In Ghana, both the incidence and intensity of child poverty have steadily decreased in recent years. From 2008 to 2014, for example, multidimensional child poverty in Ghana dropped by 11.6% in urban areas and 11.4% in rural areas while severity reduced by 0.1% and 3.0% in urban and rural areas respectively. Despite these successes, however, it is still a significant problem that deserves much attention. Many Ghanaian children still face health complications, lack of education and child labor, which the U.N. and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) alike must address head-on.
General Data
According to 2014 data, multidimensional child poverty in Ghana stood at about 34.7% in urban areas and 75.9% in rural areas. Also of great concern is the severity of child poverty, which stood at about 43.7% and 52.3% in urban and rural areas respectively. A January 2020 UNICEF study also found that 73.4% of children in Ghana suffer from multidimensional poverty, experiencing at least three dimensions of deprivation. These dimensions include nutrition, health, learning and development, child protection, water, sanitation, housing and information.
The multidimensional poverty rate is greatest among children under the age of 5 at around eight in 10, whereas the rate for children aged 5-17 is about seven in 10. Many Ghanaian children are disadvantaged financially as well — 28.2% of Ghanaian children are considered monetarily poor based on their family’s income. Again, the statistics are generally worse in rural than in urban areas.
Health
Multidimensional poverty in Ghana leads to poor health in children. According to UNICEF, “One child in every five in Ghana experiences stunted growth during the first thousand days of life caused by inadequate nourishment, frequent illness and an unhealthy environment,” affecting their development physically, socially and cognitively. Additionally, a lack of knowledge, skills and monetary resources to prepare nutritious meals for children means children’s diets typically lack diversity. Many children also go unvaccinated, leaving them susceptible to diseases.
Education
The deprivations that come with child poverty in Ghana also impact children’s education, as “[c]lasses are overcrowded, water and sanitation facilities are inadequate and trained teachers and school books are in short supply,” according to UNICEF. Children with disabilities are especially impacted as one in every five disabled children from the ages of 6-24 has never received an education due to discrimination. Many of these issues have worsened with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many schools to shut down, further depriving millions of children of proper education.
Child Labor
Child labor is another factor affecting children in Ghana. Estimates indicate that about 21% of children in Ghana aged 5-17 are involved in child labor, with 14% of those children laboring in hazardous working conditions. About 79.2% of working children in Ghana work in agriculture, primarily in cocoa production, where many face health risks such as musculoskeletal disorders, head injuries and fractures, among others.
While child labor in Ghana has long been a point of concern, the COVID-19 pandemic certainly exacerbated it as school shutdowns and widespread unemployment forced many more children into the workforce. According to interviews of several Ghanaian children by Human Rights Watch, many of these children faced exposure to dangerous substances and chemicals, including mercury. A number of children did not even receive payment for their services.
The Bright Side: Progress and Aid
Amid persistent child poverty in Ghana, several NGOs are stepping up to provide much-needed aid. World Vision International, for example, has worked with communities within the country to reduce poverty and injustices.
According to its annual National Impact Report from 2021, the organization has provided aid through a number of means, including providing more than 20,000 school supplies, such as books, pencils and backpacks to 7,180 children. The organization has also built water systems to provide clean drinking and bathing water for more than 38,000 children.
WVI also helped provide various health and training programs to educate Ghanaian parents on nutrition and “appropriate feeding practices” and taught more than 49,000 community members strategies for the prevention and treatment of diseases such as malaria and diarrhea.
Onechild Ghana came about in 2002 and seeks to provide educational opportunities for thousands of children by providing resources from fundamental infrastructure (classrooms and dorms with running water, toilets and electricity) to funds for vocational schools so that students can learn subjects such as electricals, masonry, math, English and health. Onechild Ghana currently supports more than 1,000 children across 14 different vocational schools in Ghana.
Such support from NGOs, along with coordinated plans by international government bodies such as UNICEF and others, can make significant improvements in the lives of Ghanaian children and reverse the course of child poverty in Ghana.
