Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Accessible Water in Morocco

Water in MoroccoDrought has limited access to water in Morocco. In March 2022, Morocco experienced its “worst drought in 40 years.” Since September 2021, reservoirs in Morocco have only received 11% of typical yearly rainfall, according to Moroccan authorities. Droughts in Morocco are not uncommon, but the current drought is so major that it poses a threat to the water supply in Moroccan cities. In an attempt to put an end to this water scarcity, Morocco’s National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) has drafted and started construction on a project in Marrakech, under the National Program for the Supply of Drinking water and Irrigation 2020-2027 that seeks to build dams inside the country to efficiently distribute water throughout Morocco.

The Blueprints

The National Program for the Supply of Drinking water and Irrigation 2020-2027 aims to “accelerate investments in order to strengthen the supply of drinking water and irrigation,” and thus, increase the nation’s resilience when facing droughts. The plan includes the construction of dams, with a special focus on providing water relief to rural areas.

As of June 2022, ONEE is overseeing the construction of a pipeline that will efficiently allocate water in Morocco’s most populous city, Casablanca. The project is separated into two stages. The first stage involves installing a pipeline that is roughly 4.5 miles long and goes from North Casablanca to the Médiouna distribution reservoir in Southern Casablanca. The goal of the pipeline is to “ensure optimal management of the available water resources at the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah dam and the Oum Er Rbiaa basin.”

The second phase of the project intends to use a booster station to expand the pipeline velocity to 2,500 liters per second from the current velocity of 1,550 liters per second. Expansions of the pipeline plans to extend an additional 4.4 miles to Casablanca’s Bouskoura reservoir in the southern region. The cost of the pipeline for phase one is around €18 million and the second phase will cost the city an additional €12 million. ONEE foresees the completion of the second phase by July 2023.

ONEE received approval from the government to build multiple dams in the country’s Marrakech region back in 2020 and began construction in March 2022. This project has cost the country roughly $256 million and is receiving funding from the African Development Bank under the African Finance Corporation.

The goal of the project is to raise the number of major dams in Morocco from 145 to 179. The current focal point of the project is the Al Massira Dam “where a settling station, a treatment station, three pumping stations and several reservoirs with a total capacity of 93,000 cubic meters will be installed.”

The Importance of Change

The Moroccan economy tends to falter during times of droughts. Due to drought, agricultural output in Morocco reduced by 17.3% since 2021. It is expected that in 2022 Morocco’s poverty rate will remain stagnant at its current rate of 2.5% due to inflation in food and goods and the drought’s toll on agricultural production.

Due to the powerful effects that the current drought has on the country, efforts toward making water in Morocco more accessible are imperative.

– Luke Sherrill
Photo: Flickr

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Migration to Portugal

Migration to PortugalPortugal, a coastal country known for its colorfully-tiled sunny beach towns, is increasingly gaining a reputation as a destination for migrants looking to work in the European Union. In fact, over the last five years, Portugal’s immigrant population has increased by nearly 70%. In 2020, the number of people that acquired Portuguese citizenship stood at nearly twice that of the previous year. This increase in migration to Portugal stems from the needs of both the country as a whole and the migrants themselves.

The Benefits that Migrants Bring to Portugal

Portuguese citizens, as EU members, have the legal right to both live and work in other European Union countries. This includes countries like Germany and France, which have higher wages and better living conditions than Portugal. As a result, Portugal has a high rate of citizens that emigrate outside of the country, leaving the economy with a need for a replacement labor force.

Not only do migrants remedy the country’s labor shortage but they also bring in tax revenue and contribute to Portugal’s Social Security. Migrants even create jobs by starting businesses of their own, opening grocery stores foreign cuisine restaurants, hair salons and more. This enriches the diversity and vibrancy of the country while stimulating the economy.

What Brings Migrants to Portugal?

To fulfill that basic economic need for labor, Portugal has constructed a legal framework for immigration that is highly beneficial to incoming migrants. In June 2022, Portugal’s minister of foreign and parliamentary affairs announced that the nation would dissolve the quota regime and provide for a six-month work-seeking visa.

