Ten Facts About Nauru Refugees

Nauru Refugees
Here are 10 facts about Nauru refugees:

  1.  Nauru refugees are not in Nauru by choice. Nauru refugees originally sought refuge in Australia. However, Australia was unwilling to provide them with care and forced 1,200 asylum seekers into a detainment center in Nauru. Nauru is only eight square miles, no larger than an international airport and already has a population of 10,000 people.
  2. The native Nauruans do not want the Nauru refugees there. The Nauru refugees are targeted by locals. Physical assaults against refugees happen regularly. What little property the Nauru refugees have is frequently broken or vandalized. Even refugee children are subject to these torments, making it difficult for them to concentrate or attend school.
  3. There are no legal services for the Nauru refugees. None of the Nauru refugees will become residents of either Nauru or Australia. The Nauru refugees are seeking refuge in fear of persecution in their home countries. However, the travel documents they have been issued confine them to Nauru for five years.
  4. The Nauru refugee crisis is being covered up. Nauru has banned foreign journalists in order to hide the poor treatment of refugees. The Australian government passed a law making it illegal for any employees, former or current, to disclose information on the conditions of the refugees. Despite these efforts, reporters find ways to interview refugees and former workers continue to come forward with their experiences.
  5. Nauru refugees came in search of liberty, only to become victims. Ali and his wife Khorvas are just one example of many. They left Iran because they believed in democracy. They sought to find a place where they would not be denied their human rights, but they only traded one confinement for another.
  6. The conditions the Nauru refugees live in do not meet U.N. standards. The tents each house 14 refugees and cannot weather the elements. Rain seeps in, heat and humidity are intensified, mold festers and pests easily infiltrate. The water supply is insufficient, resulting in dehydration or the consumption of unsanitary water. Waste management is not secure, allowing for cross-contamination.
  7. Sexual predators target Nauru refugee camps. Hawo, a Somalian, left her home country because of violence and sexual abuse towards women. Unfortunately, sexual exploitation of refugees is widespread. Men, including guards, force themselves onto women or expect them to barter sex for necessities. Reports of these incidents are not taken seriously.
  8. Health care for refugees is minimal. The Nauru hospital is small and lacks basic supplies. The majority of cases must be treated through abrupt transfers to Australia. The majority of medical transfers are due to mental health issues. Many refugees have been promised treatment that never comes. There is no screening of communicable diseases and no pediatric care in Nauru. Roughly 50 percent of the child refugees have latent tuberculosis. Immunization courses are never fully completed.
  9. Child refugees in Nauru are most at risk physically and mentally. There are no safety precautions set forth for children. Within the 2000 leaked records of reported abuse, there are records of sexually abused children, 59 physical assaults on children, 30 instances where a child has self-inflicted harm and 159 accounts of children threatening to self-harm.
  10. Many of the refugees have turned to suicide or self-inflicted harm. Refugees have taken to hunger strikes in hopes to improve their living situations. Omid Masoumali’s death was caught on cellphone video. Masoumali lit himself on fire, in protest to the conditions in where he was held. Benjamin, a 19-year-old who cut his wrists, said the Nauru refugees are a people living without hope.

Although no word has been given to close the Nauru Detainment Center, the second Australian Refugee Detention Center on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, is closing operations.

The Australian Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional in April 2016. Recently, counselors from Save the Children, a nonprofit previously working on Nauru, bravely reported many of the abuses they witnessed but were bound by confidentiality not to reveal this.

In light of these revelations, it is hoped that the Nauru Detainment Center will also close, allowing the Nauru refugees to receive quality aid elsewhere.

– Amy Whitman

Photo: Flickr

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The Impact of Political Instability: 10 Facts About Niger Refugees

Niger Refugees
The Republic of Niger is a landlocked country located in Western Africa, southeast of the country of Algeria. Since gaining its independence from France in 1960, Niger has been politically unstable due to constant military coups and rebellions. As of 2015, the population of Niger is estimated to be around 18,045,729 with roughly 266,476 of the people labeled as refugees. Below are 10 facts about Niger refugees:

