A historically long drought in the Horn of Africa has displaced millions of families while pushing people into poverty and forcing them to resort to extreme measures to ensure their survival. The disregarded effects of extreme weather events, which disproportionately affect poverty-stricken countries and communities, have resulted in very little U.S. congressional action. However, the introduction of a resolution may be the beginning of collective governmental action to provide aid in the Horn of Africa. Rep. Karen Bass [D-CA-37] introduced a resolution (H.Res.1137) for the “drought and endemic food insecurity plaguing the Horn of Africa” in May 2022, acknowledging the role of extreme weather events in the crises afflicting the Horn of Africa.
The Role of US Foreign Aid
The resolution reaffirms the importance of USAID and the role it plays in “meeting humanitarian obligations, cultivating enduring self-reliance in developing nations, ensuring the stability of global financial markets and mitigating the likelihood of conflict in accordance with our national security interests.” Furthermore, the resolution highlights the significance of funding for emergency humanitarian aid in the most disadvantaged countries. “Supporting the development of sustainable agricultural sectors in developing nations and assisting with the international resettlement of refugees escaping droughts and extreme hunger” is also of utmost importance.
The resolution calls on the Biden administration, the Department of State and USAID to take urgent humanitarian action. The U.S. must offer “technical and material assistance, as appropriate and to the extent allowable under Federal law and congressional appropriations,” and must support not only the governments of the countries afflicted but also the organizations aiming to resolve the crisis in the Horn of Africa in order to “alleviate hunger and deliver food aid to communities impacted by the drought in the Horn of Africa.”
While a resolution does not have legal force, it represents the non-binding position of the House or Senate and the Chambers can use it to deal with internal affairs.
The Humanitarian Situation in the Horn of Africa
The Greater Horn of Africa, which consists of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, is an Eastern region of Africa with more than 290 million people, according to the World Bank. This region is experiencing a four-year-long drought, largely impacted by the effects of changing weather patterns that continue to worsen over the years. The drought is one of the “most severe and longest” in recent history, the United Nations Population Fund says.
Besides the lack of access to water and food resources, rising food prices and poverty also afflict the region due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. This economic crisis and food insecurity create a dangerous combination, resulting in starvation and disease as people have to choose between feeding their families or seeking out health care. Many children are especially vulnerable to disease due to malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, making them that much more at risk.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is providing vital aid in the Horn of Africa for those who face malnutrition and disease, prioritizing the health sector.
The crisis in the Horn of Africa detrimentally impacts women as they make “perilous journeys with their families to makeshift shelters in formal and informal camps and face long distances to fetch water, heightening their vulnerability to rape, abuse and exploitation,” the UNFPA explains.
With situations becoming so dire, families are resorting to extreme measures to ensure survival. Girls are dropping out of school and child marriage is becoming more prevalent as “marrying off a daughter means one less mouth to feed,” the UNFPA says. A lack of education keeps girls in cycles of poverty and child marriage has detrimental impacts on not only the girls themselves but on entire economies.
The Crisis in Numbers
Overall, according to the WHO, in the Greater Horn of Africa, more than 46 million people within the region are experiencing acute food insecurity. In Djibouti, 400,000 people require aid but these needs are more pronounced in rural areas. With such suffering in the region, many had to relocate or flee the country as 6,086 million people face internal displacement. About 37,000 people have become refugees.
In Ethiopia, the drought is especially impactful with effects on 17 million people out of 292 million. While organizations such as the WHO are providing as much aid as possible, 51% of Ethiopia still lacks health partners and resources. About 20.4 million are suffering from acute food insecurity and almost 5 million people face internal displacement.
This drought could affect exponentially increased numbers of people in Somalia. Between April and June of 2023, the region could face famine with 8.3 million potentially experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse, compared to the 6.7 million Somalis enduring this today. The children of Somalia are harshly impacted, with acute malnutrition predicted to reach 1.8 million children, 513,550 of whom may face severe malnourishment.
The resolution for aid in the Horn of Africa is a strong step in the right direction. More concrete action on the part of the U.S. is necessary to resolve the humanitarian crisis in the most impoverished region of Africa.
– Nixi Hults
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Fighting Poverty in Ethiopia
The nationwide famine in the 1980s and the genocide in the Tigray region have plummeted Ethiopians into extreme poverty and put the country at the center of international media attention only temporarily. In 2015, more than 23 million people lived below the poverty line and the COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened the challenging conditions. Civil War, poor health and social services and passive ignorance from the international community have reinforced families’ constant economic struggle and disrupted efforts of fighting poverty in Ethiopia. Despite the efforts to drive record economic growth and industrial advancement, more than 5 million people are still in need of aid in the Tigray region.