Even those without a visa, undocumented migrants, are permitted to apply for work. Once they have secured a job, they can apply for residency. Even “proof of legal entry” requirements in applying for residency status within the country are typically informally lax. Once a resident, migrants can have their families join them and enjoy the same legal status of residency. After five years, a resident can “qualify for a Portuguese passport of their own.” This ease on the path to a passport is a primary perk of migration to Portugal, alluring enough to make up for the relatively low wages offered in the country.

The largest group of migrants in the country are Brazilians, followed by another Portuguese-speaking country, Cape Verde. Both are steeped in poverty, with the most recent estimates of Cabo Verde’s national poverty rate standing at 35% as of 2015. In Brazil, about 27 million people lived under the national poverty line in 2021. With a national poverty rate of 16.2% as of 2019, Portugal offers a gateway out of deeply impoverished communities.

Once a migrant secures a European Union passport, they are free to move toward the wealthy economic core of Europe that draws Portuguese nationals as well, with the promise of higher wages. This allows migrants and their families to pursue opportunities to move toward the higher quality of life they imagined when they chose to leave their homelands.

– Grace Ramsey
Photo: Flickr

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The First Malaria Vaccine

Malaria VaccineIn October 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended a vaccine for the prevention of malaria. This malaria vaccine, called the RTS,S, is the first and only the WHO has recommended for malaria prevention.

Devastating Impact

Malaria has a devastating impact on countries where the disease is common. In 2020, there were 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 malaria deaths. In Africa, where 82% of malaria cases occur, 80% of malaria deaths consist of children under 5. In addition to the high death toll, malaria causes an estimated loss of $12 billion every year in lost productivity.

Over the past several decades, improved preventative measures including mosquito nets, antimalarial medications and efforts to reduce mosquito habitats have helped to contribute to a decline in the prevalence of malaria. Since 2015, however, progress in efforts to combat malaria has slowed, according to WHO. Some countries with especially high malaria transmission rates have even experienced an increase in malaria cases. After a slump in progress in recent years, though, the success of the RTS,S vaccine offers a ray of hope.

The Vaccine

Due to the complexity of the parasite that causes malaria, this vaccine took more than 30 years to develop. Research on the RTS,S vaccine began in the 1990s with the first clinical trial on it published in 1997. However, several more decades of trials would pass before researchers proved the vaccine to be safe and effective against malaria in children.

Trials completed in 2015, which followed a schedule of three or four vaccines for children between 5 and 17 months of age, found the RTS,S vaccine to reduce malaria-related hospitalization by 37% in the first four years of vaccination.

Over the course of three years, the pilot program, which included trials in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi vaccinated more than 900,000 children. The pilot program confirmed that the vaccine, while not perfect, reduces the frequency of severe malaria infection and demonstrated that large-scale vaccine distribution is feasible, according to WHO.

Based on the findings of the trials, the WHO expects that vaccinating one child could save the lives of 200 of them, according to its report. The WHO estimates that, if widespread vaccination is achieved, the RTS,S vaccine could save the lives of 40,000 to 80,000 children every year. Following the success of the pilot program, the WHO officially recommended the use of the vaccine for areas with high to moderate malaria transmission in October 2021.

In April 2022, the WHO reached the milestone of having 1 million children in Malawi, Kenya and Ghana who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

A Historic Breakthrough

After several years of stagnation, this malaria vaccine represents what Dr. Mary Hamel, a medical epidemiologist who works on malaria prevention, called “a historic breakthrough.” In addition to being the first vaccine to provide protection against malaria, the RTS,S vaccine is the first vaccine for the parasitic disease, meaning the development of this vaccine represents not only a breakthrough in malaria research but a breakthrough in the world of vaccine development.

Though the vaccine’s efficacy is modest, its success is a major breakthrough in a decades-long fight against a disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people every year. As the first WHO-recommended malaria vaccine, this vaccine has the potential to save tens of thousands of lives every year and serve as a stepping stone toward future innovations in the realm of malaria prevention.

