The Nationality and Borders Act became law in the United Kingdom in April 2022. Despite many human rights activists, refugee charities and lawyers fearing the adverse impacts of the changes to the immigration system, the government claims its aim is not to prevent safe arrival and residence in the U.K. but to encourage a fairer system and prevent human trafficking and illegal entry.
The Requirements for Asylum Seekers
The act’s main changes to previous laws surrounding immigration include the imposition of a two-tier labeling system, categorizing asylum seekers as either Group 1 or Group 2 refugees.
- Group 1 Refugee. Someone who meets numerous conditions, and therefore, receives full “refugee permission to stay” in the U.K.
- Group 2 Refugee. Someone who fails to meet conditions, and therefore, receives “temporary refugee permission to stay.”
Furthermore, asylum seekers are now subject to a dual standard of proof to demonstrate that they are fleeing their home country due to “a well-founded fear of being persecuted.” Previously, the standard of proof was a “reasonable likelihood” of persecution. Now, the dual standard of proof assesses the situation based on both “a reasonable likelihood” and “balance of probabilities.” These standards leave some disparities within protection and support.
The Controversies
The Nationality and Borders Act functions on a system of differential treatment for asylum seekers traveling to the U.K. via a route that is not classified as ‘safe and legal.’ Those who pass by other ‘safe’ countries and do not claim asylum there are penalized for doing so and are placed in Group 2, which often denies them long-term residence and results in unfavorable treatment in comparison to Group 1 refugees. It is also possible that the U.K. will simply declare them ‘inadmissible.’ According to the International Rescue Committee, there are few “safe and legal routes to the U.K.”
Furthermore, by deeming the passing of a ‘safe country’ as a failure to seek asylum, the act does not account for numerous complications that may prevent an asylum seeker from stopping there. The new rules do not account for individual circumstances. For instance, an individual under the control of a smuggler, an individual enduring circumstances of violence, unsuitability of a certain country due to the refugee’s specific characteristics and a need to reside in the U.K. for purposes of family, cultural or linguistic links.
The Impact on Vulnerable Women
These new restrictions also pose specific risks to women. Research by Women for Refugee Women finds that around four out of five female asylum seekers have fled from dangers of a sexual and gender discriminatory nature. As a result of the sensitive and complex nature of trauma, victims struggle to promptly disclose the details of the violence, with research finding memory loss or inability to verbalize trauma as a common side effect of the trauma itself.
Once arriving in the U.K., any delay in applying for asylum and submitting evidence will lead to a penalty. Delayed submission of evidence impacts applicants’ credibility and could, therefore, hold “minimal weight by the decision-maker” assessing the asylum application. This deters applications from many traumatized women who have experienced violence and abuse.
The Route to Rwanda
Arguably one of the biggest controversies associated with the Nationality and Borders Act is the U.K.’s decision in April 2022 to relocate some U.K. asylum seekers to Rwanda as part of a £120 million agreement. The public views this as a ‘penalty’ as the U.K. will not permit some asylum seekers to return to the U.K. It is possible that this aspect is a breach of Article 31 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, which states that even immigrants entering illegally will not be subject to penalties while fleeing persecution.
Despite global recognition of Rwanda’s growth and development, fact-checking by Deutsche Welle reveals issues. Over the years, reports indicate limitations on freedom of speech in the country, with violent consequences arising for journalists, politicians and others who have spoken ill of the government. Although homosexuality is not illegal, Rwanda is known for its intolerance of sexual minority groups, with the U.K. government’s own foreign travel advice page warning of abuse and discrimination.
Overcoming the Barriers to Safety
An Equality Impact Assessment for the Nationality and Borders Act has prompted the government’s promise to mitigate any negative effects of the act experienced by vulnerable refugees such as women, children and those with disabilities. The government has also vowed to improve legal aid accessibility.
Working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the U.K. government has committed to ensuring equality and fairness within resettlement programs for refugees. The U.K government also permits the Home Secretary to exercise discretion and allow asylum for refugees facing special circumstances.
