly impacts those living in central and southern Vietnam, where the majority of waterways are used for farming and power. Although water quality in Vietnam‘s upstream rivers such as the Red River remains acceptable, those living downstream or in urban areas are at greater risk of contracting water-borne illnesses.
According to the National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation, water samples from Binh Chanh, Cu Chi and District 12 contain unsafe levels of ammonia and manganese. Arsenic contamination in water has also been a threat to the entire nation.
Untreated industrial waste is the primary cause of poor water quality in Vietnam, as fifty industrial zones discharge 105 million liters of largely untreated wastewater into the Saigon every day. International water resource organizations recommend limiting river flow exploitation to 30 percent, but, according to a report in the Voice of Vietnam online journal, the Ninh Thuan province exploits as much as 80 percent. This has degraded the basins in the Red River, the Thai Binh River and the Dong Nai River.
Hydropower plants have been built on all 13 big river networks, as well as on small rivers. The power plants have cut the river networks into artificial water reservoirs and have upset the river’s water storage. This not only devastates the forests and water life, but it makes people living downstream from these areas particularly vulnerable to pollution from farming pesticides, fertilizer, factory runoff, fish farms and wastewater.
Vietnam is developing its hydropower infrastructure to keep up with its increasing demand for energy. While the existing administrative and legal framework for pollution control is substantial, the problem, according to Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, a professor at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, is law enforcement. “We need to have strong punishments,” Oanh says, especially with larger power plants. He also says that people need to be aware of the issue so that they do not contribute to the pollution themselves.
Some of the greatest problems regarding pollution control are low fines, vague criteria for identifying polluters, low monitoring capacity, little willingness to enforce regulations and inadequate funding. Legislation passed in the last decade, however, has made provisions for harsher sanctions against polluters, such as the 2005 revised Law on Environmental Protection.
Funding for pollution control has also increased over the last ten years on both the national and provincial levels. For example, the HCMC Waste Recycling Fund targets waste management firms, while the Vietnam Environmental Protection Fund targets pollution control in urban areas, craft villages and hospitals.
Flexible funding, effective audits and knowledge as to who polluters are should reduce the waste going into Vietnamese rivers. The benefits of these changes will protect future generations from serious illnesses, and ultimately prepare the country for more sustainable economic development.
– Liliana Rehorn
Photo: Flickr
Things to Know About Poverty in El Salvador
El Salvador is the most densely populated country in Central America. After a 12 year civil war and years of unstable leadership, poverty in El Salvador is a concern that greatly affects the over 6 million people living there.
Top 8 Facts on Poverty in El Salvador
Over 25 percent of children below the age of 5 experience extreme poverty in El Salvador and 36 percent of the rural population lives in poverty. Urbanization is a problem developing countries face as cities grow and become a hub for economic, medical and commercial activity. This causes problems for those in rural areas as they have less and less access to resources. Currently, 60.3 percent of citizens live in urban areas, which results in greater poverty for the remaining people outside of cities.
The people of El Salvador are also constantly at risk of facing greater challenges due to natural disasters. World Vision reports that the country “experiences frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity, making it known as the ‘land of volcanoes.” In December of 2013, the Chaparrastique volcano in eastern El Salvador erupted and caused the evacuation of 5,000 people.
Leaf rust has caused problems for the coffee industry in El Salvador, which is an important source of income for the country’s economy. Heavy rain and wind carry rust spores from plantations to other plantations miles away. Bloomberg reports that the 2015 coffee season projections fell from 920,000 to 613,333 60-kilogram bags.
90 percent of the population has access to safe water and 96 percent of children are enrolled in school, though this education may not be effective in preparing children for their future. The U.S. Agency for International Development reports, “Many children and adolescents living in El Salvador face enormous vulnerabilities associated with high rates of crime and gang violence including poor quality education.”
El Salvador has the highest homicide rate in the world for youth under 19, reports USAID. InSight Crime cites progress in El Salvador’s mission to reduce the number of violent deaths to a rate more in line with international statistics. In September of 2016, 13.3 percent fewer homicides occurred than the previous year. USAID launched programs whose focus is to stimulate and increase productivity in areas that are at risk, such as rural populations.
The national strategy entitled Plan El Salvador Seguro “addresses security and education opportunities in high crime municipalities.” The strategy involves programs such as Education for Children and Youth at Risk, as well as USAID Bridges to Employment to care for those who are not enrolled in education but need to provide for themselves and their families.
UNICEF Goodwill ambassador and former professional soccer player David Beckham’s new fund “7” launched a campaign in 2015 to end violence against children and poverty in El Salvador. This program is Beckham’s commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable children globally.
Beckham said, “Every day, violence affects thousands of children and adolescents in El Salvador. It’s an outrage – violence in their homes, schools and streets. El Salvador has the highest rate in the world of homicides of children and adolescents and, together, we can change this.”