– Adam Cvik
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
The Obesity epidemic Threatening the Poor
For a long time, many have considered obesity a disease that plagues the world’s countries with the highest incomes. It affects only those who could afford to over-eat. However, this is increasingly no longer the issue as low-middle-income countries bear the heaviest burden of obesity. The stain that diseases like life-threatening diabetes cause only further exacerbates this. An ODI report found that compared to high-income countries, obesity rates were twice as high in lower-income countries with the rates of fat and sugar consumption rising as well. Currently, the WHO estimates there are 115 million people with obesity in developing countries. Despite global health intervention efforts, diabetes continues to target the poorest and perhaps a more holistic approach would be more effective. Here is some information about the global obesity epidemic.
Genetics and the Environment
Previous studies have pointed to genetics as one of the main obesogenic factors. They suggest that lesser developed communities lack the genetic capacity to process a modern diet. However, recent research argues that sociocultural factors play the largest role, interacting in ways far more complex than genes or environment. One can see an example of this in the obesity prevention measures that mostly target indigenous communities. This stems from the presumption that they are better genetically programmed for feast and famine cycles and unfit for the modern diet which leads to fat-hoarding “thrifty genes” that conserve excess fat. Nonetheless, indigenous communities also tend to live in poverty and inequality drives obesity.
Changes in Global Production
Many changes in global food production are also leading to higher levels of obesity. One example is the way agricultural corporations use chemicals and factory farms in an effort to have high yields. Nonetheless, findings have determined there is a link between pesticides and industrial farming practices and obesity and other health conditions. Industrialized diets promote cheap energy-dense food and its marketing makes it more accessible. Moreover, areas with high rates of poverty also tend to have the least access to food that is both affordable and nutritious.
Aggressive Diabetes in Belize
The West treats diabetes as a manageable disease that is often non-life threatening, thanks to the various available medical resources. However, in Belize, diabetes is regarded as one of the leading causes of death. This high death rate is due to a lack of available resources and medical infrastructure in the country to treat patients. Moreover, patients have also cited the issue of struggling to afford the weekly bus fare to the hospital, causing them to miss medical appointments. Nonetheless, Belizean diabetic patients are instead using their voices to campaign for better medical infrastructure in the country, transforming themselves from victims to activists.
World Obesity Day Addressing the Obesity Epidemic
World Obesity Day serves to encourage discussion surrounding the global obesity epidemic to acknowledge its complexities and take action to break norms and revolutionize health outcomes. The World Obesity Federation emerged in 1967 as the former Obesity Association. It strives to provide and bring forward first-rate problem-solving in terms of the obesity crisis. The federation aims to change the narrative around global obesity and work with governments and health bodies to ensure the right initiatives are occurring to help solve the global obesity problem.
Obesity’s effects are detrimental to the poorest countries. Countries that are the least medically equipped must manage its repercussions. As World Obesity Day approaches on March 4th, it is imperative not to forget about low-income countries and the burden they bear. In the West, much of the discussion surrounding obesity focuses on a local problem. However, for those countries that cannot afford to provide medical treatment, this discussion should expand and interventions should be on offer to help obesity’s most vulnerable victims.
– Genevieve Lewis
Photo: Flickr
6 Facts About Hunger in Eritrea
Eritrea is an African country between Sudan, Ethiopia and Djibouti on the coast of the Red Sea. It is part of the geopolitical region in East Africa called the Horn of Africa or the Somali Peninsula. With a population of 6.21 million, according to The World Factbook, Eritrea remains one of the poorest countries on the continent, with a GDP of $2.37 billion.
Since its 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia ended in 1993, the dictatorial president Isaias Afwerki has run Eritrea. The government has not recognized any other political parties besides the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, which elected Afwerki in 1993. Afwerki serves as the head of government and the head of state, making both the executive and legislative decisions for the country.
As a result of the country’s sizable poverty rate—69%—and its totalitarian government, the Eritrean people are starving. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that more than 60% of the population does not receive enough nourishment. The following six facts about hunger in Eritrea illustrate the expanse and provide background for the debilitating hunger crisis in Eritrea.
6 Facts About Hunger in Eritrea
The Good News
The six facts about hunger in Eritrea featured above illustrate the rampant starvation, but luckily international aid organizations have not abandoned their cause, despite the government requesting their departure. UNICEF, for example, has a plan for humanitarian action in 2023.