How USAID is Dealing With the Issue
To address this problem, USAID funded Livelihoods for Resilience (L4R) through the Feed the Future initiative, a five-year project that helps the government of Ethiopia solve chronic food insecurity through sustainable solutions.
L4R builds on the practices of its predecessor program, Graduation with Resilience to Achieve Sustainable Development (GRAD). This program provides Ethiopian households with agricultural and financial skills, loans and startup capital to fight extreme poverty in the country. The program has reached more than 97,000 households in Ethiopia. Furthermore, L4R encourages families to join the government’s Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) with the generous support of USAID’s Feed the Future program. PSNP gives access to participants to microfinance, means to improve on – and off–farm productivity, and enhance links to markets. The program also advocates for women’s empowerment and improved nutritional practices, which proved to be important in to fight against poverty.
Village Economic and Social Associations (VESAs), which local villagers established, further support the beneficiaries through diverse strategies, that focus on gender equity issues, financial literacy, nutrition and resilience towards climate change. USAID published a report in 2015 that stated that GRAD is the most cost-effective investment they have prosecuted in Ethiopia, with an 84% increase in family income and a 40% reduction in weather-related crop loss, according to CARE.
Personal Experiences
Feed the Future documented a lot of personal stories during the duration of the program showing the success of L4R. Wondater Agajalew, who joined Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Program years ago, says how much he profited in a short period and went from extreme poverty to making decent revenue from shoat fattening. The skills he acquired from the USAID-funded programs have encouraged him to escape hardship due to recurrent crop loss because of unpredictable weather.
Another inspiring story describes how Menze Gera’s and her family’s life transformed through L4R. Now their children can enjoy a more nutritiotious diet and a fulfilling and secure social life. Similar stories demonstrate how these programs have entirely changed the lives of ordinary people, given hope for the better and subsequently enhanced measures for fighting poverty in Ethiopia.
These people’s participation in the L4R activity for the past couple of years has generated many positive changes. They have received training on the knowledge and skills necessary for financial decisions and improved practices in agriculture, poultry and gender equity.
L4R serves as a model for a successful effort in tackling such a complex issue, such as fighting poverty in Ethiopia and further demonstrates the need for strategic financial foreign aid and thorough media coverage of the matter. By launching the Feed the Future initiative in Ethiopia, the U.S. Government has invested in improving food security, expediting economic growth opportunities and building resilience. It has modernized agriculture and established various national-level development strategies that support Ethiopia’s goal to “become a prosperous, middle-income country by 2025.”
– Nino Basaria
Photo: Flickr
Child Mortality in the Central African Republic
Child mortality in the Central African Republic (CAR) is a significant issue. According to UNICEF, in 2021, the CAR had one of the worst child mortality rates in the entire world, with 100 deaths per 1,000 live births, which equates to about one in 10 children dying before their fifth birthday. This issue of child mortality in the CAR is a multifaceted issue that has deeply rooted itself in the country.
Causes of Child Mortality in the Central African Republic
Researchers conducted a study in 2020 with the help of the Ministry of Health and Population and the Central African Institute for Statistics and Economic and Social Studies, which sheds light on the rampant child mortality in the CAR. The researchers conducted the study in one prefecture of the CAR called Ouaka, in which the researchers interviewed a sample size of 4,000 residents.
According to the study, 64% of the deaths of children under 5 resulted from three treatable diseases — malaria, diarrhea and respiratory infections. Usually, diseases like diarrhea are simple to treat, however, in the CAR, inadequate access to health care presents barriers.
Doctors Without Borders discusses in an article why children in the CAR risk mortality even though these diseases are treatable. Firstly, parents attempt traditional medicine before taking their children to skilled health professionals, and by the time the parents seek out professional care, the child is in a severe state of health.
Additionally, urgent medical attendance is delayed by the fact that the distance to get to a hospital or health care center is long for those in rural locations. Many parents do not vaccinate their kids, which also impacts child mortality in the CAR. Many children have not received critical childhood immunizations, Doctors Without Borders says.
According to a 2012 article by Doctors Without Borders, 13% of under 5 child deaths in the CAR occurred while traveling to a hospital and 60% of child deaths occurred at home.
Doctors Without Borders Takes Action
Doctors Without Borders has worked in the CAR since 1997. From 2015 onward, Doctors Without Borders carried out a vaccination campaign to immunize more than 213,000 children in the CAR against nine common illnesses. During this campaign, the organization administered more than 1 million vaccines to children under 5. The Doctors Without Borders team also introduced preventative measures, such as, “distributing vitamin A, bed nets, anti-parasite treatment and screening for malnutrition,” its website says. Since then, the organization has launched many other immunization initiatives in the country.
For instance, in January 2020, the Ministry of Health in the CAR warned of a countrywide measles epidemic. In response, Doctors Without Borders held a large-scale measles vaccination initiative with the goal of immunizing more than 340,000 children in seven health zones in the CAR.