– Anna Inghram
Photo: Flickr

WHO and Kenya Launch Emergency Health Hub

Emergency Health Hub in KenyaThe World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new emergency health hub in Kenya in partnership with the government. According to the WHO, the hub aims to facilitate emergency services required to handle public health crises, such as outbreaks of new diseases. It will include a Centre of Excellence for the Health Emergency Workforce to oversee the training of 3,000 responders, who will be equipped to react to public health emergencies within 24 hours. The hub will also contain a stockpile of emergency medical and logistical supplies needed across the region.

The Government of Kenya and the WHO hosted the ground-breaking ceremony for the Emergency Hub and Center for Excellence on July 9. While the emergency health hub in Kenya does not have an estimated date of completion yet; it is part of WHO Africa’s flagship program for ensuring health security, whose goal is the better protection of 1 billion Africans from health emergencies by 2025.

Kenya is providing $31 million in funding specifically for the emergency hub, while the WHO is contributing $47 million for the flagship initiative in its entirety. In addition, $5 million of the government’s contribution will go toward construction costs for the hub. The hub will be located near Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital in Nairobi.

Why the Hub is Needed

According to the WHO, Africa experiences a disproportionate number of health emergencies compared to the rest of the world with more than 1,000 per year although the continuent lacks the health infrastructure and manpower necessary to deal with current and future crises.

Notably, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed gaps within the region’s health system. While initiatives such as COVAX have made progress, only 20.3% of the continent is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of August 2022, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Alongside COVID-19, the WHO is also monitoring cases of the Marburg virus in Ghana and monkeypox outbreaks in Central and West Africa, among other diseases in the continent.

Health Emergencies and Extreme Weather Patterns

A major concern for the future is that the number of public health emergencies is expected to go up due to extreme weather patterns. Research shows that there is an increased risk of transmission of climate-sensitive diseases as weather patterns change. In addition, as wildlife begin moving out of their habitats due to the weather shifts and increasingly interact with other foreign species and humans, there are more opportunities for new viruses and pandemics to emerge.

Kenya is already feeling the impact of droughts for multiple consecutive rainfall seasons. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network estimates that 3.5 million people face severe food insecurity in Kenya alone as of May 2022, alongside almost 80 million people in the Horn of Africa and East Africa regions.

The drought has brought on a malnutrition crisis in Kenya. As of July 2022, around 950,000 children under 5 years old and 135,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women are malnourished and require treatment, according to the World Food Programme. In its press release, the WHO recognized that malnutrition and food insecurity are one of the emergencies that the hub aims to tackle.

The Future of Africa’s Public Health Systems

The Emergency Hub and Center for Excellence aim to train responders in Kenya and help create an crisis response team for every country in Africa. The teams will comprise professionals across a range of disciplines, from epidemiology to mental health services.

Kenya’s hub is the first of the WHO Africa’s centers planned under its flagship program, which will prove crucial in the continents’ responses to potential health crises. Senegal and South Africa are the next countries in line to set up similar emergency hubs and training centers.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu stated that “the Hub will improve the capacity of African countries to prepare, detect and respond to health emergencies, support resilient health systems, and strengthen the regional and global health architecture,” at the ground-breaking ceremony.

– Ramona Mukherji
Photo: Flickr

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Fruit Trees in India Alleviate Hunger and Poverty

Fruit Trees in India
In India, hunger and poverty remain persistent problems despite the growing economy. In 2021, estimates indicated that around 97.7 million people, or 6% of the population, lived in extreme poverty defined as less than $1.25 a day in income. This issue is significant in various regions, with Bihar experiencing a 52% poverty level followed by Jharkhand at 42% and Uttar Pradesh at 38%. In the regions of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, 45,000 children die each year of malnutrition. Deforestation and erosion that devastate farming land and natural resources have worsened this problem. However, the planting of fruit trees in India could help those in poverty.

Fruit Trees as a Solution to Poverty

Many organizations are combating these issues by planting fruit trees in India as a means of supporting sustainable livelihoods. The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation aims to plant community trees at clinics, schools and community centers to provide a steady “source of healthy food” and reforest the region of Uttar Pradesh. In addition, low-income families will also receive fruit-bearing trees to help them subsist. The foundation will provide horticultural training and workshops that will teach community members “the value of fruit trees” and how to take care of the trees and the environment to ensure sustainability.