The organization is seeking $14.7 million from the U.S. government to provide humanitarian services to treat malnutrition, thirst, lack of access to education and poverty in Eritrea. UNICEF’s predicted impact will help 40,000 wasted children, administer health care for 600,000 women and children, grant learning supplies for 200,000 children and provide water access to 100,000 Eritreans.
Eritrea has struggled with extreme poverty and hunger ever since its liberation from Ethiopia in 1993. From travel restrictions and military conscription to child malnutrition and rejection of foreign aid, Eritrea has a long way to go. However, as COVID-19 transportation bans have loosened, there is an aspiration across the world to help the Eritrean people. Organizations like UNICEF have committed themselves to providing aid to Eritrea. Furthermore, the literacy rate is higher than ever at 76.6%, according to the U.N. – a huge leap from the 52% literacy rate in 2002. With great progress in education, there is hope for homegrown agents of change to further Eritrea’s development.
– Skye Connors
Photo: Flickr
How Vocational Training Centers in Uganda are Helping Women and Girls
Uganda is an east-African nation occupied by dozens of ethnic groups. Over the past few decades, the Ugandan government has made several efforts to improve the lives of its female citizens, who make up 50.71% of the population. In addition to government-level actions, the women’s movement in Uganda is also one of the most diverse and progressive across Africa. However, recent political developments in the country, such as the 2021 re-election of President Yoweri Museveni, have constricted human rights, especially the rights of women. Luckily, vocational training centers in Uganda are emerging to empower women and girls.
Women’s Rights in Uganda
International conventions act as the framework through which people understand women’s rights in Uganda. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) have both influenced the country’s 1995 constitution, the foundation of the country’s legislation.
Formally, the Ugandan government claims to oppose all laws and practices which violate women’s rights. In actuality, countless women and girls in Uganda, especially those in rural areas, do not have the same rights as their male counterparts.
Moreover, the lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the rights of women and girls in Uganda because the government was unable to support women facing violence at home. As a result, about 90,000 girls under the age of 18 became pregnant.
Education for Girls in Uganda
Women and girls aged over 15 in Uganda spend 14.6% of their time on unpaid care and domestic work, compared to 8.8% of the time spent by men. In addition, girls often lack the educational rights of men. In primary and pre-primary education young girls and boys attend schools at similar rates. However, once children reach secondary school age – between 13 and 18 – lower numbers of girls attend school compared to boys. At the university age, the ratio is skewed in the favor of boys even more.
Enabling Women’s Empowerment in Uganda
According to the U.N., equipping young women and girls in Uganda with practical skills could be transformative in giving them greater financial autonomy. In Uganda, 38.5% of women are below the international poverty line compared to 33.9% of men. While it is clear that more needs to support all genders, the empowerment of women is an integral part of reducing poverty in the country.
Creating vocational training centers in Uganda will provide a brighter future for young women and girls. Grassroots and charity organizations such as Resilient Women Uganda are supporting women and girls by building these centers across Uganda.
Resilient Women Uganda
Resilient Women Uganda supports women and girls, who come from poor families and are between the ages of 10 and 20, through the provision of vocational training centers in Uganda. It works with those exposed to gender-based violence and at risk of school dropout. The projects conducted with Resilient Women Uganda aim to improve the socio-economic status of young women and girls by allowing them to develop marketable skills. These skills include tailoring and knitting, computer literacy, English lessons, hairdressing and more.
Resilient Women Uganda’s main priority is helping girls who have left education go back to school. The organization, which two women founded in 2016, relies on the commitment of a group of volunteers. So far the group has met 9,504 teenage girls and helped 359 women find jobs through vocational training centers.
A brighter future for young Ugandan women is within reach and could help alleviate poverty in the country by improving standards of living and increasing women’s rights.
– Florence Jones
Photo: Unsplash
Madagascar’s Social Protection Programs
Although very little attention comes the way of Madagascar, recent U.N. aid has placed a much-needed spotlight on its problems. The small island nation off the east coast of Africa has one of the highest poverty rates in the world, with more than 75% of the population living on under $1.90 a day. Looking to address this issue within Madagascar’s institutions, the U.N. worked with local officials to create the ‘Fagnavotse’ social protection program. Fagnavotse provides a mix of health insurance, cash transfers and training services to the poorest Malagasies, reaching more than nine thousand households during its three-year existence. Here is some information about Madagascar’s social protection programs.
