Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Solar Energy Offers Solution to Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa


Approximately 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, or two-thirds of the population, are living without access to proper electricity. However, there is a possible solution. Solar energy has the power to reach rural areas and costs less than fuels like diesel or kerosene. African families could potentially cut their spending on electricity from nine percent of household income to two percent by replacing kerosene with solar energy. Zambia is taking the first steps in making the switch to solar power and eradicating poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nkandu Luo, the higher education minister of Zambia, wants to provide clean and renewable power to rural communities to lift people out of poverty. Off-grid solar power helps improve and enhance education through access to computers and the internet.

The clean energy movement is called the Lundazi Green Village project, after the first village that will benefit from the new energy source. Egichikeni primary school in the Lundazi Green Village is the intended site for phase one of the program.

In addition to improving education, the project will improve safety, healthcare and agriculture in rural communities. This will facilitate people in escaping poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Parts of the Lundazi Green Village project include new security technology, street lighting, medical equipment and irrigation methods.

Luo’s long-term goal is sustainability. The use of solar energy addresses the specific needs of rural communities and grants them financial independence. About 300 households plus public buildings like schools and hospitals will benefit from the project. New access to electricity makes job creation and higher incomes inevitable.

Another plus? Access to solar power in sub-Saharan Africa tackles climate change. It also connects people to the global network, allowing them to increase their economic prospects.

Zambians are not the only ones attempting to solve poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Azuri Technologies, a global organization, has introduced ‘entry-level solar systems’ that give people eight hours of electricity each day. Customers pay an initial installation fee and then pay weekly or monthly through pay cards or with their phones.

Access to power encourages people to buy and use more technology, especially resources that connect them to the rest of the world via the internet. The pay-as-you-go format is successful because it allows people without bank accounts to use their phones to operate their finances.

Upfront costs of solar energy are high compared to fuels like kerosene or diesel, so some are hesitant to make the switch. However, the cost of installing off-grid power is expected to decrease by 60 percent in the next 20 years and has already fallen in cost by about 80 percent since 2010. Renewable energy could be the solution to ending poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and millions of communities around the world.

– Rachel Cooper

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Hunger in Liberia


Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast that is home to roughly 4.5 million people. Due to a recent civil war and outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, the country has become vulnerable to poverty and hunger. Here are 10 facts about hunger in Liberia.

10 Facts About Hunger in Liberia

  1. Poverty in Liberia is high, and approximately 83.3 percent of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day.
  2. High levels of poverty often lead to hunger. Around 16 percent of households in Liberia are food-insecure and two percent are severely food-insecure.
  3. Food makes up a large portion of Liberian families’ expenses, with one-fourth of Liberian families spending more than 65 percent of their income on food. Some people are forced to resort to emergency coping strategies, such as begging, in order to feed their family.
  4. Liberia is classified as a low-income, least developed and food-deficit country. It ranks as number 177 out of 188 countries in the 2015 Human Development Index.
  5. Liberia is in the process of recovering from a 14-year civil war that destroyed social services and infrastructure critical to combating poverty and hunger in Liberia.
  6. An Ebola virus outbreak in March 2014 also had a detrimental impact on Liberia’s economy. Economic growth fell from an estimated 5.9 percent to between 0.7 and 0.9 percent in 2014.
  7. Refugees living in Liberia are even more vulnerable to hunger. The country has hosted approximately 39,000 refugees since December 2015, primarily people from Cote d’Ivoire. Those who live in camps are especially at risk for hunger.
  8. Livestock farming in Liberia is unable to meet the population’s demand. As a result, 80 percent of the country relies on fish as a protein source. However, climate change has led to flooding and rising sea levels that threaten Liberians’ ability to fish.
  9. Insufficient access to education contributes to poverty and hunger in Liberia. Only 26.7 percent of children are enrolled in school.
  10. Girls in Liberia are especially likely to be taken out of school early, either to help with work at home or as a way to save money. The World Food Programme offers take-home rations to girls as an incentive for families to keep them in school.

While the people of Liberia continue to face obstacles as they rebuild their country’s economy, continued international support and investment in education and infrastructure could help stabilize the country and reduce hunger.