Other Organizations Planting Trees

The One Tree Planted organization has supported the planting of 1.5 million fruit trees in India as of March 2022, including jackfruit, key lime, pomegranate, guava and custard apple, among others. The tree planting took place across the regions of Madya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Haryana — areas with high levels of extreme poverty.

These efforts helped restore 1,553 hectares of land that had succumbed to deforestation and positively impacted about 1,200 farming households throughout the process. Furthermore, 85% of the reforestation is a result of the work of more than 11,000 female farmers.

A grove of about 100 fruit trees can provide sustenance and an income to a family of four, helping lift communities out of poverty. As widowed and elderly women are particularly at risk of poverty, the organization focused on employing these marginalized groups. In addition, the trees will help increase biodiversity by providing sustenance and shelter to insects and small animals. This, in turn, will create thriving natural environments in the regions.

The Sustainable Greening Initiative (SGI) is a social enterprise based in India that focuses on combating severe weather, hunger and poverty in the nation. In two and a half years, SGI planted more than 25,000 fruit-bearing trees in 23 areas across India. By the third year, the trees could increase household income by INR 5,500 or $100 annually. SGI plants fruit trees at orphanages, old-age homes and homesteads of low-income farmers to help supplement the livelihoods of these communities. SGI also monitors the growth of the trees to ensure survival and sufficient fruit yields and assists in developing communal vegetable gardens to further combat hunger and poverty.

Looking Ahead

Fruit trees in India are a key aspect of the fight against hunger and poverty in the nation. Not only do the trees provide food for communities but they can reduce poverty through employment opportunities and their market value. Many organizations have devoted their resources to planting trees throughout many regions facing high levels of hunger and poverty. Because of these initiatives, millions of thriving trees are now visible, reforesting devastated lands and uplifting households living in poverty.

– Kimberly Calugaru
Photo: Flickr

Combating Sexual Violence in Indonesia

combating-sexual-violence-against-women-in-indonesiaWomen in Indonesia stand as a key population for economic growth and development in Indonesia. Yet, the rights of women do not receive sufficient protection. A 2019 survey conducted by ValueChampion ranked Indonesia as the most dangerous nation for women in the ASEAN region. Regardless of women’s pivotal roles in the Indonesian economy, cultural and societal constructs of the “ideal woman,” along with gender roles, contributes to the disempowerment of women and the prevalence of structural sexual violence against them. For this reason, combating sexual violence against women in Indonesia is imperative.

Perception of Sexual Violence against Women in Indonesia

The long-standing gender norms and biases against women in Indonesia have limited women’s rights and opportunities. Furthermore, due to a conservative culture and societal stigma that considers the victim a disgrace to the family, women are reluctant to report sexual assaults.

In West Java province specifically, in 2021, the reported cases of violence against women stood highest at 58,395 cases. In 2022, Indonesia’s Commission on Violence Against Women reports that a minimum of three women in Indonesia endure sexual violence every two hours.

A study published in 2021 involving an Islamic Higher Education Institution in West Java highlights the prevalence of sexual violence against women in higher education institutions. Out of 333 female respondents, including students, employees and lecturers, 27.5% of respondents had faced verbal sexual violence and 13.8% had faced physical sexual violence.

Also, the research results found that some of the female respondents incorrectly understood the issue of sexual violence, even “positioning victims or survivors as the ones who were responsible for any sexual violence incidents.”

The Impact of COVID-19 on Women

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, violence against women increased in Indonesia and across the world. For instance, the number of violence cases reported to the National Commission on Violence against Women doubled amid the pandemic. By October 2021, the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) received more than 4,200 complaints in comparison to the total complaints of 2,389 for the entirety of 2020.

Also, according to data from the Indonesian Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, there were almost 5,000 more cases of sexual violence in Indonesia in 2021 than in 2020.

According to a study in 2020, there is a strong correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and the growth of domestic violence. The growth of domestic violence was likely driven by the increase of stress associated with the continuous lockdowns, health risks and economic instability within the households.

Furthermore, “Indonesian women carry the burden of unpaid work, including caregiving, due to persistent gender inequality in Indonesian society and segregation in the labor market.” The pandemic has only exacerbated this situation.