Drawbacks
A critical part of Fagnavotse is its emphasis on training and protection. Madagascar suffers from extremely low rates of human capital, meaning that despite its abundant natural resources, poor health, education and food access limit long-term growth. Meanwhile, pandemic shocks and the war in Ukraine have raised fuel prices and hampered growth. Madagascar’s social protection program educates farmers on proper practices, providing them with tools and equipping them for the country’s long drought periods. In addition, it offers women affected by gender-based violence and abuse counseling and community support. Over time, the U.N. hopes the program will boost the productivity of Madagascar’s poorest citizens.
Although Fagnavotse was a necessary step in the right direction, access to social protection programs continues to hamper economic growth. Originally conceived for Madagascar’s three most poverty-stricken communes, social protection programs like Fagnavotse only affect 6% of the population and take up around 1% of the budget, suggesting there is room for improvement. A World Bank Study in 2018 found that $50 cash transfers like those in Ethiopia could reduce the poverty rate by as much as 40%. Rather than a sign of defeat, the U.N. chose to treat this as an opportunity to expand its program.
Recent Developments
On February 6, 2023, the World Bank earmarked $250 million in loans for social protection programs in Madagascar. Over the next four years, the aid will target the 3 million poorest Malagasies, more than 13% of the population. The World Bank intends to merge many of the existing social protection programs into a more cohesive system, affecting more people more efficiently. As Marie-Chantal Unwanyiligara, the program’s country manager, stated, “We are very pleased to support a scale-up of Madagascar’s social protection programs … supported by a national social registry that other sectors will use to target the most vulnerable.”
Madagascar’s new social protection program, like Fagnavotse, focuses on immediate aid and long-term growth to reduce the country’s poverty count. The two key aspects of the new program are increased cash transfers to female heads of households and improved access to economic safety nets. This will provide immediate security to the many millions of Malagasies living in extreme poverty while working towards the U.N.’s goal of female empowerment. The World Bank hopes that these cash transfers will disperse themselves throughout the economy, multiplying their positive effect.
In addition, Madagascar’s new social protection program aims to spur growth and tackle the root of the country’s problems. Julia Ravelosa, an economist working with the World Bank, noted that one of the program’s primary objectives is to “encourage girls’ school attendance, promote access to reproductive and health care services, and encourage women’s participation in a package of accompanying measures including financial and economic inclusion.” Madagascar can significantly bolster the country’s overall productivity by improving women’s education and entry into the workforce.
The Road Ahead
Madagascar’s social protection programs still face the challenge of their implementation. For a struggling nation like Madagascar, these reforms are pivotal in reducing extreme poverty and present the quickest opportunity for growth. In the past, low funds and reach hindered the full implementation of these programs, but the World Bank’s support comes as a positive sign in a country that desperately needs one.
– Samuel Bowles
Photo: Pixabay
Child Poverty in Ghana
In Ghana, both the incidence and intensity of child poverty have steadily decreased in recent years. From 2008 to 2014, for example, multidimensional child poverty in Ghana dropped by 11.6% in urban areas and 11.4% in rural areas while severity reduced by 0.1% and 3.0% in urban and rural areas respectively. Despite these successes, however, it is still a significant problem that deserves much attention. Many Ghanaian children still face health complications, lack of education and child labor, which the U.N. and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) alike must address head-on.
General Data
According to 2014 data, multidimensional child poverty in Ghana stood at about 34.7% in urban areas and 75.9% in rural areas. Also of great concern is the severity of child poverty, which stood at about 43.7% and 52.3% in urban and rural areas respectively. A January 2020 UNICEF study also found that 73.4% of children in Ghana suffer from multidimensional poverty, experiencing at least three dimensions of deprivation. These dimensions include nutrition, health, learning and development, child protection, water, sanitation, housing and information.