– Alexi Worley

Photo: Flickr

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A Need for Better Tertiary Education in Uzbekistan

tertiary education in Uzbekistan
Recent trends show that although education in Uzbekistan has come a long way since the nation’s Soviet days, Uzbekistan needs to focus on improving its tertiary education to secure a successful economic and social future. Currently, tertiary enrollment in Uzbekistan is among the lowest in Central Asia at just 15 percent.

After Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union, the Uzbekistani government shifted its focus to prioritizing educational reform. However, major economic and social challenges were placed on Uzbekistan as a result of past Soviet reforms, making it difficult for Uzbekistan to reform its education system. Although Uzbekistan has put effort into improving its economy and social system, education in Uzbekistan needs attention, especially postsecondary education.

When first comparing general education net enrollment rates in Uzbekistan to respective sub-regional and regional averages, the country is above average for primary and secondary school enrollment. However, learning outcomes and overall education quality is concerning. Despite recent reforms such as increasing teacher salaries and revising the Law on Education, school performance is subpar. UNICEF states that Uzbekistan has plans to improve school infrastructure, teacher working conditions, and access to quality basic education. The World Bank believes that the biggest concern for education in Uzbekistan is tertiary education.

Over the past 20 years, Uzbekistan’s economy has shifted from agriculture to the service sector. According to the World Bank, tertiary education in Uzbekistan has failed to adapt to this shift in the economy and the limited access to tertiary education is concerning for the future of Uzbekistan. Statistics show that of total public spending on education in Uzbekistan, only 5.2 percent is spent on higher education. Many firms report that it is difficult to find qualified specialists in Uzbekistan due to the lack of higher education. It is predicted that if Uzbekistan does not shift its focus to postsecondary education, then there will be long-term ramifications on the economy, ultimately creating more social challenges in Uzbekistan.

Reports state that “experts from the World Bank Group have worked with key stakeholders in the country to analyze the challenges and design policies, recommendations, and interventions capable of overcoming these challenges.”

A recent report titled “Uzbekistan: Modernizing Tertiary Education” explores the education system in Uzbekistan and its relations to the economy. Experts believe that by doing things such as expanding equitable access to higher education for all students and increasing spending on tertiary education, Uzbekistan will see more economic growth.

– Morgan Leahy

Photo: Flickr

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Hunger and Poverty in Malta


In 2015, statistics showed that hunger and poverty in Malta have become a consistent issue. Moreover, 16.3 percent of the population was considered “at-risk” for monetary poverty. The average disposable income for individual households was less than EUR 26,000 per year.

The phenomena of hunger and poverty in Malta, as well as severe material deprivation, results from several factors. These include low income, social exclusion and low work intensity. Nearly half of the Maltese population has indicated an inability to afford even one week of vacation during the year.

Individuals living in single family homes face the greatest risk of falling below the median poverty threshold. When there is one less person in the home, there is one less steady income.

According to the Nationalist Party (NP), poverty levels continue to rise for the Maltese population. The cost of food, fuel and medicine increase steadily, despite a recent yet slight increase in job salaries. As a result, those living in impoverished states continue to face the unfortunate repercussions of low income levels.

Furthermore, the increase in costs for the basic necessities of life has had a ripple effect on lower income individuals who were already struggling. Therefore, the slight rise in income levels has not been able to offset the rising costs of living.

In 2016, 21,000 Maltese children were classified as being at risk for poverty — 28.2 percent of the population. In response to the disconcerting rates of hunger and poverty in Malta, the NP has voiced its discontent by citing a lack of care by the country’s current government. According to the NP, the number of at-risk persons has risen to 94,250. Eighty-eight thousand individuals were at risk prior to the last election.

There are roughly 24,000 children who come from low-income families facing material deprivations including food deprivation. Their families are in grave need of social assistance from the government. Furthermore, suggested solutions for eradicating poverty and social exclusion include “investing in more educational equality and in strengthening the family,” as well as providing adequate support for individuals who cannot work due to mental or physical problems.

– Lael Pierce

Photo: Flickr

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Hunger in Guyana Halved


Hunger in Guyana has improved exponentially over the past decade as the number of people who suffer from hunger has been halved.

