Information and stories about United Nations.

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UN: Nationalist Politics A “Wall” to Progress


Since 1990, the number of people living in extreme poverty has decreased by one billion, and the under-five death rate has been cut in half. Despite these great strides toward ending global poverty, a recent U.N. report by Selim Jahan cites current politics and rising nationalism as “antithetical to human development.”

Exclusion, isolation and intolerance are extremely dangerous globally and domestically. In the United States, citizens have had a small taste of this nationalism, with the proposed refugee ban, the proposed cut of 28.7% to USAID and the literal wall proposed on the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

U.S. Representative and Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee Ed Royce said in response to the proposed foreign aid cuts: “I am very concerned by reports of deep cuts that could damage efforts to combat terrorism, save lives and create opportunities for American workers.”.

The Annual Human Development index report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) credits the successes in decreasing poverty worldwide to “global actions” and “collaboration.”

Foreign aid should not be a partisan issue nor a byproduct of intolerant politics and nationalism, as has been the unfortunate case in recent years. President Ronald Reagan was a powerful advocate for foreign assistance programs and is quoted as saying that, “Our national interests are inextricably tied to the security and development of our friends and allies.”

If prosperous nations lose sight of the goal, they could leave millions of people behind worldwide and the results from the last 20 years of humanitarian work could be lost. There remain 800 million people in the world living on less than $1.25 per day. Helping these people will require continued dedication.

– Dustin Jayroe

Photo: Flickr

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A Resolution to the Quality of Water in Sri Lanka

A Resolution to the Quality of Water in Sri Lanka
The U.N. estimates that in just nine years, half the people in the world will not have access to safe water. Water sources will be affected by climate change, pollution, war, over-development and unsustainable agriculture. Sri Lanka has an abundance of safe water resources, however, the water is not distributed equally.

Almost 90 percent of the people living in urban areas have access to safe water, compared with 60 percent of rural communities. The quality of water in Sri Lanka for the three million people living in dry zones can only be described as contaminated. There is no safe water source within a 200-mile radius, leaving people in the dry zones dependent on groundwater from dug wells and tube wells.

Chemicals, such as fluoride, nitrates and arsenic, are present in groundwater at very high levels as a result of their geogenic origin. Consequently, these chemical contaminants affect the quality of water in Sri Lanka’s dry zones and in turn, the health of people who get their water in dug wells and tube wells. An increase in kidney diseases and cancer in Sri Lanka has been attributed to exposure to these chemicals.

People have attempted to resolve issues with the quality of water in Sri Lanka with bowser-driven water distribution, residential rainwater harvesting plants and bottled water, but a long-term solution is needed. The Sri Lankan National Water Supply and Drainage Board awarded Veolia, a French firm, a $164 million contract to design and build five water treatment plants, 12 service reservoirs, five pumping stations and 430 kilometers of transmission and distribution pipes. The water treatment plants will be located in Matale, Ambangang, Ukuwela, Udatenna and Rattotta. The plants will provide clean safe drinking water to more than 350,000 people in the agricultural area of Greater Matale in central Sri Lanka.

Clean, safe water is critical to the health of a nation and its people. The five water treatment plants are just the beginning of efforts to provide a sustainable solution to the quality of water in Sri Lanka that provides the entire population with a clean, safe water.

– Mary Barringer

Photo: Flickr

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6 Facts About Education in Montenegro


Montenegro, a country in the Balkans, has experienced immense economic growth in recent years. The newly independent nation joined the U.N. in 2006, and various efforts to advance education in Montenegro have been made since then.

  1. In 2001, Montenegro passed the Book of Changes of the Education System of Montenegro, which promised improved education access and greater education quality. The reform prioritized educational equality as well.
  2. Montenegro’s Plan of Action for Children 2004-2010 was developed with the Millennium Development Goals in mind. Its goal was to fight child poverty by improving health and education for children.
  3. According to a UNICEF report, the primary school net attendance ratio (NAR) in Montenegro is 98 percent and the regional average is 90 percent. The secondary school NAR is 84 percent, and the regional average is 83 percent. Attendance in preschools is lacking, however, with only 29 percent of three-to-five-year-olds attending primary school. The regional average for preschool attendance is 41 percent.
  4. Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 made up 9.92 percent of Montenegro’s 2016 population of 644,578. The youth unemployment rate in the same age range sits at 41.1 percent.
  5. The literacy rate among young people in Montenegro is high. Of those 15 years old or older, 98.7 percent of the population can read and write. Of men, 99.5 percent are literate and of women, 98 percent are literate.
  6. According to a 2012 study by the Montenegro Statistical Office, those between the ages of 25 and 29 hold the highest level of education, and 28 percent of this age group are college-educated.