10 Facts about Niger Refugees

  1. Though Nigerian refugees consist mainly of individuals from neighboring countries, the majority of these refugees come from Mali and Nigeria. Since July 2016, about 134,336 individuals from Mali and 73,078 from Nigeria comprise the refugee population.
  2. Nigeriens can become refugees within their own country. Recent activity from Boko Haram insurgents drove an estimated 50,000 Nigerien citizens from their hometown in Bosso.
  3. The largest concentration of refugees in Niger lives in the Diffa region.
  4. According to Rescue.org, less than 5% of Nigerien refugees live in camps. Many of these refugees live with either host families or in dilapidated lodgings.
  5. Human traffickers are a threat to Niger refugees. In June 2016, 34 people were found dead. Their bodies were left abandoned in the Niger Desert by smugglers. Of those 34 corpses, 20 were children.
  6. Chronic issues facing refugees are a lack of water, food, shelters, education, health nutrition and sanitation.
  7. Refugees from Mali continue to grow in Niger despite the peace treaty signed by the Malian government, a Tuareg-led rebel group and a loyalist militia.
  8. The climate of Niger is particularly harsh for refugees. Many areas that contain refugees are described as semi-desert climates which make food production difficult and water scarce.
  9. Violence towards refugees is common within the country. The government stated that criminal incidents in areas such as Diffa have deteriorated the security of villages and refugee shelters. These criminal incidents are characterized as suicide and terrorist attacks.
  10. The European Commission is the largest organization providing aid to Niger refugees. Between 2015 and 2016, the EU gave a total of 87,000,000 euros or $97,840,369 in emergency aid to Niger.

Though Niger refugees are experiencing significant hardships, there are plenty of organizations that provide significant aid to the country. For instance, the EU partnered with the U.N. Refugee Agency, the International Rescue Committee, the World Food Program, Save the Children and other relief agencies to provide aid and emergency services to the citizens and those in need. These services include access to health care, access to clean drinking water and nutritional care.

– Shannon Warren

Photo: Flickr

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Citizens Fleeing Eritrea because of Poverty and Forced Labor

Fleeing EritreaSince 2012, one in every 50 Eritreans (nearly twice the ratio of Syrians fleeing from civil war) has sought asylum in Europe. According to the U.N., 5,000 Eritrean men and boys are leaving their families and fleeing Eritrea each month.

High Rates of Fleeing

The U.N. estimates that 400 thousand Eritreans, or nine percent of the population, have fled in recent years. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly one-quarter of the 132 thousand migrants arriving in Italy between January and September of 2015 were Eritreans.

Poverty in Eritrea is extreme. The CIA World Factbook reports the nation’s GDP purchasing power as $8.7 billion, ranking Eritrea 162nd in the world. Unemployment in the country is estimated at just 8.6%, but the poverty rate is estimated at 50%. More specific numbers are nearly impossible to acquire due to Eritrea’s secretive nature.

Reasons for Leaving

Why are people fleeing Eritrea? In June 2015, the UNHCR released a 500-page report detailing the systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations going on in Eritrea, violations that have created a climate of fear in which dissent is stifled. The report found that a large proportion of the population was being subjected to forced labor and imprisonment.

According to the report, the people of Eritrea are not ruled by law, but by fear. The Eritrean government denied repeated requests by the commission for information and access to the country. To gain insight into the situation, the commission conducted 550 confidential interviews with Eritrean witnesses in eight countries and received an additional 160 written submissions.

Conscription for 18 months is required of each Eritrean adult but is often extended indefinitely and carried out for years in harsh and inhumane conditions. Thousands of conscripts are subjected to forced labor that effectively abuses, exploits and enslaves them.

According to the UNHCR’s report, women conscripts are at extreme risk for sexual violence during national service. All sectors of the economy rely on forced service, and all Eritreans are likely to be subject to it at some point during their lives. The commission concluded that, “forced labor in this context is a practice similar to slavery in its effects and, as such, is prohibited under international human rights law.”

Mandatory conscription has not remedied poverty in Eretria. Instead, it has exacerbated it. Commission chair Sheila B. Keethrauth urged commitment from the international community to end the climate of fear in Eritrea.

“Rule by fear — fear of indefinite conscription, of arbitrary and incommunicado detention, of torture and other human rights violations — must end,” said Keethrauth.

– Aaron Parr

Photo: Flickr

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EU Provides Pre-Paid Debit Cards for Refugees in Turkey

Refugees in Turkey
The EU Commission recently launched a 348 million euros ($391 million) aid program that issues electronic cash grants to benefit 1 million refugees in Turkey. The program is intended to slow the number of refugees entering Europe while also helping them maintain a normal and sufficient life in Turkey.