According to the U.N., Guyana is one of 38 countries that have met internationally established targets in the effort to eliminate hunger.

The country was recognized by the World Food Summit (WFS) for more than halving the absolute number of undernourished people between 1992 and 2012. The number reduced from more than 19 percent to just over five percent in that 20-year time span. The number lowered from 143,000 to 38,000 undernourished people.

Reflected in the WFS report are the implications of poverty, food insecurity and hunger in Guyana. Extreme poverty in Guyana has declined from 28.7 percent in 1993 to 18.6 percent in 2006. In order to reach the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals, that rate must have fallen by four percentage points by 2015.

The report raised concern not about the availability of food in the region, but rather the ability to make food widely accessible. Guyana has remote rural regions of underdeveloped communities to which it is difficult to distribute quality, nutritious meals. Raising agricultural productivity is the key in this regard because remote rural areas are largely dependent on their own crops and livestock.

Sixty percent of the country’s gross domestic product is represented by six exports: sugar, gold, bauxite, shrimp, timber and rice. Guyana was once a powerful producer of sugar, yet its production sunk to an all-time low in 2014. However, more recent crop production numbers have shown improvement.

To limit malnutrition, assuring the right food choices is important. In 2008, less than one percent of children under five suffered from extreme malnutrition. In addition, less than six percent experienced mild to moderate malnutrition.

The country’s minister of agriculture Leslie Ramsammy produced a food security report in July 2012. The report stated that an increasing population and the adverse of effects of climate change were the drivers of food insecurity. The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently established a National Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Plan for the agriculture sector.

Ramsammy noted that a high food import bill and high national debt were the two biggest threats. At that time, debt levels were at more than 45 percent of Guyanese Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The minister of agriculture concluded that Guyana must reaffirm its commitment to the science of crop management and agriculture practices.

Hunger in Guyana has improved greatly over the past 20 years. The country has resolved to work with international organizations to reach global goals to develop locally groundbreaking agriculture advancements.

– Shaun Savarese

Photo: Flickr

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Education in Slovenia


Slovenia is a republic nestled near the Adriatic Sea and neighboring Italy, Hungary, Austria and Croatia. It has a population of two million and occupies an area of 7,287 square miles. The nation is known for its idyllic lakes, extensive caves, scenic mountains, iconic architecture and abundant history. Here are five facts about education in Slovenia.

Five Facts About Education in Slovenia

  1. Slovenian Perspectives: In 2011, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) launched the Better Life Initiative to understand wellbeing within its member countries. It is composed of a report and online index which allows participants to rank their wellbeing across 11 dimensions. The findings of the 2016 Better Life Initiative show that education is the fourth most important topic to Slovenians, behind safety, health and the environment. Results were obtained from a voluntary online sample of 192 nationals. Slovenia has the lowest educational deprivation level among OECD members and its percentage of youth (15-19-year-olds) who are not employed or engaged in education/training activities (3.5 percent) is far below the 7.1 percent OECD average. Additionally, Slovenian students are less likely to repeat grades than those in other countries.The main interests of Slovenian volunteers are education and culture — with 30 percent of formal volunteers (age 15-plus) involved in those sectors. Individuals with high levels of education tend to volunteer.
  2. Primary Education: Primary education in Slovenia is compulsory under the nation’s constitution and paid for through public funds. It lasts nine years (students start at the age of six) and the school year runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31. According to the Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MoE), in the 2013/2014 school year, there were 780 public schools and four private institutions. The student-teacher ratio is reported to be 10.68:1 with a maximum class size of 28 pupils.
  3. Secondary Education: The upper secondary education system in Slovenia is centralized and students enroll at the age of 15. Students are able to focus on general education, vocational or technical programs of study, which may last from two to five years. The school year runs from Sept. 1 to June 24 and class size ranges from 17-30 students. According to the MoE, there were 132 secondary schools with 91,849 students during the 2007/2008 school year. The 2016 Better Life report states that 85.7 percent of Slovenia’s adult population has completed upper secondary school, which exceeds the OECD average (76.4 percent). In Western Slovenia, 90 percent of the labor force has completed upper secondary education compared to 86.2 percent in the eastern portion of the country.
  4. International Performance: According to the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Slovenia outperforms many nations including the United States. The nation also ranks higher than the OECD average on the exam. The 2015 Slovenian scores were 513, 505 and 510 for science, reading and math, respectively, compared to the OECD mean scores of 493, 493 and 490. Slovenian students are also less likely than their peers to skip school prior to the examination. This figure has dropped two percent since the 2012 PISA. In the United States, there was an increase of student truancy on the order of 16 percent since the 2012 PISA.
  5. Tertiary Education: Higher education in Slovenia includes private and public universities, technical colleges, art academies and professional colleges. Learning pathways fall under two general categories: short cycle (two years) vocational education and traditional higher education. According to one MoE report, there are 89 tertiary education institutions with 90,403 students. In 2004, there were 14,888 college graduates and 8,378 students were enrolled in postgraduate studies. With respect to universities, there are four institutions of higher learning: Ljubljana, Maribor, Primorska and Nova Gorica. The international Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI) also provides educational opportunities for students. The school year is based on a semester model and runs from October to September. The University of Ljubljana is known as one of the best global universities according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