Legislative Approach to Sexual Violence against Women

On April 12, 2022, the Indonesian parliament passed the Sexual Violence Bill a decade after its first introduction in 2012. For years, Muslim conservative groups opposed the bill arguing that ” it contravenes religious and cultural values.” The eventual passing of the law came about as women’s rights groups highlighted several cases of sexual violence, arguing that this equates to a “state of emergency.”

The sexual abuse case regarding an educator raping 13 students (aged 13 to 20) at an Islamic boarding school in West Java drew the attention of President Joko Widodo. The president then called on the Indonesian parliament to accelerate deliberations on the Sexual Violence Bill.

The sexual violence bill broadens the legal framework for the victims of sexual violence and imposes harsher punishments. The new law covers nine forms of sexual violence, “physical and non-physical sexual abuse, forced contraception, forced sterilization, forced marriage, sexual torture, sexual exploitation, sexual slavery and sexual abuse through electronic contexts.”

The law also grants victims of sexual violence restitutions and adequate counseling. In terms of sexual criminal cases, the new law allows “one item of evidence to be submitted in addition to the testimony of the victims.” Prior to this Sexual Violence Bill, the court required two items of evidence. The establishment of this new law prioritizes the victim’s testimony.

Future of Women’s Rights in Indonesia

Although the Indonesian Parliament passed the Sexual Violence Bill, women’s rights activists are raising concerns about its implementation. On May 19, 2022, Nuril Qomariyah, who played a key role in promoting the Sexual Violence Bill, noted during an interview with CIVICUS, “We will need to keep moving together to ensure a successful process of implementation.”

In comparison to other nations in Asia, “Indonesia has ratified and adopted most of the international human rights instruments and global commitments related to human rights and women. “The recent passing of the Sexual Violence Bill proves the power of women’s rights activists and NGOs. But, the nation must implement this new law in order to uphold women’s rights and reduce the number of sexual violence cases against women in Indonesia.

– Youngwook Chun
Photo: Flickr

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HIV/AIDS in Malawi

HIV/AIDS in MalawiWhile it remains in the top 10 countries with the highest HIV rates, there is a significant reduction in the rates of HIV/AIDS in Malawi. This plummet, from 14.9% in 2000 to 8.1% in 2020, is likely to continue its decrease with the improvements to the diagnosis and care system.

The introduction of the Malawi Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (MPHIA) in 2016 has made it easier to track the progress of testing and treatment for HIV/AIDS in Malawi. The data from the 2022 assessment shows that Malawi has met two-thirds of the UNAIDS targets, with at least 95% of those aware of their status initiating treatment and 95% of those on treatment experiencing viral suppression.

Prioritizing Testing

The one target that Malawi must still meet is for 95% of persons with HIV to be “aware of their status.” In Malawi, where 88.3% of those with HIV are diagnosed, this target is not out of reach, according to the Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA).

HIV self-testing is becoming more common in Malawi and studies show that community-led delivery of self-tests is safe, economical and reliable.

However, money and availability are not the only barriers to accessing HIV tests. There is a global need to overcome the stigma surrounding HIV; with a strong correlation between prejudicial attitudes toward HIV and reluctance to test. For many sufferers, attending a testing site is a deterrent, which is another explanation for why many remain untested. The increasing number of home tests could be vital to overcoming this hurdle.

COVID-19

The pandemic saw a 35% drop in HIV tests, according to Nuha Ceesay, UNAIDS country director, exacerbating the struggle to reach the 95% target.

As we come towards the end of the COVID-19 health emergency, education to combat stigmas and increasing testing services are integral measures for Malawi to reach UNAIDS targets. COVID-19 exacerbated existing stigmas with the misconception that those with HIV are more likely to catch Coronavirus. The pandemic birthed a new discriminatory term for people diagnosed HIV positive, “corona carrier,” Reuters reports.

COVID-19 has not permanently regressed in the fight against HIV. Despite the pandemic’s detrimental impact on the health care system of the country, it sustained some positive progress. Of those suffering from HIV/AIDS in Malawi, 98.6% were still referred for vital antiretroviral treatment throughout this period.