Improving education in Montenegro continues to be a priority for the country and aid groups. UNICEF priorities include increasing enrollment and attendance rates, raising quality of education and developing an efficient national system to monitor and evaluate education.

– Mikaela Frigillana

Photo: Flickr

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The Current Water Quality in Tajikistan


Tajikistan has a population of 8.3 million, with an average life expectancy of 68 years. In the past 15 years, the country’s health policies were targeting many issues, including the water quality in Tajikistan.

The country has plentiful water resources through its two main river systems — the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya. These rivers account for 90 percent of Central Asia’s river water and 75 percent of the water used in irrigated agriculture, which account as fresh water reserves. The hydro-graphic network of Tajikistan is comprised of more than 25 thousand rivers, which mostly originated from glaciers totaling 69,200 km in length.

Despite the abundant water resources in the country, the drinking water supply system in rural areas remains underdeveloped. As much as 57.6 percent of the population had access to safe drinking water in Tajikistan in 2011.

After the first visit of Léo Heller, a U.N. expert on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation in 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) had launched a support program for Tajikistan. The program particularly focuses on water quality in Tajikistan’s rural areas, which includes nearly 72 percent of the country’s population.

Water Safety Plan, one of the main guidelines on managing drinking water quality and sanitation developed for Tajikistan is supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The plan was adopted by the government to be utilized prior to 2020. This was “a critical moment for the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation in Tajikistan,” Heller said.

Meanwhile, water in Tajikistan is mainly used for irrigation, as the water traveling through pipes is not safe for consumption. The government of Tajikistan is attempting to prioritize its budget to help fundamental human rights and slow the spread of water-borne diseases through allocating its budget for sanitation and water supply. These measures are to ensure access to drinkable water in every part of the country.

– Yana Emets

Photo: Flickr

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10 Questions About Desertification Answered

Desertification
According to the U.N., desertification is one of the greatest environmental challenges people face today. Often a poorly-understood phenomenon, desertification can mean hunger, economic crisis or death for those living in poverty. Below are the answers to common questions about this challenge.

Desertification FAQ’s

  1. What is desertification? This refers to the process of fertile land becoming unproductive. This means that the land struggles to grow any type of vegetation due to lack of minerals and nutrients in the soil.
  2. What causes it? Desertification can be caused by many factors, including deforestation, overpopulation, poor agricultural practices or climate change.
  3. What are some misconceptions about it? Although the word “desert” is normally associated with sand, desertification does not necessarily mean the land is becoming sand-covered. Instead, this occurs when a dryland ecosystem, or ecosystem that lacks water, becomes unproductive due to the tolls of the environment or human beings.
  4. Where does it happen? This can happen anywhere as long as there is land with soil. Typically, the phenomenon is seen in drylands that suffer from droughts or heavy amounts of migration.
  5. How are is this related to poverty? According to the U.N., there are roughly two billion people who live and depend on dryland ecosystems, and up to 90 percent of those live in developing countries. These dryland ecosystems are prime environments for desertification to occur.
  6. How does it affect poverty? A population in poverty that suffers from desertification can become further impoverished due to the lack of sustainable land. It can lead to starvation in developing countries.
  7. What does it mean for everyone else? When desertification threatens those in poverty, it also threatens global security. It can influence war, political unrest and mass migration.
  8. What can be done to prevent it? To prevent desertification caused by humans, it is beneficial to work with farmers to apply sustainable farming practices before it occurs. Preventing overpopulation is also important.
  9. What can we do to aid those in poverty who suffer from desertification? According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the most efficient way to aid those in poverty is to work with them to restore their own land. This restoration includes three approaches: resting, reseeding and planting.
  10. Can it be reversed? Reversing desertification is challenging, but it is possible with dedication. In 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was established in order to manage and develop land that has succumbed to desertification. Strategies such as reforestation, soil hyper-fertilization and water management have been implemented in order to begin salvaging lands affected by it.