Overall, education in Slovenia continues to improve and students perform well across international benchmarks. However, the country’s higher education system — and vocational training frameworks — could be improved upon. This includes course selectivity, faculty workload rearrangements, research funding and departmental cooperation.

Moreover, the 2016 Slovenia Country Report outlines the diminished labor market returns of certain skills and baccalaureate programs based on intergenerational comparisons.

To address these concerns, and other emerging issues, the European Union has implemented the Europe 2020 strategy. Two key objectives of this initiative are to lower school dropout rates (the target is fewer than 10 percent) and to increase the proportion of higher education attainment amongst 30-34-year-olds by 40 percent.

Within the next few months, Europe 2020 updates are expected to be unveiled by Slovenian government on the Youth Employment Initiative, traineeship system, capacity building, long-term unemployment and other associated projects.

– JG Federman

Photo: Flickr

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Welfare Database Reform May Improve Poverty in Thailand

Poverty in Thailand
Although Thailand shifted from a low-income to an upper-middle income economy in 2011, with poverty rates declining from 67 percent in 1986 to 11 percent in 2014, economic growth has slowed in recent years. Poverty and inequality continuously pose significant challenges to the country, especially due to faltering economic growth and falling agricultural prices. In response to these challenges, the country’s government is seeking welfare reform in order to improve conditions for those living in poverty in Thailand.

The Prayut Chan-o-cha government has announced a plan to register more low-income Thais for the Government Welfare Registration Program, a database for disbursing one-time cash grants.

This initiative to revive the Thai welfare system reported low registration rates in late July 2016. The Government Savings Bank reported approximately 113,000 registrants in July, far below a target of two to three million for the month. Similarly, Krung Thai Bank (KTB) predicted five million applications to come in by the end of 2016, far under the target of eight million applicants.

KTB vice president of operations Songpol Cheewapanyaroj credited the low turnout to the dissemination of misinformation. “The government must work harder to create an understanding of the new system,” he said.

This is not the first attempt by the Thai government to create a database for those living in poverty. In the early 2000s, then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra also advocated for those living in poverty in Thailand to register themselves.

However, the most recent push to reform welfare registration differs from past attempts. This time around, the Thai government is seeking the aid of the Finance Ministry and has emphasized various methods to screen out ineligible people from the database.

Thailand’s efforts to reform programs for impoverished people can greatly help the government track and tackle poverty. The database is an effective poverty-targeting system, although it may be difficult to successfully implement. Thailand’s employment rates are difficult to track due to high rates of informal employment, and this makes it difficult for the government to determine which citizens qualify for welfare.

One way to combat this lack of internal reporting is to provide recourse for citizens to self-register and to incentivize them to do so. For example, the Thai government is offering free rides on the Metropolitan Rapid Transit and Bangkok Mass Transit Systems, free electricity and water (below certain usage levels), and potentially free accident insurance. Those who already registered last year are required to re-register with more detailed forms.

While poverty in Thailand is pervasive and will likely take years to mitigate, recent attempts at reform, a collaboration between monetary entities and new approaches of self-registration may all be a step in the right direction.