The multidimensional poverty rate is greatest among children under the age of 5 at around eight in 10, whereas the rate for children aged 5-17 is about seven in 10. Many Ghanaian children are disadvantaged financially as well — 28.2% of Ghanaian children are considered monetarily poor based on their family’s income. Again, the statistics are generally worse in rural than in urban areas.
Health
Multidimensional poverty in Ghana leads to poor health in children. According to UNICEF, “One child in every five in Ghana experiences stunted growth during the first thousand days of life caused by inadequate nourishment, frequent illness and an unhealthy environment,” affecting their development physically, socially and cognitively. Additionally, a lack of knowledge, skills and monetary resources to prepare nutritious meals for children means children’s diets typically lack diversity. Many children also go unvaccinated, leaving them susceptible to diseases.
Education
The deprivations that come with child poverty in Ghana also impact children’s education, as “[c]lasses are overcrowded, water and sanitation facilities are inadequate and trained teachers and school books are in short supply,” according to UNICEF. Children with disabilities are especially impacted as one in every five disabled children from the ages of 6-24 has never received an education due to discrimination. Many of these issues have worsened with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many schools to shut down, further depriving millions of children of proper education.
Child Labor
Child labor is another factor affecting children in Ghana. Estimates indicate that about 21% of children in Ghana aged 5-17 are involved in child labor, with 14% of those children laboring in hazardous working conditions. About 79.2% of working children in Ghana work in agriculture, primarily in cocoa production, where many face health risks such as musculoskeletal disorders, head injuries and fractures, among others.
While child labor in Ghana has long been a point of concern, the COVID-19 pandemic certainly exacerbated it as school shutdowns and widespread unemployment forced many more children into the workforce. According to interviews of several Ghanaian children by Human Rights Watch, many of these children faced exposure to dangerous substances and chemicals, including mercury. A number of children did not even receive payment for their services.
The Bright Side: Progress and Aid
Amid persistent child poverty in Ghana, several NGOs are stepping up to provide much-needed aid. World Vision International, for example, has worked with communities within the country to reduce poverty and injustices.
According to its annual National Impact Report from 2021, the organization has provided aid through a number of means, including providing more than 20,000 school supplies, such as books, pencils and backpacks to 7,180 children. The organization has also built water systems to provide clean drinking and bathing water for more than 38,000 children.
WVI also helped provide various health and training programs to educate Ghanaian parents on nutrition and “appropriate feeding practices” and taught more than 49,000 community members strategies for the prevention and treatment of diseases such as malaria and diarrhea.
Onechild Ghana came about in 2002 and seeks to provide educational opportunities for thousands of children by providing resources from fundamental infrastructure (classrooms and dorms with running water, toilets and electricity) to funds for vocational schools so that students can learn subjects such as electricals, masonry, math, English and health. Onechild Ghana currently supports more than 1,000 children across 14 different vocational schools in Ghana.
Such support from NGOs, along with coordinated plans by international government bodies such as UNICEF and others, can make significant improvements in the lives of Ghanaian children and reverse the course of child poverty in Ghana.
– Adam Cvik
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Canada’s Global COVID-19 Response
The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts across the globe, especially impacting the world’s poor and marginalized. Organizations like UNICEF are working tirelessly on COVID-19 response efforts to protect children in the face of a global pandemic, but the responsibility extends far beyond international organizations to support the world’s poor. In particular, Canada’s global COVID-19 response looks to support people in the most disadvantaged areas of the world.
The Pandemic’s Impacts
COVID-19 has changed the world in more ways than one. The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported more than 6.8 million COVID-19 deaths worldwide as of February 17, 2023. According to the Brookings Institution, the COVID-19 recession is “the deepest since the end of World War II.” The International Monetary Fund’s 2021 report showed a 7% loss in the global economy in 2020 alone, with nearly every country showing a decline, particularly the poorest countries.
While more than 50% of the school-aged children in developing countries faced learning poverty (the inability to read and comprehend a basic text by age 10) before the pandemic, disruptions in education due to the pandemic and associated lockdowns may have raised this rate to as much as 70%. Some students did not return to formal school at all after these disruptions.
Needless to say, the impacts of COVID-19 extend far beyond health outcomes and disproportionately impact the world’s poor.