The International Rescue Committee is an organization committed to providing humanitarian assistance to refugees seeking safety and highlights the need for the creation of safe routes for asylum seekers. If the U.K. delivers and increases the availability of resettlement schemes, such as the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, and prioritizes its application and support systems, it has the chance to prove that the Nationality and Borders Act will serve as an anchor to those seeking safety and not a barrier.
– Lydia Tyler
Photo: WikiCommons
How Digital Wages Empower Women in South Asia’s Informal Economy
For many workers in South Asia, employment in South Asia’s informal economy remains the only way to earn a living. Informal employment is a massive development concern for the region and has continued to grow in South Asian countries over the past few years. The World Bank estimated that in 2020, more than 80% of people under employment in the South Asian region were informal workers, and about 90% of businesses were informal. A significant portion of these workers are women; according to UN Women, 95% of the total informal employment consisted of women in 2016.
The lack of labor law protection and social benefits, combined with extremely low wages, results in women in South Asia suffering from financial exclusion. Wage digitization can help tackle this issue and encourage financial inclusion in the region.
Women in South Asia’s Informal Economy
In South Asia, women make up a disproportionate amount of informal workers and often do not have the protection of any laws or regulations. Many such female workers face issues like low or unpaid wages, unsafe working conditions and lack of social benefits.
Informal work for South Asian women ranges from self-employment in the form of subsistence farmers or street vendors to waged work such as domestic work. However, informal work, which people often refer to as the gray economy, falls outside of labor laws and thus workers do not receive protection. This means the majority of the women working under such conditions have no wage guarantees either. Many are either receiving low or irregular wages, with some not receiving wages at all.
According to World Bank, one of the biggest reasons women in South Asian countries only remain employed in the informal economy is due to the lack of infrastructure available to increase economic opportunities for women. Without educational opportunities and adequate technological training, women are unable to compete for jobs in the formal job market and end up dependent on the informal economy. Other reasons for women in these regions being unable to participate in the economy formally are cultural and societal norms, such as patriarchal social structures, that prevent women from fully participating in the job market. For example, in Pakistan, for a woman to register a business, she must provide a father or husband’s name in front of a witness.
The Benefits of Digital Wages
A way that women in South Asia’s informal economy experience empowerment is through digital wages. Global Findex’s 2021 report, which showed how digital wages have created new opportunities for female garment workers in Bangladesh, stated that although men were more likely to have bank accounts, there has been an increasing trend since 2017 toward financial inclusion for women in lower-income countries. This includes digital accounts and payments of wages digitally.
One of the countries that has benefitted from digital wages is Bangladesh. According to the 2021 Global Findex report, there was a 7% increase in women’s digital account ownership in Bangladesh, which cut the financial gender gap in the country by a third. Apart from allowing female workers to receive their wages, digital wages help companies as well by cutting down administrative costs and time.
Possibilities for the Future
The use of digital wages and the increased financial security that comes with it can help women in South Asia who rely on the informal economy to achieve greater financial freedom. Moreover, the financial awareness that comes with digital wages could particularly benefit the women of the region who traditionally have to give their cash earnings to their husbands or fathers. By having digital accounts and direct deposits, they can obtain a certain degree of autonomy.
The case of Bangladesh proves that financial inclusion through technology can help women’s empowerment; the International Labor Organization (ILO) is already moving to digitize garment worker wages in Cambodia as well. Digital wages can prove to be an efficient and inclusive way of empowering women in South Asia’s vast informal economy.
– Umaima Munir
Photo: Pixabay
The Promise to Halve the Poverty Rate in the Philippines
The pandemic had a negative impact on every country in the world. From economic depression to increased poverty, conditions in rich and poor countries declined. One of the countries that the pandemic hit hardest was the Philippines. The pandemic pushed more than 2.3 million Filipinos under the poverty line. By 2021, poverty in the Philippines was above 18%, well overshooting the government target of 15.5%. The Philippines is also $242 billion in debt, amounting to nearly 64% of its GDP. This 16-year high is partly due to the pandemic, as the financial stress it caused led to the government borrowing more. To top it all off, inflation is rising at the highest rate since 2018, further exacerbating the country’s economic struggle. Luckily, the new president of the Philippines has a plan to reduce the poverty rate in the Philippines by half.