Overall the prevalence of child mortality in the CAR is concerning, however, it has seen an impressive decrease in the rate of death with the help of organizations like Doctors Without Borders. In 2000, under-5 child mortality rates in the CAR stood at 166 deaths. In 2012, more than 10 years later, under-5 child mortality in the CAR stood at 123 deaths but reduced to 100 in 2021.
Due to the ongoing work of organizations, there is hope for child mortality in the Central African Republic to continue decreasing in the coming years.
– David Keenan
Photo: Flickr
Aid in the Horn of Africa
A historically long drought in the Horn of Africa has displaced millions of families while pushing people into poverty and forcing them to resort to extreme measures to ensure their survival. The disregarded effects of extreme weather events, which disproportionately affect poverty-stricken countries and communities, have resulted in very little U.S. congressional action. However, the introduction of a resolution may be the beginning of collective governmental action to provide aid in the Horn of Africa. Rep. Karen Bass [D-CA-37] introduced a resolution (H.Res.1137) for the “drought and endemic food insecurity plaguing the Horn of Africa” in May 2022, acknowledging the role of extreme weather events in the crises afflicting the Horn of Africa.
The Role of US Foreign Aid
The resolution reaffirms the importance of USAID and the role it plays in “meeting humanitarian obligations, cultivating enduring self-reliance in developing nations, ensuring the stability of global financial markets and mitigating the likelihood of conflict in accordance with our national security interests.” Furthermore, the resolution highlights the significance of funding for emergency humanitarian aid in the most disadvantaged countries. “Supporting the development of sustainable agricultural sectors in developing nations and assisting with the international resettlement of refugees escaping droughts and extreme hunger” is also of utmost importance.
The resolution calls on the Biden administration, the Department of State and USAID to take urgent humanitarian action. The U.S. must offer “technical and material assistance, as appropriate and to the extent allowable under Federal law and congressional appropriations,” and must support not only the governments of the countries afflicted but also the organizations aiming to resolve the crisis in the Horn of Africa in order to “alleviate hunger and deliver food aid to communities impacted by the drought in the Horn of Africa.”
While a resolution does not have legal force, it represents the non-binding position of the House or Senate and the Chambers can use it to deal with internal affairs.
The Humanitarian Situation in the Horn of Africa
The Greater Horn of Africa, which consists of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia, is an Eastern region of Africa with more than 290 million people, according to the World Bank. This region is experiencing a four-year-long drought, largely impacted by the effects of changing weather patterns that continue to worsen over the years. The drought is one of the “most severe and longest” in recent history, the United Nations Population Fund says.
Besides the lack of access to water and food resources, rising food prices and poverty also afflict the region due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. This economic crisis and food insecurity create a dangerous combination, resulting in starvation and disease as people have to choose between feeding their families or seeking out health care. Many children are especially vulnerable to disease due to malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, making them that much more at risk.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is providing vital aid in the Horn of Africa for those who face malnutrition and disease, prioritizing the health sector.
The crisis in the Horn of Africa detrimentally impacts women as they make “perilous journeys with their families to makeshift shelters in formal and informal camps and face long distances to fetch water, heightening their vulnerability to rape, abuse and exploitation,” the UNFPA explains.
With situations becoming so dire, families are resorting to extreme measures to ensure survival. Girls are dropping out of school and child marriage is becoming more prevalent as “marrying off a daughter means one less mouth to feed,” the UNFPA says. A lack of education keeps girls in cycles of poverty and child marriage has detrimental impacts on not only the girls themselves but on entire economies.
The Crisis in Numbers
Overall, according to the WHO, in the Greater Horn of Africa, more than 46 million people within the region are experiencing acute food insecurity. In Djibouti, 400,000 people require aid but these needs are more pronounced in rural areas. With such suffering in the region, many had to relocate or flee the country as 6,086 million people face internal displacement. About 37,000 people have become refugees.
In Ethiopia, the drought is especially impactful with effects on 17 million people out of 292 million. While organizations such as the WHO are providing as much aid as possible, 51% of Ethiopia still lacks health partners and resources. About 20.4 million are suffering from acute food insecurity and almost 5 million people face internal displacement.
This drought could affect exponentially increased numbers of people in Somalia. Between April and June of 2023, the region could face famine with 8.3 million potentially experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse, compared to the 6.7 million Somalis enduring this today. The children of Somalia are harshly impacted, with acute malnutrition predicted to reach 1.8 million children, 513,550 of whom may face severe malnourishment.
The resolution for aid in the Horn of Africa is a strong step in the right direction. More concrete action on the part of the U.S. is necessary to resolve the humanitarian crisis in the most impoverished region of Africa.