A Strong Start to 2023
In the face of a threat like COVID-19 that requires a global response, Canada has kicked off 2023 with an announcement of a $70 million CAD contribution to UNICEF, bringing its total contribution to the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) Humanitarian Action for Children appeal to CAD $255 million. The ACT-A Humanitarian Action for Children appeal looks to support disadvantaged populations with COVID-19 tools and resources amid the pandemic. Canada was one of the earliest supporters of the effort to ensure equitable access to COVID-19-related health resources.
Canada’s global COVID-19 response also includes an ongoing investment with UNICEF called the Global Initiative for Vaccine Equity (CanGIVE), which was announced in June 2022 and allows UNICEF to increase the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines and strengthen health systems in 11 under-resourced developing countries. Not only will Canada’s contributions increase vaccine accessibility, administration/distribution and adoption but these funds will also support gender-sensitive health care efforts.
Additionally, the Government of Canada has taken a special interest in the rights and needs of women and girls, recognizing that the pandemic has magnified existing inequalities for impoverished/marginalized women. Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, launched in 2017, emphasizes supporting the poorest and most marginalized and ensuring “education, health, nutrition and sexual and reproductive health and rights.” Over the past three years, starting in February 2020, Canada’s international contributions to COVID-19 response efforts have surpassed $3 billion.
Canada’s Record of Support
Canada’s global COVID-19 response stands as an example of the global duty to support those in poverty, not just during the COVID-19 pandemic but until poverty and its outcomes dissolve. These efforts that the government of Canada has undertaken extend toward poverty, health access, gender rights and more.
– Mahak Kumari
Photo: Flickr
The UK’s Response to the Turkey-Syria Earthquakes
As of February 19, 2023, the Turkey-Syria earthquakes have led to the deaths of at least 46,400 people in Syria and Turkey. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake, struck Southeastern Turkey near the border of Syria on February 6, 2023, and has devastated the region as many remain missing and the death toll continues to climb. As the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the earthquakes as the “worst natural disaster” to affect its European region in 100 years, humanitarian aid from the U.K. government and U.K. non-governmental organizations is essential in mitigating the effects of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes and saving as many lives as possible.
Response from the UK Government
One day after the earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, 77 members of the U.K. International Search and Rescue team, an Emergency Medical Team, four search dogs and rescue equipment arrived in Gaziantep, Turkey, on behalf of the U.K. government. The search and rescue specialists employed “state-of-the-art” tools, such as seismic listening devices and concrete cutting equipment, to make their way into buildings that the earthquakes destroyed and locate survivors while the emergency medics assessed the situation on the ground.
Volunteers from the White Helmets, a humanitarian organization funded by the U.K. government, also began a search and rescue campaign in Northwestern Syria. The U.K.’s response to the Turkey-Syria earthquake has included an additional £3.8 million ($4.6 million) in funding for rescue operations in light of the disaster, on top of the £2.25 million ($2.7 million) allocated to the White Helmets in the financial year 2022-2023. More than 2,500 volunteers from the group have become involved in the disaster response across 40 affected communities in Syria.
Further Aid Efforts
The U.K. government provided an initial £8 million ($9.7 million) for humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria. The U.K. sent essential emergency relief such as tents and blankets for displaced families struggling amid frigid temperatures and deployed a world-class medical team supported with medical equipment to address urgent medical needs. In a press release, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stated that the U.K.’s priority is to “ensure life-saving assistance is given to those most in need, coordinated with the Turkish government, U.N. and international partners.” The equipment the U.K. deployed will fulfill the needs of up to 15,000 individuals.
As the attention shifted from rescue to recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria, on February 15, 2023, the U.K. government announced the provision of a further £25 million ($30.2 million) to fund additional emergency relief. The package will support the efforts of the U.N. and various aid agencies in Syria as well as recovery efforts that the Turkish government led. The aid will particularly target women and girls who are at an increased risk of gender-based violence in displaced communities. It will also allow U.K. medics to continue to be deployed in the Turkoglu British field hospital where medical personnel are working with Turkish medics to provide critical care in the emergency department and 24/7 operating theatre.