The Newly Inaugurated President’s Plan
Despite the country’s increasing economic disparity, the newly inaugurated President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. proposed a record budget to tackle poverty, health care and social welfare in 2023. For him, boosting the economy and reducing poverty in the Philippines is supposedly at the forefront of his agenda. He recently proposed a 2023 budget of $94 billion (5.29 trillion pesos) – a significant increase from the previous year’s budget. This budget aims at lifting millions of people out of poverty and significantly boosting economic growth. He also pledged to cut the poverty rate in half, aiming for 9% by the end of his term in 2028.
Furthermore, Marcos intends to reduce the Philippine debt to less than 60% of its GDP. He also plans to initiate the nation’s own Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Establishing a CDC is a step that makes vaccines more available, lowers the cost of medicine and expands health care accessibility in rural areas that lack it.
A Tarnished Family Legacy
While Marcos’ budget sounds promising for tackling the poverty rate in the Philippines and promoting economic growth, his presidency carries a heavily tarnished past. Marcos Jr. is the son of late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who served as the 10th Philippine president for 21 years. Controversy, corruption and even dictatorship marred the Marcos Sr. presidency. In 1972, Marcos Sr. put the country under martial law, which lasted for nine years. During that time, numerous human rights violations occurred, followed by economic collapse and rising inflation.
By the end of his rule, the poverty rate in the Philippines was at an all-time high, having risen from 42% to 59%. It is well documented that Marcos Sr.’s political opponents and critics were assassinated or tortured and that the Muslim minority was heavily silenced and oppressed. In addition, he and his wife Imelda received accusations of plundering around $10 billion, much of which was never recovered. Despite the numerous charges of racketeering, graft and corruption, Imelda Marcos ended up serving as a congresswoman for nine years. Her daughter Imee currently serves as a senator. Additionally, on May 25, 2022, her son Marcos Jr. officially became the 17th President of the Philippines.
Mixed Feelings
Some say that the Philippines is heading into another era of corruption and dictatorship. Others say that Marcos Jr. is fighting hard to escape his father’s shadow. Whatever the case may be, one thing is certain; this struggling Asian country requires strong leadership and sound judgment if it is to recover from its current economic crisis.
– Padma Balaji
Photo: Flickr
The Project Fighting Housing Poverty in Hong Kong
Some visitors to Hong Kong would likely say the food or the neon nightscape are the most impressive things about the city. However, others might say that it is the expensive housing prices that make Hong Kong “impressive.” According to Demographia’s International Housing Affordability report in 2022, Hong Kong has the world’s least affordable housing market, with a median multiple of 23.2, which is an income-price ratio of the median house price over the total median household income. In short, the housing crisis is a pressing issue in Hong Kong, leading to a social problem known as housing poverty. This article will discuss the issue of Hong Kong’s housing poverty and how a local council, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), has committed to tackling this problem by launching the Community Housing Movement.
Housing Poverty in Hong Kong
Everyone deserves to live comfortably, yet, this can be a dream for many Hong Kong citizens. According to a study by Professor Yip Ngai-ming in 2020, middle-income households would have to spend about 20 years of their income to purchase a 60-square-meter apartment for $1.24 million. Therefore, for low-income families, having their own houses has become even more difficult.
While renting is an option for many citizens, it is still expensive. For instance, those subdivided units (SDUs) – are some small divided units in converted apartments and are often located in old buildings. According to a report that the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong produced in 2016, there were 88,900 households residing in SDUs and the median monthly rent for these households was $4,500. On the other hand, the monthly income of these households was $13,500.
The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS)
While the housing problem is a tricky issue for the government to handle, the local council known as the HKCSS commits to tackling housing poverty by improving the living condition of those less fortunate citizens. As a non-governmental organization, the HKCSS’s objective is to plan and coordinate social welfare and relief projects in the city, such as the Community Housing Movement.
Community Housing Movement
The HKCSS launched the project in September 2017 with the support of the government, as well as working alongside other organizations including the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund (SIE Fund) and The Community Chest of Hong Kong. According to the HKCSS’s website, the project aimed to grant short-term relief for families and individuals who needed transitional housing and had been waiting for Public Rental Housing for at least 3 years or desperately needed community support.