Turkey’s president, Tayyip Erdogan, has criticized the EU for not coming through on an agreement they made almost a year ago. As a country that holds approximately 3 million refugees, Turkey has been in desperate need of additional aid and the EU sought to meet those needs by promising to provide the country with 3 billion euros.

Nearly a year ago, a deal was made that President Erdogan would curb the flow of refugees entering Europe and in return, the EU would provide aid to the country’s refugees. The EU is finally paying out the promised funds, and now, refugees are receiving a monthly allowance transferred to their debit cards.

The EU and member states have collectively accumulated money to finance the Emergency Social Safety Net from which 348 million euros will be directed to Turkey’s refugee crisis. The refugees in Turkey are receiving around 100 Turkish Lira per three-member family, which amounts to the cost of living in Turkey; however, this amount may be recalculated depending on the family’s specific needs.

The amount of money distributed to the refugees pays for food, rent and other essentials based on the current prices in Turkey. This new program is not only intended to serve the refugees in Turkey but also serves as a model for the Greek government that expects to retain 55,000 refugees. Since more than 1 million refugees relocated from Turkey to Greece by boat, Greece has to develop a plan to ensure the refugees living in the country are thriving.

To manage the refugees living in the country, the Greek government is planning to implement a similar pre-paid debit card program; however, the 100 Turkish Lira will not be sufficient to support a family in Greece. Since the cost of living in Greece is much higher, the allowance dispersed to refugee families will be much higher than the amount allocated to refugees in Turkey.

The EU’s largest humanitarian program in Turkey is managed by the World Food Program, with the additional support of the Turkish Red Crescent, the Turkish Crisis Management Agency and the Turkish Ministry for Family and Social Policy. The additional assistance is in place to ensure that the money gets dispersed appropriately.

Although it took some time for the EU to begin assisting in Turkey’s refugee crisis, now that the cash flow is rolling in, pre-paid debit cards will help sustain a normal lifestyle for the refugees in Turkey. This new form of aid could spread and be employed by other countries as a popular program to assist the millions of dislocated refugees around the world.

– Kayla Mehl

Photo: Flickr

Refugee Squats: Living Conditions of Refugees in Greece

Refugee Squats: Living Conditions of Refugees in Greece
An estimated 57,000 refugees are currently stuck in a midpoint stage in Greece — halfway between where they once were and to where they’re trying to get. Many refugees in Greece are living in what are known as “squats” with the help of local activists and other refugees.

There are seven major squats in the city of Athens where approximately 1,500 refugees have found an alternative to government camps that have extensive health and safety problems. Because government camps suffered from things such as scabies, knife fights, food poisoning, inadequate facilities, snakes and scorpions, local activists and refugees worked together to house the refugees in abandoned schools, hotels, apartment buildings and hospitals — or squats.

As many as 1,000 refugees per day were able to be smuggled by mafias on rafts, but since Macedonia, Hungary and Bulgaria built razor-wire fences along their southern borders, refugees cannot access the Eastern Mediterranean route. Now the flow of refugees has come to a halt; however, the refugees who were already en route to Europe when the EU made its deal with Turkey in March 2016 are confined within the borders of Greece and the Greek islands.

Refugees in Greece, who believed they would only be spending a season in the country, now have to make a life for themselves in Greece. With the help of volunteers, activists and other refugees, this is altogether possible for the refugees living in squats. There are a wide variety of volunteers assisting in different ways. Volunteers and refugees help with cooking, cleaning, translating and securing the area; providing language lessons, art classes and activities for children; and organizing group outings.

The success of the squats has been achieved autonomously, with no help from government aid and without donations from large nongovernment organizations — the squats only accept donations and assistance from independent volunteers, which are used to pay bills for electricity, water, food and medical supplies. These volunteers have made these squats a home for refugees, each squat having a distinct character that suits the residents.

Unfortunately, these squats are in danger of being shut down by the government due to public health risks. Squats in Thessaloniki have been closed, which resulted in a large number of homeless refugees living on the streets. The shutting down of squats places more pressure on those that are still running and the volunteers running them.

With the help of more donations and assistance, these squats can improve their conditions and continue to serve the needs of refugees. Refugees in Greece are not living in adequate conditions within government camps, and therefore, squats have been produced to provide a home and a loving community to the refugees.

– Kayla Mehl

Photo: Flickr

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Five Facts About Hunger in Syria

Hunger in Syria
After six years of continuous conflict and civil war, hunger in Syria has become a major crisis. Providing the necessary food aid for Syrians has become increasingly difficult as the danger escalates and the number of refugees multiplies.