Response from Local Communities Across the UK
The U.K.’s response to the Turkey-Syria earthquake has also included campaigns from local charities and organizations to help provide humanitarian assistance to those affected. In Manchester, the University of Manchester Turkish and Northern Cypriot Society set up a fundraiser for multiple disaster relief charities operating in Turkey and Syria. So far, the groups have mobilized students and university staff across Manchester to raise more than £11,000 ($13,300) and gather essentials such as sanitary pads, sleeping bags and food to send to aid organizations.
In Cardiff, a local mosque has started a fundraising campaign to donate money and goods to people in the affected regions. The manager of the mosque, Dr. Mohamed Gaber, launched the campaign to raise £50,000 ($60,475) for the cause. Talking to the BBC, he says, “Unfortunately, this is one of the few reasons for different nations to come together, and that is a positive part of this catastrophe,” before going on to remark that “this is a pure humanitarian cause, apart from any ideologies or religions.”
Notable fundraising efforts are also visible in North London where a large number of Turkish and Kurdish people live. In a Kurdish community center in Haringey, many Kurds have been gathering to support one another through the tragedy and accumulate donations to assist in relief efforts. A fundraising event took place in Haringey outside a local organic food store where people sold “homemade food and secondhand items” to raise more than £10,500 ($12,700) for victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes. The Turkish Cypriot Community Association also received a sizeable donation of 1,500 sleeping bags from Arsenal Football Club to help those that the earthquakes displaced.
Looking Ahead
Despite the Turkey-Syria earthquakes causing unprecedented losses and damage to the affected areas, both efforts from locals and the government to deliver humanitarian assistance in the U.K. have provided some relief and hope to a devastated region. As the U.K.’s response to the Turkey-Syria earthquake sees communities come together to fundraise and support one another through this tragic disaster, continued efforts to support humanitarian organizations are vital in preventing further losses and helping to rebuild destroyed communities.
– Priya Thakkar
Photo: Flickr
Human Trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic
Risk Factors
Currently, the Kyrgyz Republic is listed in the second tier of the human trafficking watchlist that the U.S. State Department created. This means that despite consistent efforts to eliminate human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic, the country has not yet achieved a satisfactory level of safety. There are several reasons for this, the biggest of which is brought on by regional unrest. As a result of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, many Kyrgyzstani workers who relied on jobs in Russia are no longer able to work in Russia legally. Therefore, Kyrgyzstan migrants have to look for work as undocumented immigrants. This has led to migrants ending up in the online sex trade, an industry that is rapidly growing in the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the government of British Columbia, the Kyrgyz Republic fits the two most significant risk factors for increased human trafficking: political instability and forced migration.
Kyrgyzstani Efforts to Fight Human Trafficking
Human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic has not gone unnoticed by its inhabitants. According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a group ran by 30 youth organizations titled “100 Days against Trafficking in Persons” coordinated awareness efforts with the government in cities throughout the country, including the nation’s capital, Bishkek. Calls to the country’s national trafficking hotline saw an immediate increase, rising by nearly 15%.
The 100 Days against Trafficking in Persons is not the only citizen-run group fighting human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic. The non-governmental organization El Agartuu has been contributing to the fight against trafficking since 2006. The NGO created a database of over 30 other NGOs actively helping the government identify and aid victims of trafficking.
Meanwhile, the Kyrgyzstani government added four new articles to the country’s laws, including additional penalties for trafficking-related offenses. In addition to a stricter approach to trafficking crimes, the government of the Kyrgyz Republic instituted more protection services for victims of trafficking in 2022. The Kyrgyz Republic created a national referral method, or NRM, to help trafficking victims gain access to medical care and social services. An official case is not necessary for victims to access those services, they are widely available to anyone who should need them.
Lastly, the government continues to run the Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad, which helps job seekers look for employment and acquire legal work abroad. The Center for Employment of Citizens Abroad has helped reduce the number of Kyrgyzstani workers who feel the need to migrate illegally or put themselves in dangerous positions to find employment, thus reducing the risk factors for thousands of people looking for work.