– Casie Wilson

Photo: Flickr

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Refugee Child Abuse in Libya

Libya
A recent United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) study titled A Deadly Journey for Children: The Central Mediterranean Migration Route, surveyed migrant women and children in Libya making their way to Europe. Refugee children leaving war and poverty are being mentally and physically abused, sexually assaulted and starved.

Last September, it was estimated that 256,000 migrants were in Libya, 11 percent of whom were women and nine percent of whom were children. A third of these children were unaccompanied. However, these figures are estimations and the actual statistics are assumed to be much higher.

About 70 percent of migrants traveling through Africa to Europe experience some type of exploitation, according to an October International Organization for Migration (IOM) survey. Last year, nine of out 10 children who used the Central Mediterranean Migration Route arrived in Europe unaccompanied. Nearly 26,000 children made the journey in 2016, which is twice the number of children from the previous year. Unaccompanied children are more prone to different types of abuse, trafficking and exploitation.

UNICEF staff members in Libya have documented many cases of refugee child abuse over time. Three-quarters of the children interviewed in the survey said they had experienced some type of violence from an adult. A majority of the children had experienced emotional abuse, with girls reporting higher rates than boys. Some children also said that they had to rely on smugglers, which resulted in other types of abuse like trafficking.

Amid the refugee child abuse shown in this study, UNICEF has created a six-part plan that they want governments and the European Union to adopt. The UNICEF Agenda for Action is comprised of the following goals:

  1. Protect child refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, from exploitation and violence.
  2. End the detention of children seeking refugee status or migrating by introducing a range of practical alternatives.
  3. Keep families together as the best way to protect children and give them legal status.
  4. Keep all refugee and migrant children learning and give them access to health and other quality services.
  5. Press for action on the underlying causes of large-scale movements of refugees and migrants.
  6. Promote measures to combat xenophobia, discrimination and marginalization in countries of transit and destination.

UNICEF spokesperson Sarah Crowe told Al Jazeera, “We need to work on finding a solution to the root causes of the problem and we need to do more to support children at every step of the way.”

– Shannon Elder

Photo: Flickr

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5 Ways Poverty Affects the Developing Brain

Poverty_ Brain
Living in poverty can coincide with numerous social problems — childhood neglect, violence and malnutrition, to name a few. However, there are studies being conducted that show how poverty may potentially affect the developing brain and the cognitive abilities of children. Here are five ways that research is currently showing how poverty affects the brain.

5 Ways Poverty Affects the Developing Brain

  1. Brain scans of children who grow up in poverty reveal that, overall, their brains develop less gray matter in the frontal and parietal lobe. Serving as the control center for the brain, the frontal lobe manages accessory cognitive functions like planning, focusing, problem-solving, organizing and controlling impulses. The parietal lobe is responsible for processing sensory information. The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that less gray matter in these areas, as seen on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans, can impede children’s abilities to learn even before they enter kindergarten. The research demonstrated that throughout brain growth in the first three years of life, children in a lower socioeconomic status (SES) had significantly lower brain volumes than their higher SES counterparts.
  2. Brains influenced by poverty show a significant decline in cognitive abilities related to memory, reading and language. This is evident through children’s performances on neurocognitive tests as well as brain activity on electroencephalograms (EEG). Research performed by Natalie H. Brito, a postdoctoral research fellow at Columbia University, combined this information along with studies of families to link cognitive abilities to circumstances like neglect, household stress and economic status.
  3. Similar studies conducted by Elizabeth Sowell from The Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles and Kimberly Noble from Columbia University demonstrate that brains of children in the lowest income brackets (families who make less than $25,000 annually) have six percent less surface area than children from higher income bracket families.
  4. Developing brains exposed to severe poverty also show smaller hippocampi (the portion of the brain that is central to stress response, memory and learning). Existing research supports the fact that parental caregiving is an important factor in the hippocampal development and childhood wellbeing. Combined with poverty, stressful life experiences result in a lower volume of hippocampi.
  5. A smaller amygdala is also characteristic of growing brains that have been exposed to poverty. Responsible for emotional processing and social information, a smaller amygdala can result in childhood depression and mood and behavioral problems.