Over 11 million Syrians have fled their homes to other Syrian cities or neighboring countries in search of safety. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are over 4.8 million registered Syrian refugees. As the conflict continues, the issue of hunger in Syria intensifies. Despite these difficulties, international organizations are doing everything they can to help Syrians in need. Here are five facts about the triumphs and challenges of hunger in Syria:

  1. According to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization, 8.7 million people in Syria are food insecure.
    Food insecurity refers to the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient amount of affordable and nutritious food. Soaring food prices have only exacerbated the situation. Prices for bread, the cornerstone of the Syrian diet, have increased by more than 100% since 2014.
  2. The ShareTheMeal app has helped feed nearly 25,000 Syrians over the past year.
    The ShareTheMeal app allows participants to donate just $0.50 in order to feed a child for an entire day. Since November 2015, ShareTheMeal has provided Syrian refugee children and mothers with food support for an entire year.
  3. Food production in Syria has dropped by 40% since 2010.
    Nearly half of Syria’s population lives in rural regions. The war has destroyed agricultural infrastructure and irrigation systems, which has, in turn, decreased production. Wheat, in particular, has suffered dramatically from both the conflict and low rainfall.
  4. The World Food Program (WFP) is providing 240,000 Syrian children with nutrient supplements to prevent malnutrition.
    Child malnutrition can lead to stunting, disease and even death. In order to prevent undernutrition, WFP provides ready-to-eat, specialized nutritional products to thousands of Syrian children under the age of 5.
  5. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) has distributed food parcels to over 2.5 million people.
    SARC is one of the only organizations working in the entirety of Syria to provide humanitarian aid. Every month, SARC distributes food parcels and health care items to over three million people in need.

Although it will take $86.5 million this year to assist the nearly three million people in need who remain in the country, hunger in Syria can be diminished. WFP, UNHCR and their partners have taken great strides to accomplish this goal. With an increase in the International Affairs budget, the U.S. can also help save the lives of millions of Syrians suffering from hunger.

– Kristyn Rohrer

Photo: Flickr

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Biometric Identification in Refugee Camps

Biometric Identification in Refugee Camps
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that more than 65 million people are displaced because of armed conflict and persecution. More than 21 million are classified as refugees, which means they are protected by international law and cannot be forced to return to places where their lives and freedom are at risk. The UNHCR is using biometric identification technology in an attempt to keep track of so many people.

The logic for protecting and helping refugees through global humanitarian networks seems simple. People who travel thousands of miles to escape dangerous conflicts should have a safe place to work, raise their children and live their lives in peace. Yet the global refugee crisis shows us that many nations continue to struggle to meet the needs of refugees at their borders and efficiently deliver social services.

For instance, consider the rapid increase of Syrian refugees in response to the country’s ongoing civil war. Amnesty International reports that, as of February 2016, more than half the nation’s population is displaced. Over 4.5 million refugees have poured into the neighboring countries of Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. However, global resettlement efforts have only managed to successfully resettle 162,151 people, a mere 3.6% of the total refugee population.

While resettlement is the ultimate goal of refugee relief efforts, Syria’s neighbors lack the resources and capacity to do it all themselves. Until other nations agree to take in more refugees, one way to help refugees living in border camps is to register them with the UNHCR.

Once registered, refugees are eligible to receive social and medical assistance from various humanitarian organizations. Refugee status protects adults from refoulement (forced return to their war-torn place of origin) and protects children from military recruitment. Registration also helps keep families together and gives them opportunities to contact other friends and loved ones.

The UNHCR is working to deliver faster assistance to refugees by implementing a biometric identification registration system. Currently, refugee camps employ a combination of methods to register refugees, usually involving time-consuming paperwork and fingerprinting. Not only are paper records increasingly difficult to archive as the refugee population steadily climbs, but fingerprinting requires training. The UNHCR hopes biometric identification, designed in partnership with Accenture, will drastically expedite the registration process and help refugees receive faster care after making the life-threatening journey out of dangerous regions.

Biometrics refer to a set of measurements and analyses of physical characteristics to verify personal identity. In the context of refugee registration, biometrics refer to digitally stored fingerprints, iris data and facial images. Once collected, the data gets encoded into a personal ID, which refugees can use throughout UNHCR facilities. Many refugees are forced to leave home on a moment’s notice, without enough time to collect important personal documents. Biometric ID cards can provide them with a secure form of personal identification to use as they build a new life.