To do so, the organization acted as an intermediary platform in searching for and renovating empty residential properties from private developers before subletting them to suitable NGOs as operators. Moreover, the HKCSS emphasized the provision of community support for citizens to help them with their living challenges and improve their living conditions. In short, the organization focused on both housing conditions and community-based empowerment.
Accomplishments
In November 2020, 14 social service agencies became service operators participating in the Community Housing Movement. They provided 506 housing units to 650 low-income households. Among the families, more than 90% were on the public housing waiting list. In addition, according to a survey that the Hong Kong Polytechnic University conducted, the overall financial stress of citizens who had moved into those social housing units became almost 30% less.
Looking Ahead
Overall, housing poverty is an urgent issue that the Hong Kong government has to face. Despite the problem being a challenging one, some local NGOs have stepped in, including the HKCSS. By offering transitional houses and community support to grassroots households, the Community Housing Movement began to impact those families.
– Mimosa Ngai
Photo: Flickr
Women in Tech in Nigeria: Empowerment Through Technology
What is Women in Tech in Nigeria?
Women in Tech in Nigeria is both a nonprofit and an association, established for the purpose of empowering women girls and women through technology. It advocates for female leadership in the tech industry, equips women with digital skills, supports female entrepreneurship and campaigns for reforms that promote gender equality.
The categories of women WITIN targets include university students at any level of study in order to foster their interest in the tech industry, female graduates early in their careers, women returning to the workforce to whom WITIN provides returning programs and professionals switching from other industries to the tech industry. WITIN also caters to female entrepreneurs looking to technology for business growth, female veterans in the technology industry and rural women seeking jobs.
The organization partners with schools and educators to promote STEM subjects among girls and provides internship and volunteer opportunities to directly mentor them. Men who want to support women in technology can do so through WITIN’s #HeforShe movement. By bringing together women from different backgrounds in technology, WITIN has created a support system for women in the tech industry.
Recent Achievement
In 2022, Women in Tech in Nigeria stood as the runner-up for the WSIS Prize due to its WomenPRIDE.Africa program. WSIS refers to the World Summit on the Information Society, a U.N.-backed annual forum for those using information and communications technology (ICT) to promote sustainable development. The WomenPRIDE.Africa program promotes digital outreach to marginalized women, giving them access to the digital economy and teaching them marketable digital skills.
Notable Leadership
Martha Omoekpen Alade, the current executive director of Women in Tech in Nigeria, officially established the nonprofit association in 2009. She partnered with Google in 2011 to set up the Grassroots Women Empowerment Through ICT (GWEIT) online platform for women-run small businesses in rural Nigeria and these businesses continue to have an online presence even after the termination of the platform.
Alade led WITIN to partner with USAID and Intel in their respective initiatives, Women and the Web Alliance and She Will Connect, to empower women through technology, create entrepreneurship opportunities for young women in Nigeria and more. In 2019, Alade received the Community Impact Award at the Technology Playmaker Awards held annually by the digital tech lead Booking.com for WITINs efforts to harness technology to uplift 20,000 impoverished girls and women by 2022.
Looking Ahead
As the world grows more and more digitally interconnected, technology has evolved from a tool of economic development to one that promotes social and political development. Technology plays a critical role in the advancement of women’s rights and Women in Tech in Nigeria is one of many examples that solidifies this. It is, therefore, crucial to support advocacy efforts for gender equality and eliminate gender gaps in all industries altogether. This will be to the benefit of the communities in which empowered women live.
– Kena Irungu
Photo: WikkiCommons
The Jackson Yee Incident and Income Inequality in China
Jackson Yee and The National Theatre of China
Yee, 22, rose to fame as a TFBOYS singer, but since then has acted in a number of films including Better Days, nominated for an Oscar in 2019. He has over 90 million followers on Sina Weibo, the Chinese social media platform.