The symptoms of poverty include many factors that can contribute to the modifications of a developing child’s DNA – malnutrition, exposure to violence, lack of cognitive stimulation or less time bonding with parents. Rather than present the solution as “eliminate all poverty,” remedies should focus on policies and programs that seek to mitigate the influence of poverty’s external factors. Research in this area is still developing, as scientists and doctors continue to monitor the neuroscience of poverty as children grow into adults.

Brito agrees when she says, “When I talk to a lot of our participants – always worrying about where their next paycheck comes from, always worrying about if they have enough resources – it takes away time and energy from having meaningful interaction with your child. So in developing countries, making sure that those policies are in place so that parents are available to just interact with their child, just play with their child without worry, really does make a big difference.”

– Tammy Hineline

Photo: Flickr

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6 Ways USAID Helps Syria


The news of the ugly, modern warfare occurring in Syria is heartbreaking. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to the problem of Syria’s civil war. Despite obstacles, many agencies are doing their best to get humanitarian aid to civilians. In particular, USAID helps Syria by funding many organizations within the United Nations (U.N.), through non-government organizations (NGOs), and its own programs. Here are six specific groups that USAID helps fund.

6 Ways USAID Helps Syria

  1. USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART): DART currently has teams deployed to Turkey and Jordan. They are on standby in case of a sudden and large-scale displacement of Syrian refugees, or for any other humanitarian needs caused by the conflict in Syria.
  2. USAID/Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA): USAID/OFDA funds U.N. and NGO sponsored programs. This department has helped provide medical care to Syrians by helping the U.N.’s World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO has been able to evacuate patients out of conflict zones, as well as identify and vaccinate against a recent measles outbreak. USAID/OFDA also funded NGOs to train Syrian medical staff, provide medical supplies, and vaccinate against polio.
  3. The Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM): USAID is funding the U.N. World Food Program and U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, which have been able to report on food and crop security in Syria. The CFSAM report shows that less food is being produced in Syria. With this information, the U.N. is able to respond with appropriate food deliveries.
  4. The World Food Programme (WFP): USAID gave $79,812,417 to the WFP’s work in Syria during the 2016 fiscal year. This does not include the funding given to the WFP for use in neighboring countries. In January, the WFP delivered food to 3.6 million people in Syria. The WFP has also given food assistance to conflict-isolated people in the Jordan-Syrian border towns. Finally, the WFP has given more than 1.6 million Syrian refugees food vouchers on debit cards.
  5. The U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF): UNICEF is helping in Syria and in neighboring countries. Within Syria, UNICEF is bringing six million liters of water daily. This is estimated to help 400,000 people in the country. UNICEF is helping Syrian refugees as well. Last November and December, they provided $28 clothing vouchers for Syrian refugee children in Jordan to buy winter clothing. These vouchers were given to 128,430 Syrian children. UNICEF is also offering psychosocial support to Syrian refugee children in Turkey. In January, they helped 7,200 children. UNICEF is also helping refugees by providing social services.
  6. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): The U.N. organization, OCHA, received $3,000,000 from USAID in the 2016 fiscal year. As a result, OCHA has been able to present reports on the humanitarian crisis in Syria. As a result of this important work, the world now knows if humanitarian aid is able to get into Syria, citizens are impacted by aid disruptions and by the state of facilities and infrastructure throughout Syria.

While these examples are encouraging, Syria is still struggling to receive humanitarian aid being offered. In many cases, battles between the al-Assad regime and the rebel forces prevent aid workers from reaching citizens. In some cases, the Islamic State has deliberately blocked aid organizations from repairing infrastructure.

Yet, the world is persistent and continues to fund humanitarian aid to Syria. USAID helps Syria in even more ways than are listed here. Also, the USAID website implores people to donate to NGO’s working in Syria.

It’s dispiriting to watch what unfolds in Syria and hard to imagine how Americans can help. Another way we can help is to tell Congress to support the USAID budget. As few as seven calls from constituents have been known to impact the legislation that a congressman or senator supports.

– Mary Katherine Crowley

Photo: Flickr