The Biometric Identity Management System (BIMS) is designed to endure rugged field conditions like extreme heat, dust, humidity, power and connectivity outages. It’s relatively easy to operate, which is necessary in refugee camps where workers come and go on a regular basis and have varying levels of technological experience.

Accenture’s BIMS has already seen incredible success. The UNHCR piloted the technology at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Malawi, where it rapidly enrolled and verified 17,000 of the camp’s refugees. Then, in Thailand, the BIMS added another 120,000 individuals to the international database of refugees.

The UNHCR has proved how an integrated database of biometric identification information can meet the growing demand for greater security and efficiency in the registration process. Once fully launched, the system can be used remotely or in high-risk areas to register refugees, verify their identity and improve the UNHCR’s ability to keep track of their needs.

– Jessica Levitan

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Refugees in Sweden

Facts about Refugees in Sweden
The number of refugees seeking shelter in Sweden increases with the passing of time. Below are 10 facts about refugees in Sweden and the Swedish refugee system as it stands today.

  1. In 2015, approximately 163,000 people applied for asylum in Sweden, a country with a population of 9.8 million.
  2. Of those who applied for refugee status in Sweden, 31 percent were of Syrian descent, 25 percent were of Afghani descent, 12 percent were of Iraqi descent and the remaining 32 percent of refugees came from other Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, Eritrea, Somalia and Albania.
  3. As of 2015, Sweden’s population of 9.8 million included around 16 percent of people who were not born in Sweden; therefore, they either immigrated or are refugees in Sweden from other countries. By comparison, 13.3 percent of the United States’ population in 2015 were immigrants not born in the country.
  4. Sweden, approximately the size of California, is made up of immigrants by 16 percent, resulting in a significantly higher concentration in comparison to the U.S.
  5. A popular destination for refugees in Sweden is Malmö, the country’s third-largest city. Forty-three percent of Malmö’s residents are of foreign background. At 40,000 strong, Iraqis constitute the largest racial group.
  6. Many refugees in Sweden establish businesses as soon as they are accepted into the country, building falafel houses; bakeries selling traditional Syrian, Iranian or another nationality’s pastries; dentistry; and other businesses that help to diversify the Swedish economic market.
  7. However, the Swedish government imposed new regulations on refugees recently. If a documented refugee wants to also have their family members come live in Sweden, they must apply for their family’s refugee status within three months of arriving in Sweden.
  8. If a refugee does not apply for their family’s relocation within three months of arrival, the refugee living in Sweden must show they have the means to financially support their entire family. Under previous legislation, refugees only had to prove they could financially support themselves when applying for their family’s transfer to Sweden.
  9. Sweden’s refugee policies have also changed for children and young adults seeking refuge independent of a family unit; any refugee under the age of 25 who applies for permanent residency must have completed high school and prove that they can support themselves financially.
  10. The precise number of minors crossing oceans and borders without their parents to reach other countries for asylum each year is unknown. Sweden registered 35,000 in 2015 alone. These children are assigned legal guardians who help nurture and prepare refugees for life in Sweden, including special language courses so they can attend Swedish public schools.

The recent influx of refugees in Sweden has made it a more diverse country teeming with potential. Refugees in Sweden have helped add to the economy of the country, and that help should not be trivialized. Sweden’s growth as a country on the global stage is something to look forward to, and their refugee population will surely lend a hand, if asked.

– Bayley McComb

Photo: Flickr

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Fleeing Crises: Nine Facts About Venezuelan Refugees

Venezuelan Refugees
The South American country of Venezuela is facing a political and economic storm that has unraveled into a humanitarian crisis. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for Venezuelans to leave and live in the country, but those that do manage to escape are in search of living a better life. Here are nine facts about Venezuelan refugees:

  1. Due to the economic and political crisis faced by Venezuela, the amount of people fleeing the country toward a life of a refugee has increased greatly. According to the U.N.’s Population Division from 1990 to 2015, the number of Venezuelans living abroad more than tripled from 185,282 to 606,344. There are currently 345,783 Venezuelans residing in the U.S. Many of these Venezuelan refugees are undocumented and only have the few goods they were able to take along with them in order to escape Venezuela.
  2. On July 17, 2016 more than 100,000 Venezuelans crossed the Simon Bolivar Bridge to Cúcuta, Colombia, through a border that has long been closed off, in search of food and medicine. This is a result of many factors including the fact that food in Venezuela has a price set by the government, which is lower than the cost to make the product. This alone has caused a humanitarian crisis.
  3. The crisis is not only affecting food shortages but it is playing a role in population growth. It is now a growing trend that women opt for sterilization procedures because traditional birth control methods have disappeared from stores that are increasingly empty. Government officials announced that the nation had run out of birth control in July 2015. Doctors state they have seen an increase in number of appointments as well as a change in demographics. Women with one or two children instead of four or more are opting in for sterilization.
  4. According to the Pew Research Center, U.S. asylum applications filed by Venezuelans have risen 168 percent this year versus 2015. Many Venezuelans are looking to escape the economic turmoil in the country but are having difficulties obtaining documentation to live in surrounding countries.
  5. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Colombia is currently the country that hosts the most Venezuelans with 46,614 Venezuelans currently residing in Colombia. Both countries have agreed to gradually open its borders in order to help with the refugee crisis and help those who continue to reside in Venezuela.
  6. Legal status is one reason the influx of Venezuelans into Colombia goes largely unnoticed. All Venezuelans that don’t have a Colombian relative or a visa, while in Colombia are considered illegal economic migrants.
  7. Representative Carlos Curbelo of Florida introduced the Venezuelan Refugee Assistance Act in October 2015. The legislation would provide for the adjustment to permanent resident status of Venezuelan nationals who: were physically present in the U.S. on January 1, 2013, have been physically present in the U.S. for at least one year, are physically present in the U.S. on the date the status adjustment application is filed, have not been convicted of certain specified crimes and were never involved in the persecution of others and apply for adjustment before January 1, 2019. However, this act does not protect refugees currently fleeing from crises in Venezuela.
  8. According to a 2014 study by the Central University of Venezuela more than 1.5 million Venezuelans fled the country since the reign of Hugo Chavez in 1999. Those who left have become immigrants and refugees in neighboring countries and across the globe.
  9. Like the U.S., the neighboring country of Colombia has also received many more applications for asylum status from Venezuelans. These Venezuelans are aware that they might be succumbing to refugee status but it also provides food and safety for these families.

The current situation in Venezuela is abysmal and many Venezuelans continue to suffer within its borders. Life does not get any easier for those who try to leave that have difficulties finding jobs and sustaining themselves.

The solution to this is in the referendum that could possibly take current president, Nicolás Maduro, out of power in order to make Venezuela the home that people once knew. Countries that have worked along with Venezuela like Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay should now be offering asylum for Venezuelan refugees and assistance to the wounded country.

– Mariana Camacho

Photo: Flickr

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WFP ShareTheMeal App Supports Food Relief in Malawi

ShareTheMeal
The World Food Program (WFP) is the world’s largest organization dedicated to fighting hunger and promoting food security. As a branch of the U.N. the WFP is funded solely through voluntary donations which allow the organization to reach around 80 million people annually in 80 countries.

Though the WFP has a strong impact on the battle against world hunger, over 795 million people remain undernourished globally. Often people in developing countries become undernourished when faced with external factors like natural disasters or political instability. These factors can cause entire communities to lose access to necessities like food and water.

Currently, southern Africa is experiencing drought due to the year’s El Nino weather pattern — it is believed that Malawi was hit the hardest of the countries affected. The drought coupled with severe flash floods has devastated the country’s crops.

Up to 40 percent of the population of Malawi may need emergency assistance. In an attempt to provide food relief to vulnerable populations like those in Malawi, the WFP created an app called ShareTheMeal.

ShareTheMeal allows users to help those in need with the touch of a button. By choosing to share a meal, users donate 50 cents, the cost to feed one child for one day, to school children in Malawi. Of course, more than one meal can be donated at a time, but allowing users to donate as little as 50 cents makes food relief an affordable act for all.

At this time, WFP is focusing ShareTheMeal towards food relief in Malawi, but the app has been used to help several other vulnerable communities since its inception in the summer of 2015. In fact, the ShareTheMeal website states that donations on the app have provided over 7.5 million meals to those in need.

Recently, between June and July of 2016, all donations on the app went to feeding Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. The donations from those two months were enough to provide one year worth of food to 1,500 children.

While these numbers may seem impressive, the WFP is setting the bar even higher for relief in Malawi. Through ShareTheMeal, the WFP’s goal is to provide 58,000 school children with food for an entire year. If the goal is reached, those 58,000 children will have better chances of staying in school and learning the essential skills that could one day lift them out of poverty.

– Weston Northrop

Photo: Flickr