– Rebecca Causey
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in Montenegro
Montenegro is a small mountainous country located in Southeast Europe off the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The country has a relatively small and open economy, which is reliant on energy-intensive industries. On average, Montenegro is one of the least efficient consumers of energy and water in the entire European continent.
Further, urban sprawl and deforestation put a strain on the infrastructure and local service provisions within Montenegro. This also increases exposure to environmental hazards and erodes natural resources. Overall, these issues pose a threat as it makes Montenegrins vulnerable to resource depletion.
Poverty in Montenegro averages at around 8.6 percent with 33 percent in economically vulnerable situations. However, those in the northern region average at around 10.3 percent poverty rates. Unemployment rates in the north, are around two times greater than the national average and citizens there have limited access to public services. This reflects an internal problem within the country, namely regional development disparity.
Gender and age discrimination are two additional issues in Montenegrin society. Although the high-education balance between men and women is equal in Montenegro, women in the workforce are prone to huge gaps in income. They also lack proper political and economic representation, making them especially vulnerable to problems such as domestic violence and general impoverishment should they choose to divorce or remain unmarried.
Another demographic that is overwhelmingly at a disadvantage are the roughly 50,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees. These people make up roughly seven percent of the Montenegrin population and are among the poorest in Montenegro. Their poverty rate is roughly six times higher than the average national poverty rate.
Thus, combating social discrepancies and poverty in Montenegro is the pinnacle for evening the proverbial fiscal playing field. This will require reformation of health, employment and social services on both the local and global level.
– Kayla Provencher
Photo: Flickr
Lifestyle Diseases in India
India, a third world country by economic profile, has morphed its morbidity profile to that of a first world nation. Lifestyle diseases in India are cropping up increasingly under the scanner making it a ticking time bomb with an alarming rise in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, asthma and respiratory diseases as well as cancers.
Termed non-communicable diseases (NDC), many of these are found to be equally prevalent among the poor. In fact, ongoing studies prove they are increasing among the poorest. Sixty-six percent of the disease burden is borne by lifestyle diseases consequently cutting into the most productive asset of contemporary India- its people.
India has the highest number of diabetics at 50.8 million per the WHO, though only 11 percent of the population has health insurance. This figure, set to increase to 73.5 million by 2025, will include many of the poorest since India has one of the largest populations of the poor. Twenty-five million suffer from cardiovascular disease, 60 percent of the global total.
According to national diabetes expert Dr. Anoop Misra, diabetes is on the rise because the poor make bad and cheaper nutritional choices based on high fat and carbohydrates intake in their diet leading to malnutrition. They forego vitamins, proteins, and micronutrients as carbohydrates push up their insulin resistance and increase sugars. Diabetes is the forerunner to many opportunistic infections- fatty livers, high cholesterol leading to coronary heart disease and organ failures. Overcrowding and bad living conditions also increase stress leading to coronary heart diseases, asthma and cancers. Urbanization makes for a sedentary life leading to greater obesity. Mass migration from rural to urban areas has made it likely that nearly 60 percent of India will be urban by 2030.
One of the biggest problems with lifestyle diseases in India is that a large part of treatment is through self-monitoring and self-reporting. The high level of ignorance and lack of education about the ramifications of food and lifestyle choices amongst the urban poor leads to these diseases having the worst impact on them. Data collection in India is negligible and there is a large quantum of underreporting and underestimation among poorer patients.
India spends 4.2 percent of its GDP on health for its population of over a billion people. In comparison, Germany spends 11.3 percent for its relatively small population. Per capita spending on health amounts to 34 euros per person whereas in Germany it is over 4000 euros. Eighty percent of health care in India is dominated by the private sector. As a result, the poor become almost invisible for health care providers, leading to undetected and untreated morbidity.
Lifestyle diseases in India require prolonged treatment for a lifetime, including lasting changes in lifestyle. Without better and more consistent healthcare services being provided for the poor, NCDs could be the next big epidemic wiping out large parts of the Indian population.
– Mallika Khanna
Photo: Flickr
Do Sanctions Actually Make a Difference?
Sanctions. A frequently employed strategy to mollify human rights abuses has been marked, at best, as underwhelmingly ineffective.
In 1948, the U.N. General Assembly outlined a Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which “sets out basic rights and freedoms to which all women and men are entitled – among them the right to life, liberty, and nationality; to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the right to work and to be educated; the right to food and housing; and the right to take part in the government.”
Unfortunately, the UDHR has been ineffective at upholding member-states to their obligations. Violent and nonviolent human rights abuses are common practice for unscrupulous governments.
According to information gathered by Amnesty International, out of the 160 countries in which data was collected, 119 countries arbitrarily restricted freedom of expression. During 2014, at least 18 countries committed war crimes or other violations of the “laws of war.”