There are two key doubts about Yee’s acceptance to the National Theatre. First, Chinese netizens questioned Yee’s eligibility to apply for the National Theatre of China. First, to be eligible one had to be unemployed, but Yee obviously wasn’t. In addition, when doubts escalated, the National Theatre of China refused to release interview videos and application details that the government required. Yee’s hire angered so many Chinese people not only because of celebrity privilege in the job market but also because of the overarching issue of huge income inequality in China that has long been a source of concern among netizens.
The Huge Income Gap Between Celebrities and Ordinaries in China
In China, the income of celebrities is unimaginable for ordinary people. For instance, Zhang Yixing, one of the most famous rap stars in China, paid $2.8 million in taxes in 2018.
And the income inequality in China goes beyond the most popular celebrities. Even tepid and unknown stars appearing in a single commercial performance earn tens of thousands of yuan. On the other hand, office workers in big cities may earn between 7,000 yuan and 10,000 yuan a month (equivalent to $1037 and $1482) while in remote counties, wages average no more than 3,000 yuan (equivalent to $44) a month. In particular, this income inequality has caused outrage on social media.
Efforts To Cap Celebrity Salaries
In response to that netizen outrage, the Chinese government has embarked on a series of measures to correct disparities. In 2018, China introduced a new mandatory policy that in television production, the salary of the leading actor cannot exceed 70% of the sum of the salary of all artists and 40% of the total production cost. This means that extremely high salaries for actors will be a thing of the past.
Moreover, China is enforcing this rule. For example, Zheng Shuang, a well-known Chinese actress, earned $25 million for appearing in just 77 days of a TV show. After public outcry, an investigation found that the production company did not follow the protocols and that Shuang had evaded taxes between 2019 and 2020. The government ordered the production to not hire Shuang again, and fined Shuang $45 million in back taxes.
Efforts to Raise Income Level of Rural Chinese
In addition to making the income of celebrities more reasonable, the Chinese government is also committed to improving the income level of the general public. This is the key to reducing income inequality in China. The Chinese government plans that by 2035, the rural population with lower incomes today will experience a 157% increase in income. Further, in order to achieve this goal, China will build digital infrastructures in rural areas to make the production and life of rural people more efficient, thereby creating greater economic benefits. If this plan can be carried out smoothly, by 2035 the income inequality in China between celebrities and ordinary people should be significantly reduced.
-Ella Li
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
How Netflix is Helping Underrepresented Creators
On August 23, 2022, Netflix announced that the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity was coming to Africa. Over the past few years, Netflix has endeavored to be a platform that supports marginalized groups that have underrepresented creators in the entertainment industry. The Netflix Fund for Creative Equity was the result of the efforts. The scope of its work first covered the U.S. followed by the U.K. and Canada, and now includes the African continent, beginning with Western and Central Africa.
The Creative Equity Scholarship Fund
Netflix launched the Fund on February 26, 2021. It was the result of a two-year research study by Netflix and Dr. Stacy L. Smith of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, a think tank that promotes research, advocacy and action for inclusion amd diversity in the entertainment industry. While great strides were occurring concerning gender equality, Netflix was lagging when it came to the representation of race, ethnic groups, the LGBTQ community and people with disabilities. As a result, Netflix provided $100 million for investment within the span of five years to create more opportunities for existing underrepresented creators and train new ones in the entertainment industry. The Fund also aims to support other organizations fighting for diversity inclusion by partnering up with them.
Netflix in Africa
In 2022, $1 million is supporting qualified students from five media schools and universities focused on television and film production. The Netflix Creative Equity Fund provides the scholarship and has partnered with Dalberg, a New York-based international consulting firm to manage its implementation. The schools in partnership with the fund are located in four African countries. These include:
Media is a powerful tool that shapes and changes lives and Netflix understands this. It provides the platform to show what is and is not possible to the poor, the marginalized and the underserved and underrepresented creators from the groups must have the opportunity to tell their own stories. In this way, people can better understand others from all walks of life, including their struggles and what is truly necessary in the world to better shape it and change it.
– Kena Irungu
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Seeking Safety: The Implications of the Nationality and Borders Act
The Requirements for Asylum Seekers
The act’s main changes to previous laws surrounding immigration include the imposition of a two-tier labeling system, categorizing asylum seekers as either Group 1 or Group 2 refugees.