Women and HIV

Uneducated young women are one of the main disadvantaged social groups at the center of this health care emergency.

Despite making some progress, Malawi is still far from achieving gender equality. Health care access issues are no exception to this and adolescent girls and young women are the most vulnerable to HIV.

Research suggests that women experiencing poor health are likely to delay seeking medical support, prioritizing their family due to social norms and expectations. Connecting issues, such as lack of education and unemployment, leads more women towards sex work, only increasing the likelihood of contraction.

Children and HIV

The lack of testing makes children vulnerable targets of the AIDS crisis, with UNICEF identifying 25% of children with HIV/AIDS in Malawi as unaware of their status and only half of the HIV-positive children receiving treatment.

This is a cycle mostly formed by the 20%-45% risk of HIV-positive mothers passing HIV onto their children. These children often lack lifesaving treatment, with 20% of infants dying before age one without antiretroviral therapy (in sub-Saharan Africa).

Improving resource allocation and support for women and children helps to interrupt this cycle. Through vital counseling on the necessities of treatment, training of health care professionals, education, career prospects and prevention of sex work, the epicenter of the HIV epidemic could be the focal point of change.

The Path Forward

Foreign aid is crucial for Malawi to reach its UNAIDS targets and USAID data shows it is one of the countries in the world most dependent on foreign aid, with 99% of its HIV expenditure coming from international financial support.

Prompting the government to prioritize international aid, such as funding the coronavirus response, would alleviate pressure from Malawi’s health care system and allow the dedication of more time and resources to HIV testing. Organizations such as MANASO, a major advocate and host of Malawi World AIDS Day, are striving toward lower infection rates.

Its current plans include the Family Planning Budget Accountability Project, focused on advocation for the government to fund family planning essentials and for the spending of these funds to be appropriate and effective. It has achieved success in meeting government officials, engaging in advocacy and conducting meetings and workshops with chief security officers (CSOs). The family planning budget has also received more funds, seeing an increase from 2017 to 2019, as a result of this work.

Lobbying one’s leaders and supporting groups like MANASO enables the fight against HIV in Malawi to progress, with international support having a vital impact on treatment, testing and prevention goals.  

– Lydia Tyler
Photo: Flickr

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The Dangerous Ideology of North Korea 

dangerous ideology of North Korea The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has remained an enigma on the world stage for decades. The Kim dynasty, which has ruled since September 1948, transformed the economic outlook of the country with its oppressive and totalitarian regime. The unstable, elusive and dangerous ideology of North Korea makes it increasingly difficult for foreign aid to promote social, economic and political progress.

The Destructive Nature of Juche

North Korea’s unique ideology, coined ‘juche’ by the late Supreme Leader Kim Il-Sung, is a set of beliefs that focuses on self-reliance and finding strength without foreign assistance. In 1982, the revised Constitution accepted this as its authoritative doctrine. By adopting this isolationist ideology, North Korea’s inadequate economic planning soon plunged large portions of its population into extreme poverty and contributed to the deaths of millions from famine.

While the damage of juche is difficult to measure, its endorsement exacerbated the devastating North Korean famine of the 1990s as juche disregarded the potentiality of foreign aid to relieve the effects of the disaster.

As North Korea continued its isolation, the government’s distribution of the food supply began to favor the political and social elites rather than the majority of the population. In addition, the climate and land quality in the country was inadequate and when fuel aid from the USSR ceased, North Korea was unable to continue producing the fertilizer that helped its land provide higher crop yields. The subsequent famine killed millions.

The Inequality of Songbun

‘Songbun’ accompanies ‘juche’ as one of the discriminatory ideologies in the country that disproportionately impacts North Korea’s poor. ‘Songbun’ is a socioeconomic classification scheme that categorizes the population based on their loyalty to the regime. Upon its creation during the regime’s infancy, 28% of the population was considered in the “Core” or related to war heroes or peasants, 45% was considered “Wavering” and 27% was considered “Hostile”.

This system leads to egregious inequality specifically among the North Korean lower class, hindering this group in regard to education and employment.

For example, North Koreans are not able to choose their occupation or educational opportunity as their songbun ranking and government decide this for them.