In an effort to avoid draconian measures when correcting the irresponsible behavior of international actors, the global community has developed a pattern of implementing sanctions – the process suppressing or excluding economies from reaping the benefits of the global trade system.
Recently, however, the efficacy of sanctions has been questioned. Reports by the International Association for Political Science Students noted that sanctions disproportionately provide adverse consequences for the innocent population, but not the guilty leadership.
The now dismembered U.N. Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights issued a resolution in August 1997 where it condemned the use of sanctions as a tool of international diplomacy – further increasing skepticism on the efficacy.
Consequently, both selective and comprehensive sanctions discourage the promotion of human rights, and in fact, create counter-productive consequences – e.g. less distribution of wealth and the advent of black market business practices.
A recent example that undermines the efficacy of sanctions is the U.S. led sanctions on North Korea, which concentrated the remaining resources and wealth in Pyongyang (with the government). As a result, famished North Koreans resorted to cannibalism as an attempt to garner the necessary nutrients to survive.
Other long-standing recipients of U.S. sanctions are Iran and Cuba, which were marked as a pariah for their involvement in the sponsorship of terrorism and spread of communism, respectively. Fortunately, the U.S. has begun to normalize relations with Cuba and is likely to undergo a “fresh-start” without U.S. administered sanctions.
Some sanctions have remained intact for over 30 years without a change in behavior by the target country. At one point, the international community must begin to question the efficacy, as the primary objective to correct misguided international behavior is not achieved. Additionally, the international community must also wonder if the act of sanctioning itself is a violation of the UDHR, as the collateral damage of innocent civilians’ deaths continues to rise.
– Adam George
Photo: Flickr
Hunger in Yemen: Slowly Moving Imports
Last October, photos of an emaciated 18-year-old girl, Saida Ahmad Baghili, circulated the internet. A quick glance at this shocking photograph explains why the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) is pleading for $258 million, which would fund food assistance for the hunger in Yemen problem until January 2017.
The WFP warns that Yemen is on the brink of famine. The 19-month civil war aggravated the inherent poverty in Yemen and worsened malnutrition for thousands of individuals including Baghili. Before the war, Yemen already had the Arab world’s lowest GDP per capita and 45 percent of its population were malnourished.
Slowly Moving Imports
Additionally, before the war, Yemen imported 90 percent of its food. Now, ships carrying food find it difficult to enter the country’s ports.
Online newspaper The Intercept explains that the Saudi-led coalition has enforced air and sea blockades on rebel-held parts of Yemen since March. The coalition allows only U.N. supervised flights and aid shipments to enter the country.
With conflict escalating and a shortage of food in local markets, prices of basic foods have increased. At one point in time, the WFP’s market analysis stated that the national average price of wheat flour was 55 percent higher compared to the pre-crisis period, which affects the hunger in Yemen problem a great deal.
The blockades also threaten fuel needs for water pumps and generators in hospitals. Doctors Without Borders states that the restrictions on imports severely hinders medical workers’ ability to treat patients. Many Yemeni like Baghili are dying from basic diseases that are easily treatable.
The Saudi coalition denies the accusations and says it was implementing U.N. resolutions that aim to prevent weapons and ammunitions. They explained that the coalition gives aid ships immediate and regular permits to reach Yemeni ports, pointing to the opposition’s black market as the cause of their “humanitarian catastrophe.”
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that in August 2016 significant delays were experienced. The report attributed the delays to reduced operational capacity. In Seleef’s port, two vessels waited for berth an average of 45 days. Since December 2015, average delays in ships entering ports have increased. This could be why the WFP estimates it takes four months from the time they receive funds for the food to reach families who need it.
A Community’s Response
Alex Potter, a photojournalist based in Yemen, shares how the Yemeni community pours out support for each other: neighbors invite displaced people into their homes, wealthier Yemenis donate trucks of water and friends visit to help with daily tasks. She said, “In Yemen if you see your neighbor needs something, you always share.”
Yet the WFP issued an urgent statement that resources are running out. While they reached millions of people with emergency assistance in March and July, they were still forced to split rations between more families to meet the growing need throughout this problem of the hunger in Yemen.
Baghili’s photograph further highlights a shocking reality where a teenager’s parents lack the financial means to help their severely malnourished daughter. Baghili only received treatment when charitable people pooled their funds together so she could receive proper medical attention.
Many countries and people have answered WFP’s call. Perhaps we too can become like the charitable people whose donations save the lives of those like Baghili.
– Andy Jung
Photo: Flickr
The Missing Middle of Economies in Development
Cited in the 2015 award-winning documentary “Poverty, Inc.,” the “missing middle of economies” refers to the theory that a gap of “small and medium enterprises” in developing nations prevents economic prosperity.
The Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for International Development is studying this issue to develop solutions that could lead these countries out of foreign aid dependency and into an environment that encourages local entrepreneurship and development.
World Bank Group databases suggest that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) “are responsible for 50 percent of GDP and over 60 percent of employment” in higher-income nations. Rates are “less than half of that” in developing, low-income countries, a fact that indicates major hurdles to economic autonomy and prosperity.
While small and large businesses may profit in low-income countries, the missing middle of economies produces roadblocks to development that keep countries dependent on foreign aid.
In a 2006 study published in Elsevier’s Journal of Financial Economics, researchers highlighted the challenges local entrepreneurs face with “entry costs” or “entry regulation.” They concluded that “entry regulations hamper entry,” an effect that is heightened in developing countries.
Harvard Kennedy School’s Asim Kwaja is a professor of public policy and principle investor in the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab Research Initiative, a pilot program designed to open entrepreneurial opportunities in developing African markets. Kwaja mentioned a “frustration” he has experienced throughout his career.
“There is a perceived massive cost, a political cost,” Kwaja said, for developing nations’ governments to set policy for local entrepreneurship. Tax codes and permit requirements, among other regulations, ultimately stymie development.
The Entrepreneurial Finance Lab Research Initiative investors have tested their model in seven countries, trying its ability “to stimulate entrepreneurship, access to finance and economic growth across the developing world.” Kwaja looks to change the “little perception of any returns” by encouraging policy reforms to stimulate the growth of SMEs.
On top of regulatory obstacles, local entrepreneurs face competition from low-cost (or no-cost) foreign aid suppliers like NGOs and non-profits.
Michael Matheson Miller, director-producer of “Poverty, Inc.,” holds graduate degrees in international development, philosophy and international business. He is a fellow at the Action Institute, a non-profit organization that aims to promote “a free and virtuous society.”
“Poor people are not poor primary because they lack stuff,” Miller said in a radio interview in May 2016. He asserted that the world’s poor lack the political liberties and economic opportunities they need to prosper.
“Poverty, Inc.” highlights the way unpredictable influxes of foreign aid mire economic opportunism. While most charitable giving is motivated by altruistic intentions, Miller stated that non-profits, NGOs and even foreign governments treat the poor as “objects” rather than “subjects and the protagonists of their own story of development.”
The missing middle of economies engenders a need for more strategic coordination to help developing countries gain a chance at economic prosperity.
– Tim Devine
Photo: Flickr
Poverty and Sickness in Nigeria’s Borno State
A whole generation is missing in Nigeria‘s Borno State. There are no toddlers clinging to their siblings’ hips or babies wailing for their mothers. This is because, in Borno State, there are hardly any children under 5 years of age. This is largely due to displacement compounded with a severe lack of nutrition.
In 2013 and 2014, those from northeast Nigeria fled their homes and livelihoods to escape attacks by the Boko Haram, an Islamist terrorist group. By the thousands, they escaped to Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria’s Borno State. As the fighting continued and spread, farmers were barred from working their land and trade routes were sealed off. Markets emptied. Imports into areas held by the Boko Haram were entirely cut off, leading to widespread starvation. Nearly 500,000 people are living in unacceptable conditions.
This severe deficit of food and essential nutrients has led to unprecedented rates of malnutrition among the population, which in turn, led to high rates of disease in the very young and very old. Measles, malaria and diarrheal diseases run rampant through the population. Acute respiratory infection claims young lives by the dozens.
Those most affected are those under 5 years of age, who die at intolerable rates from malnutrition, infection and typically preventable diseases. They are the victims of acute political unrest and, more immediately, they are the victims of hunger. Nutritional screenings taken throughout the state show that 50 percent of children in the Borno State are severely malnourished. Even in areas where food is available, prices have increased tremendously in just a matter of months. With each spike in the price of food, more households find themselves unable to eat.
These circumstances led the Nigerian government to announce a nutritional emergency in Nigeria’s Borno State in June of 2016. The people in Borno State are in dire need of help and, while Nigeria’s government has recognized the magnitude of this epidemic, the crisis must be acknowledged worldwide for maximum impact. There must be measures implemented to make sure that people can reach food and humanitarian aid in protected locations. Massive global aid is crucial to the survival of these people.
Doctors Without Borders is calling for a major humanitarian response to the crisis, even as teams are reaching affected areas. It is not enough. U.N. agencies, particularly the World Food Programme, should scale up interventions. In America, the Food for Peace Reform Act, which proposes to help end global hunger using the most efficient and cost effective means possible, must be supported and passed in congress.
Aid needs to be scaled up now, today and every day following until the needs of the Nigerian people are met— until we are able to replenish an entire lost generation.
– Kayla Provencher
Photo: Flickr