– Nixi Hults
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Vulnerable Populations During Brazil’s COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted millions of individuals across the globe, leaving vulnerable populations with unequal access to resources. As of February 2023, Brazil has had 36 million confirmed COVID-19 cases. Brazil is a large country with various regions; however, some communities were more vulnerable than others during the pandemic. Brazil’s COVID-19 pandemic left the country with a better understanding of how some populations ended up more vulnerable and disadvantaged.
Living in Brazil’s Poverty During the Pandemic
The Brazilian Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) reported that those who live in working-class neighborhoods or “favelas” are more likely to contract infectious and contagious diseases. Favelas are overcrowded and contain millions of inhabitants. That is one reason why residents are more apt to contract airborne diseases. Furthermore, favela residents lack access to health care and sanitation. It’s also why Brazil’s COVID-19 pandemic hit residents in the most poverty-stricken favelas much harder than those in other neighborhoods.
AE: Brazil’s Financial COVID Response to Poverty-Stricken Families
As one response to COVID, Brazil’s federal government implemented Auxílio Emergency (Emergency Aid) (AE) to aid low-income families. When first launched, AE supported poverty-stricken families with a minimum of five $600 installments, and households led by single mothers received double that amount. Over time, the program lowered these benefits, this public relief aid received global recognition. In fact, Brazil ranked as having the fifth largest governmental response.
Violence Against Women
The World Bank reported increased risks of gender-based violence (GBV) within the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Calls to domestic violence helplines increased in Brazil. During the time of isolation and lockdown, femicides doubled. In 2020, Brazil had 1,350 recorded cases of femicide. At the beginning of the pandemic, strict quarantine measures bolstered this increased violence. Later during the pandemic, job loss and financial instability contributed.
Combatting Violence Against Women
Luckily, Brazil already had services in place to combat violence against women. Signed into Brazilian law in 2006, the Maria da Penha Law provides women safety against domestic violence because any violence against a woman violates human rights. Forms of violence can include physical, psychological, sexual and patrimonial against women of any age. This law helps women find care and offers urgent protective measures. The law has assisted more than 3,364,000 since its initial signing in 2006.
Helplines and safe spaces further mitigate the threat of violent escalation. For example, one can report any situation of domestic violence to the Women’s Hotline (Central de Atendimento à Mulher).
Indigenous Populations and COVID-19
Brazil’s COVID-19 pandemic also disproportionately affected indigenous communities. Brazil is home to 896,917 indigenous persons in 305 ethnic groups. Mortality among indigenous populations was 6.5 times greater than in the rest of the population of Brazil during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the reason for this is that about a third of indigenous villages have access to clean water and sanitation. Access to hospitals is also worse for indigenous Brazilian communities. Additionally, indigenous people in Brazil face stigma and discrimination even when they can access health care services.
To combat symptoms of COVID-19 during the beginning of the pandemic, some indigenous populations such as the Xavante community turned to traditional medicine. United Nations Human Rights Senior Indigenous Fellow from Brazil and member of the Xavante people, Ro’otsitsina Juruna, reported, “Many indigenous people did not want to take the so-called Western medicines, so instead they began to take and practice more traditional medicine, through roots, teas and ablutions. I believe this strengthened our culture.”
As the pandemic continued, the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) worked to provide indigenous populations with accessible and accurate information about prevention and care. It advocated for state governments to educate indigenous communities about how to seek help in case of symptoms. It also pushed for information about COVID prevention and treatment to be written in as many indigenous languages as possible and allow communities information about the virus to indigenous peoples in as many indigenous languages and formats (oral, written, child friendly).
Reflection on Brazil’s COVID-19 Pandemic
Because Brazil’s government and national and international humanitarian organizations have intervened to help these vulnerable groups, they have mitigated the harm done even in the most vulnerable populations. Further, Brazil’s COVID-19 pandemic response helped the country better understand the factors contributing to the vulnerabilities.
– Yv Maciel
Photo: Flickr
Improving Mental Health in Libya
Many regard Libya as a war-torn developing country, but media coverage of the conflict often disregards the underlying mental health crisis. In 2020, the world saw a global increase in Common Mental Disorders (CMD) and Libya is no exception. As a result of many factors, including war and lack of resources, mental health services in Libya are lacking. Despite this, NGOs and agencies are working to improve mental health in Libya.
The Impact of War
According to a study by Sheikh Shoib and others published in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry in 2022, conflict and war affect the mental health of about 50% of Libya’s population, but less than 10% receive adequate help and support.
The World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Report 2001 estimated that, in situations of armed conflicts throughout the world, “10% of the people who experience traumatic events will have serious mental health problems and another 10% will develop behavior that will hinder their ability to function effectively.” Furthermore, the most common mental impacts include depression, anxiety and psychosomatic problems. Research shows that conflict and war cause more death and disability than any other significant disease.