In 2003, then-U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan declared desertification to be “both a cause and a consequence of poverty.” Using sustainable farming methods, we can fight the consequences of desertification and work to end poverty around the globe.

– Morgan Leahy

Photo: Flickr

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How the United Nations is Working to Prevent Hunger in Tonga


The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the U.N. partnered with Tonga 30 years ago to focus on improving its agricultural policies and practices. The director-general of the FAO commented on the state of hunger in Tonga, saying that although the country is not in a state of distress, it is striving to create a more sustainable agricultural industry.

The FAO, in conjunction with government officials in Tonga, created the Future Farmers of Tonga program, which strives to promote greater youth involvement in agriculture. This program aims to teach young people how to manage a farm and market their agricultural products to the public, especially those living in impoverished areas. The FAO also supports the government-led national Food Security Coordination Cluster, which focuses on creating disaster preparedness plans and crisis response programs for the country.

Tonga has faced a deficiency in its fishing industry over the last several years, according to FAO officials. Fishing plays an important role in Tongan culture but is hurt by the vulnerable marine ecosystems in the area. To combat this problem, the FAO has tried to restore milkfish to the area in order to provide a source of both food and income to the rural areas of the country. The focus is on developing technology, producing better management strategies and improving business marketing, which in turn will improve the conditions to prevent greater issues with hunger in Tonga.

The developments that have been made over the last 30 years have helped decrease the percentage of children who experience stunted growth. According to UNICEF data, as of 2012, less than one percent of children under the age of five are stunted. In Pacific countries as a whole, the rate is two percent. The FAO says that it is still working with Tonga to help the country meet its goals for improvement, which include policy planning, supply chain efficiency, and environment management.

– Helen Barker

Photo: Flickr

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Fighting to Overcome Hunger in Malaysia

Fighting to Overcome Hunger in Malaysia
Malaysia, a country located in Southeast Asia, has one of many populations facing extreme rates of poverty. The issue of hunger in Malaysia has been prevalent throughout the past few decades. In 2011, 57 percent of children living in Southeast Asia were underweight.

Although the rates of hunger in Malaysia dropped from 29.6 percent to 17.6 percent in 2013, the U.N. described this drop as inadequate for meeting the target of the Millennium Developmental Goals. In other words, the country needs a much greater turnaround if the target goals toward reducing hunger are to be accomplished.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has done ample research into the prevalence of hunger and poverty in Malaysia and the burdens that follow. It subsequently found that children who are malnourished face an increased risk of exhibiting cognitive and developmental disabilities at some point in the future.

In addition, there seems to be a correlation between individuals suffering from hunger in Malaysia compared with those who are overweight. According to UNICEF, “A child whose growth was stunted in early childhood is at greater risk of becoming overweight later in life.” Likewise, an increased risk for being overweight correlates with “increased access to junk food and drinks, physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles.” These growing issues have led to the implementation of different health and training programs by numerous healthcare groups in Malaysia. The programs are accessible to children (especially within the school system), teens and adults.

In 2005, a volunteer-based organization known as Stop Hunger Now set up offices in Kuala Lumpur and began implementing a meal packaging program, specifically targeting malnourished individuals in Malaysia. Stop Hunger Now has thousands of volunteers who package together vegetables, rice, soy and tons of vitamins.

With assistance from local, U.S. corporations and community groups, Stop Hunger Now has supplied more than two million meal packages for malnourished people throughout Malaysia.

– Lael Pierce

Photo: Flickr

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UN FARMS Mission to Generate Agricultural Growth and Create Jobs


The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) generated an innovative program, FARMS (Facility for Refugees, Migrants, Forced Displacement and Rural Stability), to address the needs of host communities and increase economic opportunities for displaced individuals.

The IFAD is an international financial institution created to provide assistance during global droughts and famine. Since 1978, IFAD has contributed more than $10 billion in grants and low-interest loans that have aided more than 300 million people living in poverty. The loans and grants are used to increase household incomes and provide essential needs for families. The IFAD is primarily a U.N. agency in partnership with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and various developing countries. Currently, the IFAD supports more than 200 programs and collaborative projects in 81 developing countries.