Furthermore, asylum seekers are now subject to a dual standard of proof to demonstrate that they are fleeing their home country due to “a well-founded fear of being persecuted.” Previously, the standard of proof was a “reasonable likelihood” of persecution. Now, the dual standard of proof assesses the situation based on both “a reasonable likelihood” and “balance of probabilities.” These standards leave some disparities within protection and support.
The Controversies
The Nationality and Borders Act functions on a system of differential treatment for asylum seekers traveling to the U.K. via a route that is not classified as ‘safe and legal.’ Those who pass by other ‘safe’ countries and do not claim asylum there are penalized for doing so and are placed in Group 2, which often denies them long-term residence and results in unfavorable treatment in comparison to Group 1 refugees. It is also possible that the U.K. will simply declare them ‘inadmissible.’ According to the International Rescue Committee, there are few “safe and legal routes to the U.K.”
Furthermore, by deeming the passing of a ‘safe country’ as a failure to seek asylum, the act does not account for numerous complications that may prevent an asylum seeker from stopping there. The new rules do not account for individual circumstances. For instance, an individual under the control of a smuggler, an individual enduring circumstances of violence, unsuitability of a certain country due to the refugee’s specific characteristics and a need to reside in the U.K. for purposes of family, cultural or linguistic links.
The Impact on Vulnerable Women
These new restrictions also pose specific risks to women. Research by Women for Refugee Women finds that around four out of five female asylum seekers have fled from dangers of a sexual and gender discriminatory nature. As a result of the sensitive and complex nature of trauma, victims struggle to promptly disclose the details of the violence, with research finding memory loss or inability to verbalize trauma as a common side effect of the trauma itself.
Once arriving in the U.K., any delay in applying for asylum and submitting evidence will lead to a penalty. Delayed submission of evidence impacts applicants’ credibility and could, therefore, hold “minimal weight by the decision-maker” assessing the asylum application. This deters applications from many traumatized women who have experienced violence and abuse.
The Route to Rwanda
Arguably one of the biggest controversies associated with the Nationality and Borders Act is the U.K.’s decision in April 2022 to relocate some U.K. asylum seekers to Rwanda as part of a £120 million agreement. The public views this as a ‘penalty’ as the U.K. will not permit some asylum seekers to return to the U.K. It is possible that this aspect is a breach of Article 31 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, which states that even immigrants entering illegally will not be subject to penalties while fleeing persecution.
Despite global recognition of Rwanda’s growth and development, fact-checking by Deutsche Welle reveals issues. Over the years, reports indicate limitations on freedom of speech in the country, with violent consequences arising for journalists, politicians and others who have spoken ill of the government. Although homosexuality is not illegal, Rwanda is known for its intolerance of sexual minority groups, with the U.K. government’s own foreign travel advice page warning of abuse and discrimination.
Overcoming the Barriers to Safety
An Equality Impact Assessment for the Nationality and Borders Act has prompted the government’s promise to mitigate any negative effects of the act experienced by vulnerable refugees such as women, children and those with disabilities. The government has also vowed to improve legal aid accessibility.
Working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the U.K. government has committed to ensuring equality and fairness within resettlement programs for refugees. The U.K government also permits the Home Secretary to exercise discretion and allow asylum for refugees facing special circumstances.
The International Rescue Committee is an organization committed to providing humanitarian assistance to refugees seeking safety and highlights the need for the creation of safe routes for asylum seekers. If the U.K. delivers and increases the availability of resettlement schemes, such as the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, and prioritizes its application and support systems, it has the chance to prove that the Nationality and Borders Act will serve as an anchor to those seeking safety and not a barrier.
– Lydia Tyler
Photo: WikiCommons
UN Education Fund Sees Success in 2021 Report
Around the world, 222 million children and adolescents are currently experiencing conflict and crises. Of those children, 78.2 million are unable to attend school and 119.6 million face barriers to an adequate education. The findings come from the United Nations’ education fund in crisis-impacted countries, Education Cannot Wait, in its 2021 report.