Lack of Resources
Because Libya is a hotspot of conflict, research in the field of mental health is not a priority as the government directs time and resources toward “addressing elevated morbidity, mortality and health system challenges directly and/or indirectly associated to war,” a study by Nassim El Achi and others says. When political authorities and governments focus their agendas on engaging in conflict, the population suffers due to a lack of resources.
The 2020 Mental Health Atlas by WHO indicates a total of 84 licensed psychiatrists in the whole of Libya, which means less than two psychiatrists per 100,000 members of the population. In comparison, in 2015, the U.S. had 16 psychiatrists per 100,00 people.
The Mental Health Atlas 2020 showed that per 100,000 population, the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), which includes Libya, has approximately eight mental health workers made up of one psychiatrist, one psychologist, three psychiatric nurses, 0.4 social workers and 0.7 other types of mental health workers, highlighting the scarcity of trained mental health professionals in the EMR region at large.
Research in the study of mental health in Libya is also lacking due to underfunding considering the economic state of the country as a result of the war. With few studies, the availability of epidemiological data in regard to mental health is limited, making progress difficult to monitor.
Social Stigma
Stigmas and societal taboos can also impact mental health. There is a cultural stigma around women getting divorced and there are gender biases that exacerbate mental health issues, particularly for women. Women only make up 25.7% of the labor force in Libya, which demonstrates that women do not have the same autonomy as men, which may worsen mental health issues. Additionally, cultural beliefs impact mental health as society attributes mental illness to bad spirits or “jinn.” People often deny the existence of mental illnesses due to the taboo nature of a diagnosis.
Looking Forward
Although the situation surrounding mental health in Libya does seem dire, organizations are working toward improving mental health facilities and services in Libya and other MENA countries.
Hope Charity is a charity that supports Libyan women’s mental health, founded by Rugaya Gleasa’s late husband, Omar Mettawa. Hope Charity supports Libyan women with capacity-building programs, including tech training, English lessons, nursing training and sewing and cooking lessons, which will allow women to gain autonomy and improve their mental well-being. Since 2011, Hope Charity has helped more than 250,000 women, many of whom run their own small businesses now.
The charity also offers psychosocial and legal support to women in Libya to promote their well-being. Providing psychosocial support is one of the most difficult tasks for the charity due to societal taboos surrounding mental health, however, it is extremely rewarding. The charity has since become well-recognized and established within the field of mental health in Libya and women are now seeking out the charity, specifically for psychosocial support, demonstrating the impact Hope Charity has had in shifting societal perceptions of mental health.
The mental health situation in countries facing conflict is dire, however, it is not without resolution. By supporting charities and nonprofit organizations that work to improve mental health in Libya, the well-being of Libyans can improve.
– Safa Ali
Photo: Flickr
Giving DREAMS in Namibia
At one point, Namibia had the highest HIV prevalence rates globally. In the country, HIV disproportionately impacts young women, with their incidence rates being several times higher than those for men. However, the Namibian government and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) wanted to change the narrative for the country. To help, PEPFAR funded Namibia with $50 million for treatments and resources.
New HIV infections have decreased by 50% since 2004. Namibia now has an estimated 85.4% of viral suppression and 8.3% HIV prevalence, according to a Namibia Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (NAMPHIA) report. Through the partnership, the Namibian government and PEPFAR were able to give people DREAMS in Namibia.
DREAMS Project
DREAMS (the acronym for Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored and Safe) first launched on World AIDS Day 2014 with private sector partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Girl Effect, Gilead Sciences, Johnson & Johnson and ViiV Healthcare. The DREAMS Project works to address leading factors for increased vulnerability in adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) with HIV. The project has created change in 15 countries including Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. By doing so, it has pushed partner governments to renew their commitments to gender equality and the impact on adolescent health and development.
The U.S. Department of State mentioned on World AIDS Day 2020, data showed new HIV diagnoses among AGYW declined in countries implementing DREAMS, with 96% of which had a decline of more than 25% and almost 62% of which decreased by more than 40%.
Of the 15 countries, DREAMS in Namibia officially launched in October 2017. The U.S. Embassy noted the project is focusing on three regions: Khomas, Oshikoto and Zambezi. While the primary target of DREAMS in Namibia are AGYW ages 9-24, orphans and vulnerable children, the male sexual partners aged 20-49 are a part of the targeted population.
DREAMS and Project Hope
The DREAMS project is also partnering with Project HOPE Namibia. Project HOPE similarly works to mitigate the impact of HIV by safeguarding access to quality health care for vulnerable populations. Through the partnership, more than 100,000 orphans and vulnerable children with household services, loans and startup kits for their caregivers.
In partnership with DREAMS in Namibia, Project HOPE empowered more than 20,000 AGYW across Namibia with education on HIV, job skills and financial literacy. Project HOPE also offers clinical support for survivors.