Discrimination and Atrocity

Extreme gender discrimination within North Korea greatly hinders the prospect of girls and women in every aspect of life. Every day, women and girls fall victim to tremendous levels of sexual assault and persecution, including forced labor, forced marriage and food deprivation. A July 2020 report from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) observed that North Korean women deported from China were often unable to obtain a fair trial and were wrongfully imprisoned, where they would suffer multiple tortures including rape, infanticide and unlivable prison conditions.

Diplomats worldwide struggle with the predictability of the dangerous ideology of North Korea. As juche, songbun and gender stereotypes and discrimination provoke a greater socioeconomic divide among the North Korean people, poverty worsens within the country. Due to North Korea’s isolationist nature, some previous attempts at sending foreign aid have not been able to adequately advance North Korea’s development.

How Organizations Alleviate North Korean Poverty

Sending aid to North Korea has been difficult in the past due to the country’s intense self-reliance philosophy. However, in the past, the United States has supplied over $400 million in energy assistance as well as $700 million worth of food assistance since 1995 and 1996, respectively.

During times of crisis, many organizations step up to provide life-saving aid. For example, in 2019, with the support of donors, aid from the UN and INGOs reached 2.5 million people in North Korea. The Needs and Priorities Plan of 2020 proposed further aid, which would help give 5.5 million people better access to health services, 1.3 million with food assistance and more.

Although it is challenging for governments to determine whether or not aid is reaching those who need it the most, organizations that focus on serving those in poverty have continued to assist North Koreans for years.

– Caroline Zientek
Photo: Flickr

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Tunisia’s Food Crisis: a Tale Of War, Hunger, and Decree

Tunisia’s Food CrisisTunisia, a North African country with a population of 11.8 million, is facing a dire food crisis in the wake of the Ukraine War. Recently, the country has struggled with various political and economic strife, including 14 government changes in the past decade and a slow economic revival. Reliance on foreign grain exports further exacerbates Tunisia’s food crisis. This makes it particularly susceptible to the dangerous effects of foreign conflicts. In addition, the government has issued decrees that imperil citizens’ freedom of expression.

Import Reliance and War

According to a report by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), moderate to severe food insecurity affected around 25.1% of Tunisians from 2018 to 2020. Government food subsidies protected many Tunisians from the expensive cost of foreign imports and agriculture in the country for products such as vegetables and fruits is self-sustainable.

However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the government was unable to continue providing sufficient subsidies as the prices of their imports skyrocketed, which led to Tunisia accepting an emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for $750 million.

In addition to the insecurity introduced by COVID-19, the war in Ukraine presents a significant threat to Tunisian’s food supply. Since the Tunisian diet relies heavily on grains and Tunisia imports around 50% of its wheat from Ukraine and Russia, the Ukraine war has disrupted regular imports and accelerated hunger within the country.

Inside Tunisia

Statistics tell researchers about the numerical values of a food shortage. However, they cannot properly show the real living conditions of the crisis. Inside the personal lives of Tunisians during recent times of food shortage, bakers are running out of ingredients for bread and the lines of customers in the bakeries continue growing. Food insecurity in Tunisia has even affected citizens’ religious practices; during Ramadan, feasting happens nightly during iftars, but with supply limitations, it was often a struggle to fulfill them.

On March 20, Tunisian President Kais Saied enacted Decree-Law 2022-14, which sentenced those who hoarded state-subsidized products, such as cartels hoarding flour, to 10 to 30 years in prison. This decree’s goal is to protect against ongoing price gouging of grain products. In addition to the president’s decree, the government has also focused on police raids of warehouses and placing the blame for empty grocery store shelves on small businesses.

Amnesty International, a non-governmental organization that fights for human rights, suggested that President Kais’ anti-speculation decree could endanger citizens’ freedom of expression because it claims to target the spread of misinformation. Instead of simply protecting citizens from misinformation, the decree prevents citizens from speaking out about food shortages for fear of prosecution.

World Bank Loan

On June 28th, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a $130 million loan to help alleviate the devastating effects of Tunisia’s food crisis in the wake of the Ukraine war. Emergency support will be provided, such as imports of wheat and barley for dairy production.