Education Cannot Wait is the U.N.’s first global fund for “education in emergencies and protracted crises.” The fund underwent establishment in 2016 at the World Humanitarian Summit and aims to ensure that every child can attain an education, regardless of their circumstances.
Despite global challenges, ECW found many successes in 2021, from increased funding to the number of children it was able to serve with its programs. Titled “We Have Promises to Keep,” the 2021 report highlights the fund’s record highs in education grants and mobilization as well as improved gender parity in its educational programs.
Findings
Successes
Looking Ahead
Education Cannot Wait’s “We Have Promises to Keep” report shows that even in the face of increased global challenges, significant progress can occur. Despite setbacks in the education sector, the fund broke records and targets set in 2016. However, keeping increasing trends in conflict and crises and their impact on education in mind, more work if necessary.
– Ramona Mukherji
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
US Pledges $55 Million Following Earthquake in Afghanistan
Distribution of Funds
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced on June 28, 2022, that it will allocate $55 million in aid for emergency relief resources such as shelter, food, water, clothing and hygiene products in Afghanistan. A portion of the aid will go toward sanitation measures to limit the spread of waterborne diseases. Funds will go directly to partner civil societies and nonprofit organizations operating in the region as the U.S. does not have official diplomatic or humanitarian ties with the ruling Taliban.
Additional Aid Efforts in Afghanistan
The devastating earthquake exacerbates the economic and humanitarian crises that have pummeled Afghanistan since the Taliban first rose to power in August of 2021. Afghani citizens already face food insecurity, with national hunger rising from 14 million in July 2021 to 23 million in March 2022.
With more than half of the population facing food insecurity, international assistance narrowly managed to avoid full-scale famine in the country in the winter of 2022. Poverty rates in the country are estimated to stand at almost 97% as of 2022 due to prolonged drought and instability caused by recent political upheaval and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On June 25, 2022, the United Nations initiated an emergency appeal for $110 million in aid to help the provinces most affected by the disaster. The U.N. will disseminate the funds in the next three months in order to help 360,000 Afghanistan citizens. This emergency appeal is integral to the U.N.’s Humanitarian Response for Afghanistan, which calls for a total of $4.4 billion in emergency aid.
Barriers to Aid
Unfortunately, the Taliban’s strict control over the country complicates all international humanitarian efforts. In late March 2022, the Taliban’s Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund announced to all foreign aid agencies in Afghanistan that all humanitarian projects must be done in close coordination with Kabul’s authorities. This announcement came a week after the governor of the province of Ghor, Ghulam Naser Khaze, attempted to exert total control over several local NGOs.
Governor Khaze insisted that the NGOs turn over their funds and only adopt projects chosen by the local government. Prime Minister Mullah’s directives and Governor Khaze’s actions in Ghor represent a policy framework known as the “Monitoring and Control Plan of NGOs.” Kabul’s Taliban government formulated this plan in the fall of 2021 to consolidate all NGO activities under the Taliban’s authority.
Sanctions and other measures aim to prevent the Taliban from fully implementing its NGO-control framework. As a result, international financial systems are especially diligent, making it difficult for humanitarian groups to access the funds efficiently. The Taliban continues to actively insert itself between nonprofit organizations and the aid they seek to provide via various formal and informal decrees, further frustrating the fund distribution process.
How to Help
As a result of international sanctions on the Taliban, online fundraising sites cannot be transferred to Afghanistan banks. The best way to help those affected by the earthquake is to donate directly to NGOs in the region. Below is a list of NGOs helping those struggling in Afghanistan.
The international community is rushing to help those affected by the crisis. Still, everyone can help in their own small way. Be sure to remain an active and informed global citizen by vocalizing the importance of foreign aid funds to local government representatives. Through the efforts of nations, NGOs and ordinary citizens, Afghanistan can look to a brighter tomorrow.
– Mollie Lund
Photo: Flickr
7 Facts About Foreign Aid to Paraguay
7 Facts About Foreign Aid to Paraguay
Eradicating global poverty is a group effort. As it stands, 8.6% of the world lives in extreme poverty and foreign aid works as a critical tool in the fight to end poverty. Through global action, poverty in Paraguay can diminish.
– Michael Cardamone
Photo: Flickr