On February 23, First Lady Jill Biden visited Hope Initiative Southern Africa to listen in on the testimonials of those that DREAMS in Namibia increasingly impacted. Among the testimonials, the common theme was that these young women’s voices grew and obtained more opportunities to kick-start their businesses.
Looking Ahead
Namibia is still fighting against the HIV epidemic. However, DREAMS in Namibia continues to reach the masses of those who are HIV infected by changing one life at a time. The project allows those infected to pursue their dreams.
– Brianna Green
Photo: Flickr
Tackling the Crisis in Haiti
Haiti has been experiencing political, economic and social conflict since someone assassinated the former president, Jovenel Moïse, in July 2021. Haiti’s parliament has become ineffective as it struggles to govern amidst the recent earthquake and the prominence of gang violence in Haiti. The crisis in Haiti does not only involve one issue but rather multiple crises all at once. The three most predominant crises in Haiti are gang violence, the cholera outbreak and the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in August 2022.
Gang Violence
The number of gangs in Haiti has grown over the past five years. With more than 95 gangs occupying large portions of Port-au-Prince Bay, the crisis in Haiti has accelerated into deeper chaos. Organized crime disproportionally affects vulnerable communities, especially children. UNICEF’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean has warned that women and children have become targets of gangs. She stated that “more and more incidents of gang violence have involved children and women in the past few weeks and months,” referring to kidnapping, rapes and killings.
The crisis in Haiti is worsened by gangs developing strong political and economic footing as they make themselves mercenary partners of politicians and administrators. Recently, gangs seized Haiti’s fuel terminal (its main source of energy), thus sending the country into an economic and health crisis. Many schools and hospitals have no power and small businesses have shut down completely. The Inter-American Foundation (IAF) has increased funding for 22 grassroots organizations focused on helping Haitians adapt to the various political, economic and environmental collapses. The fuel crisis has prevented more than three-quarters of hospitals from operating. The IAF has been able to supply the country with community clinics and ambulances to meet the pressing need for medical care in the midst of the cholera outbreak.
In terms of suppressing gang violence, there is disagreement on which strategy is the best. The U.N. has issued $5 million to help those that the violence has affected, as humanitarians try to negotiate with the gangs. Other experts and Haitians suggest that intervention may be a more plausible step as a large portion of money meant for more diplomatic relations has been relatively ineffective.
Health and Environmental Concerns
More than a quarter of all suspected cholera cases are children under 9. Cholera is much more likely to infect children, according to the Health Ministry. Between October and December 2022, there were reports of 13,672 cases of cholera, with 86% being hospitalized. From 2010 to 2019, there were reports of 820,000 cases in Haiti. U.N. agencies and Médicins sans Frontières (MSF), along with local organizations, have distributed medicines and treatments throughout the country. They have also established some clean water centers free of cholera while pushing for the development of vaccines for Haiti. Human Rights Watch believes that there is still a great deal that is necessary to resolve the health crisis in Haiti.
There are also environmental concerns for Haiti. A 7.2 earthquake shook the country in April 2021, leaving 620,000 people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. The earthquake destroyed 70% of schools. UNICEF is continuing to provide water, food and shelter to vulnerable populations.
As violence proceeds, the crisis in Haiti will require more aid and assistance to help rebuild and develop a more resilient political and economic order. Organizations within Haiti and around the world have already begun to provide relief but more must happen to ensure vulnerable peoples are safe.
– Anna Richardson
Photo: Flickr
The Situation of Orphans in India
India has the second largest population in the world, with 1.35 billion people. About 158.8 million of the population are children below the age of 6. Of these children, 30 million are orphans which makes up a significant portion of the youth population. Among the 30 million children, only 370,000 of them are in childcare institutions. The high number of orphans in India is due to multiple issues prevalent in the country. The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) conducted one study in 2016-17 and found that there are 9,589 orphanages (CCI). Of these, 91% are non-governmental which means that only 9% of them receive support from it.
Causes of the High Number of Orphans
With 30 million orphans, there are numerous reasons that there is such a large number of orphans in India. One reason is the grueling process of adoption in India. First of all, many children in India are orphans as a result of parents not being able to pay for them, or the child escaping a dangerous situation. With more than half of the country living in poverty, many parents abandon their children instead of attempting to care for them, according to the International Learning Movement (ILM).
In order for a child to be eligible for adoption in India, the child needs to be in an adoptive home or orphanage. This puts the status of the child as “legally free for adoption.” This system is extremely problematic, however, with only 370,000 of the orphans living in orphanages or adoption centers, more than 29 million orphans are unavailable for adoption.
To make matters worse, those previously mentioned 91% of orphanages that the government does not directly run are not linked to adoption agencies, making them virtually invisible to the greater public, according to DW.