Moving Forward
While human trafficking in the Kyrgyz Republic remains a problem today, there is reason to believe that that can change quickly. The public has come to a consensus on the existence of the problem, a step that is paramount to finding a solution. The Kyrgyzstani government has implemented new laws to prevent trafficking and allocated more resources to help the victims of the crime. With the renewed efforts of the public and government in Kyrgyzstan, it is possible that human trafficking is a less prominent issue in the future.
– Ezra Bernstein
Photo: Flickr
Violence in Haiti Impacts Education
In February 2023, UNICEF reported a ninefold increase in acts of violence against schools in Haiti over the period of 12 months. Schools have been the locus of attacks and violence by armed groups and this has a direct impact on one of the most fundamental human rights of children: education. Education is not only the pillar of a welfare state but is also fundamental for the development of social capital in the country. Violence in Haiti stands as a barrier to the progression of children’s education.
Violence in Numbers
According to reports by UNICEF partners, armed gangs targeted 72 educational institutions in Haiti in the first four months of the scholastic year (October to February) compared to eight during the same time the year prior. In particular, armed groups attacked a minimum of 13 school facilities, set a school on fire, murdered one pupil and kidnapped a minimum of two school staff workers.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that armed factions rule 60% of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Gangs targeting schools also steal critical educational supplies, such as desks, blackboards and computers. Along with cafeteria equipment, gangs steal vital supplies of “rice, dough and maize” used to provide school lunches, which are sometimes the only meals Haitian children eat in a day.
Impacts of Escalating Violence in Haiti
Due to the rising violence in metropolitan areas, 30 schools closed their doors in just the first six days of February 2023 and more than 25% of schools have stayed closed since October 2022, a decision that principals took to protect staff and students. Students missed an average of one and a half school days per week in January 2023 due to the risk of violence. By the end of June 2023, according to UNICEF, pupils could miss out on 36 days of education if no one took action to safeguard schools from violence. Despite the risk, the Haitian Ministry of Education has pushed for schools to reopen. As a result, three out of four schools reopened by December 2022, up from fewer than one in 10 reopenings in October.
Taking Action
A UNICEF report for the period July to November 2022 highlights the organization’s efforts to safeguard children’s rights to education. In Haiti, during the summer vacation, UNICEF funded a summer children’s camp in Lycee National de la Saline, providing 803 Haitian children with “a safe space for children to express themselves through plays and other activities.” UNICEF also gave cash transfers to 1,200 impoverished families with school-age children in Port-au-Prince and areas that the most recent earthquake affected. UNICEF is also providing support for the renovation of three educational facilities in Cité Soleil along with the supply of school furniture and learning materials.
UNICEF urges the Haitian government to make sure that schools are secure and to prosecute organizations and people who endanger or hurt children while attending school. The U.N. praises education for not only imparting knowledge and skills but also for transforming lives and propelling growth for individuals, groups and nations, saying that schools “must be places of learning, safety and harmony.”
Overall, the U.N. urges all nations to sign the Safe Schools Declaration, “an inter-governmental political commitment to protect students, teachers, schools and universities, from the worst effects of armed conflict.” This declaration has received support from 111 nations so far and lays out specific actions that governments can take to safeguard educational institutions. In line with this, U.N. head António Guterres said at a virtual event in September 2021, “We urge Member States to go beyond their obligations under international law and implement national policies and laws that safeguard schools and learners.” The loss stemming from education disruptions is significant. By upholding children’s rights to education, the international community safeguards the future.
– Carmen Corrales Alonso
Photo: Flickr
5 Charities Operating in Malawi
Malawi is a small country in Southern Africa with a population of more than 19 million. According to the World Bank, in 2019, about half of the population lived under the national poverty line. Climate shocks, low education completion rates, a struggling agricultural sector and slow infrastructure reform contribute to the high prevalence of poverty in Malawi. Below are five charities operating in Malawi with unique programs to address poverty in the nation.
5 Charities Operating in Malawi
Looking Ahead
Agriculture, energy, education and health care strongly influence a country’s ability to prosper. These five charities operating in Malawi are making significant impacts on disadvantaged Malawians through their work to improve the quality of life in the nation.
– Naomi Kang
Photo: Flickr