In the long run, the loan could assist Tunisia to become more self-sufficient and less reliant on foreign grain imports. This decision also pushes for the reevaluation of weaknesses in the grain value chain, which greatly contributes to food insecurity globally.

– Caroline Zientek
Photo: Flickr

Climate-Smart Agriculture in Kenya Reduces Poverty

Climate-Smart Agriculture in Kenya
In the past few decades, Kenya has experienced the gravity of severe weather and the effects associated with unstable temperature changes, drought and flooding. Because 98% of Kenya’s agricultural crops is rainfed, a stable climate is essential for food and income security. Therefore, the unstable weather patterns have severely affected livestock populations and crop output. This, in turn, affects the livelihoods of many rural populations in Kenya that depend on farming, with smallholder farmers particularly at risk.

Due to these subpar weather conditions, the nation is seeing a shift toward non-agriculture income ventures with the rural population, the predominant agricultural labor force, reducing by 3.2% between the years 2008 and 2014. The underperformance of the nation’s farming industry stands as one of the factors contributing to its high poverty levels. In 2015, the World Bank reported that about 36% of Kenya’s population lived under the national poverty line, depending on external food aid. To mitigate the socio-economic effects of severe weather, climate-smart agriculture in Kenya is on the rise.

Climate-Smart Agriculture Techniques

Climate-smart agriculture includes a range of techniques based on the three pillars of adaptation, mitigation and productivity. Adaptation centers on increasing crop durability and resistance to their environment, including pests and diseases. Mitigation focuses on reversing the negative effects of severe weather patterns. Finally, the productivity pillar aims to increase crop yield, and thus, achieve income stability for farmers.

Climate-smart agriculture in Kenya is beneficial in achieving food security, poverty reduction, adaptation to severe weather and nutrition. Among the techniques with the highest positive climate smartness impact are intercropping, conservation agriculture, manure composting, crop rotation and the use of biodigesters in dairy production. With climate-smart agriculture expanding economic development by strengthening the farming industry, it remains a key player in helping Kenya reach its goal of a 10% average annual GDP growth rate up to 2030.

Agroforestry is a climate-smart agriculture practice involving the cultivation of native plants and trees in combination with crops in a mutually beneficial manner, increasing crop yield. Agroforestry, an agricultural technique that “mimics a forest” and contributes to conservation efforts, forms part of Kenya’s main strategies to reduce its carbon emissions under the Paris Climate Accords.

Among the Kalenjin indigenous community in Kenya, tree nurseries return more than three times the profit of milk sales and maize harvests while also providing natural resources, including firewood which many poor households depend on for fuel. In addition, experts have associated extended droughts in Kenya with the loss of tree cover. Climate-smart agriculture in Kenya, such as agroforestry, can replenish the land, thus preventing droughts that contribute to crop loss.

The Agroforestry Efforts of ICRAF

The World Agroforestry (ICRAF) is an international organization founded in 1978 and headquartered in Kenya that works to expand agroforestry techniques throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America. Its goals include eradicating hunger, providing affordable and clean energy and reducing poverty. Through a combination of research, training programs and awareness, ICRAF is leading the shift toward more climate-friendly farming.

One of ICRAF’s many projects includes the Rangelands Ecosystem Services Productivity Programme (RangER) in Kenya, which seeks to redesign landscapes in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) to serve less-developed populations that depend on these lands for their livelihoods. ASALs make up 80% of Kenya’s surface area and receive “low levels of public, private and commercial investment.”

The RangER project aims to provide food and natural resource security by developing tree nurseries and enterprises in agroforestry. A vital part of this project includes research and health mapping for the implementation of agroforestry as well as the installation of rain and floodwater harvesting systems. These interventions will maximize land use and improve pasture and croplands for increased food and income production.

Looking Ahead

Climate-smart agriculture is providing for Kenya’s poor population through its effectiveness in sustainability and conservation. By aiding the environment, these techniques return greater crop yields and generate larger incomes for farmers. Positive results are long-term as crops strengthen their resistance to their external environments and adapt to changes in weather. As more countries begin to adopt these practices, the agriculture industry can greatly contribute to poverty reduction globally.

– Kimberly Calugaru
Photo: Flickr