Adoption is a difficult and discouraging process for prospective parents as well. Prospective parents complain about, “a lack of support from services while applying for adoption,” DW stated in an article. Prospective parents experience frequent “delays and uncertainty of referrals” and they have to deal with a “lack of information and transparency from the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).”
On top of the horrible support the government provides while in the adoption process, parents can expect the process to take up to three years. All of these factors combine to play a large role in prospective parents as they are constantly jumping through hoops in order to successfully adopt.
The Danger of Being an Orphan in India
With millions of orphans in India, scavenging on the street, there are countless dangers that can affect them. Trafficking is the most dangerous one as unprotected children are big targets for exploitation. While the orphans who roam the street have protection from the law, there is no physical force protecting them from danger, leaving them helpless, according to DW.
According to the 2022 U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons report, 47% of the trafficked individuals the DoS identified in India were children, and 59% of those children were female. The girls are usually sold as child brides, with 27% of them married before their 18th birthday. As for the boys, they are often forced to fight for extremist groups, according to ILM.
Solutions
With the brutal situation of orphans in India, many charities are working to make the situation better. Homes of Hope is one charity that has been doing extraordinary work in India and its help has positively impacted the country. Homes of Hope is responsible for building seven orphanages with five more on the way in India. It has lifted 3,000 girls from, sex trafficking, the streets, abusive homes and refugee camps. Homes of Hope has been a bright light leading the way through the dark situation of orphans in India.
Another great charity is India Hope. Like Homes of Hope, India Hope also focuses on improving the lives of orphans in India. India Hope currently houses 6,500 orphans in India with the goal of getting that number up to 8,000.
With millions of orphans in India, the situation is unfortunate and heartbreaking. However, with the continued work of good-hearted charities like Homes of Hope and India Hope, the situation could get better over time and hopefully, allow a good life for more and more orphans in India.
– David Keenan
Photo: Flickr
The Plight of Zimbabwean Farmers
Zimbabwe has faced several economic issues during the past two decades. The country’s economy has gone through a series of reforms and crises. All this has had a major impact on the poverty situation in the country. Between 2019 and 2020, Zimbabwe’s macroeconomic challenges, a record drought, cyclone Idai and the COVID-19 pandemic affected the country. Today, the economic regressions that the country has faced are having negative impacts on the daily lives of Zimbabwean farmers.
Agricultural Zimbabwe
Agriculture is the pillar of Zimbabwean society. It provides income for around 70% of the population, supplies almost 60% of the raw materials that the industrial sector necessary and contributes 40% of total export earnings. While the agricultural sector of Zimbabwe remains the largest employer of labor in the country, the official wage of farm laborers is around 78,000 Zimbabwean dollars. With the inflation rate at around 180%, many farmers are struggling to stay afloat financially and have resorted to working at multiple jobs simultaneously. Other challenges that farm laborers and smallholder farmers faced are droughts, poor soil fertility, low investment, shortages of farm power, poor physical and institutional infrastructure and recurring food insecurity.
Struggles of Farmers
In addition to the financial crisis, farmers in Zimbabwe also suffer from bad treatment in their workplaces. Many farmers and farm laborers have to live in colonial-era shacks known as “makomboni.” According to Al-Jazeera, many have to contend with living in “renovated pigsties, tobacco barns, and horse stables on farms where they work.” Laborers are often unable to provide basic means for their families and get into debt with money lenders and their employers. The issues that the farmers of Zimbabwe faced are a testament to the economic predicament that the country is facing today.
Loss Of Profit
For cash crops such as cotton, which usually brings much financial success to farmers, rising inflation rates and poor currency means that they no longer get the desired profits of cotton farming. Besides inflation, two of the biggest issues that cotton farmers face are corruption and falling prices. Back in 2017, the price of a single kilogram of cotton was around $1.51. As cotton now is sold solely in Zimbabwean dollars, farmers gain little to no profit for their arduous labor. Nowadays the price of a single kilogram of cotton hovers between $0.53 and $0.68, almost a 66% decrease in less than six years. Corruption is also a huge issue. In 2022, the chair of the Zimbabwe parliament’s portfolio committee on land and agriculture was arrested for a case relating to the stockpiling of cotton farming inputs.
Another crop that is faltering is maize. As a result of changing weather patterns, droughts are becoming more frequent and harsher in Zimbabwe. Thereby, threatening the production of the maize crop which is a staple in the country. A government assessment estimated that Zimbabwe’s maize production fell by almost 43% in the 2021-2022 season due to the lack of rainfall. Many farmers have received orders to sell their stocks to the state in order to replenish low stocks. However, many are holding onto their stocks because the prices on offer are so miserly.
Hope For the Industry
Zimbabwean farmers are struggling to make ends meet. The economic crisis that the state faced is severely affecting the livelihood of farmers and farm laborers. Changing weather patterns are also having a severe impact on the production of import crops such as maize and cotton. However, hope still exists for the industry. Young farmers in Zimbabwe are leading the drive for the new generation. They are diversifying by growing fruits such as mangoes, rearing livestock such as Boer goats and cultivating tobacco. They are practicing sustainable methods that provide hope for farmers in Zimbabwe.
– Saad Haque
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Human Trafficking in Tonga
Despite its effort to develop legislation and procedures to combat human trafficking, Tonga has remained in the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Watchlist report for a second consecutive year. In 2019, the State Department reported that the government of Tonga was taking strides toward its human trafficking problem by funding an NGO that aims to assist victims of trafficking. Tonga’s government shifted focus away from human trafficking due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a destructive volcanic eruption and tsunami last year. Since the 2020 TIP report, the country has not shown an increased effort to prosecute traffickers and preventive measures. The 2021 report downgraded Tonga from a Tier 2 country to a Tier 2 watchlist country, where it remained in the 2022 TIP report.
Labor and Sex Trafficking
Tongans, both local and abroad, are vulnerable to labor trafficking. Domestic labor trafficking is rising in many countries globally, Tonga included, as a product of globalization. Low-income Tongan women and children are vulnerable to forced labor within domestic work while a significant portion of Tonga’s domestic labor force is from overseas.
The 2022 TIP report specifically mentions women from the People’s Republic of China that have relocated to Tonga for domestic work. A common technique used to lure women and young people into human trafficking in Tonga is through false job opportunities.
Families may send their children to cities or abroad due to insufficient local opportunities. Hoping to make money for their families, people may apply for jobs that they believe to be legitimate before instead becoming victims of trafficking. Children may then become forced into prostitution or employed by corrupt employers who pay them little, house them in unsafe environments and make it difficult for them to quit.
With a pull of education and work opportunities, Tongans primarily immigrate to New Zealand, Australia and the United States. The 2022 TIP report mentions that it is common for Tongan citizens to work seasonal jobs in neighboring countries of New Zealand and Australia. Some employers abroad exploit the language barrier and high competition for employment by rushing workers to sign employment contracts before they can adequately understand what they are agreeing to.
Limitations With Trafficking Legislation
Tonga’s 2013 Counter Terrorism and Transnational Organised Crime Act showed initiative toward tackling human trafficking but had many limitations. Both the U.N.’s and the U.S.’s definitions of human trafficking emphasize trafficking as exploitation through means of “force, fraud, or coercion;” Tonga’s definition of human trafficking does not. Excluding those three means limits what defines human trafficking, who are its victims and who gets prosecuted. Tonga’s definition also limits trafficking to cross national borders, while the U.N. and U.S. do not.
Recent efforts have shown little persistence. Since convicting the country’s first trafficker in April 2011, Tonga has not prosecuted or convicted any others. In 2015, the government identified four potential trafficking victims but has not reported any since. The State Department credits this to a lack of formal identification procedures as well as a general distrust in the Tongan government on the part of the citizens.
Refocusing on the Issue
With the pandemic, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and the resulting tsunami in January 2022, the government has veered its focus elsewhere. Tackling other issues have pushed human trafficking combative efforts to the sidelines. However, other countries and global organizations are reaching out with help to address human trafficking in Tonga.
In July 2022, the United State Agency for International Development (USAID) teamed up with The Asia Foundation to begin a five-year project aimed at combating human trafficking in Tonga as well as three other Pacific countries. The program is called the Pacific Regional Initiative and Support for More Effective Counter-Trafficking in Persons, or Pacific RISE-CTIP.
The Asia Foundation is a philanthropic, international nonprofit focused on improving lives across Asia. Specifically, the partnership aims at reducing human trafficking in Tonga, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the Marshall Islands by reducing vulnerabilities to trafficking, focusing on victim support and establishing legal aid for victims and against perpetrators.
Its approach focuses on getting government actors and private institutions in Pacific Island countries (PICs) involved with the issue. Since the project spans only five years, the aim is to boost existing local institutions that focus on exposing trafficking and helping victims. The hope is that, when the program ends, the systems will have steady ground to continue their initiatives.
Since the arts are significant in Tongan culture, The Asia Foundation uses creativity to communicate its ideas. Several initiatives are currently underway. By teaming up with local painters, photographers, choreographers and poets, The Asia Foundation is using creative outlets to promote the issue and ensure communities and local systems are the sources of change in the PICs.
Looking Ahead
Instead of bulldozing existing Tongan efforts to expose trafficking, the hope is that building community support will increase the likelihood of permanent change. Tonga faces unique vulnerabilities to trafficking, which require unique solutions. Strengthening community leadership and promoting awareness addresses the issue of human trafficking in Tonga in a transformative and culturally significant way specific to the country.
– Maya Steele
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