According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the total number of refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people has reached 65 million globally. In the Near East and North Africa region, 10 percent of agricultural communities consist of men and women who have been displaced and were forced to relocate. Most displaced individuals originated from rural areas and are currently living in host communities outside their native country. Global financial and medical assistance has vastly increased due to recent years of extreme violence and other violations of human rights.

At the U.N. World Summit on Migration, held in September 2016, the IFAD announced the creation of FARMS to counter the escalating and ongoing displacement crisis. Khalifa Bouzar, director of the NENA division, controls FARMS. She confirmed that FARMS will cover “both international refugees (people displaced across borders) and internally displaced people (forced to flee their homes due to conflict or other extraneous factors but remaining within their country).”

Specifically, Bouzar will focus on host areas and support local communities as they adjust to the influx of displaced men and women. The FARMS mission is to promote agricultural sustainability and increase crop production. As a result, the program will provide displaced individuals with financial grants to help them contribute back to their host communities.

Another portion of FARMS mission focuses on the creation of “One Million Days of Work,” which will generate a minimum of 20,000 job opportunities for local youth. This will be achieved by implementing 500 community infrastructure projects, strengthening community and regional governments’ ability to manage agricultural and economic development. Once initial development is stabilized, FARMS aims to improve the management of natural resources, primarily land and water.

Ultimately, the FARMS mission is to assist in the implementation of long-term peace and development of dividends. “It is paramount,” Bouzar states, “to create a healthy climate for economic opportunities, and enable displaced people to return to their communities.” The program has secured $20 million of its $100 million goal.

– Madison O’Connell

Photo: Flickr

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Malnutrition in India

Malnutrition in India
India is one of the fastest growing economies in 2017, yet it has the highest number of children suffering from malnutrition, according to World Bank data. Forty-four percent of the children below the age of five are underweight, 72 percent of the infants have anemia and 194.6 million people are undernourished.

A quarter of undernourished people in the world live in India. India’s dependence on carbohydrates with low protein in their diet is the main cause of malnutrition, according to Nobel Prize winner for economics Angus Deaton. Poor sanitation has triggered infection-borne deficiencies in nutrients.

According to United Nation estimates, 2.1 million children die in India every year before reaching the age of five and four die every minute. One thousand children die every day because of diarrhea. Forty-eight million children under the age of five are stunted. According to a study, malnutrition in India could cost the economy $46 billion by 2030. Five states and 50 percent of the villages account for 80 percent of the malnutrition.

Reasons for this challenge stem from a lack of an institutional framework to address malnutrition, a lack of monitoring and accountability in publicly funded nutrition programs and a lack of convergence among multiple governments on an approach to address this issue.

Overcoming malnutrition in India would require a multifaceted approach including education for girls, availability of safe drinking water and vaccinations and public interventions focusing on socioeconomic development. More research is required in this area to tackle this challenge.

Political commitment is essential for a well-planned and long-term project that can enhance development. Nutritional planning focused on improving production and distribution of food is needed to reach the grassroots of the society. Making food available through public distribution systems and increasing the purchasing power of people in low-income countries is crucial. Nutrition education and early detection of malnutrition are factors which can empower society against this challenge.

Although India has taken many programs including improving salt iodization, improving breastfeeding and improving large-scale food fortification, the country needs to make fighting malnutrition a national priority to overcome this tremendous challenge.

– Aishwarya Bansal

Photo: Flickr

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Striving For a Better Education in Benin

The Strive for a Better Education in Benin
Over the past decade, issues with the system of education in Benin have been met and addressed with an increased sense of urgency by government officials.

The U.N. has set into place extensive measures directed at addressing the common problem of educational inequality within the country. As a result, the “Ten-Year Plan for the Development of Education” was created to ensure the implementation of these measures.

In the ten-year development plan, financial resources for education in Benin have been directed towards greater recruitment of teachers, technical and vocational training, tuition support and improvements in secondary education. Between 2006-2013, there was a 16.5 percent increase in public spending for education in Benin. Government officials are looking to continue increasing the spending budget for both primary and secondary education.

According to the Global Partnership for Education, Benin faces geographic and social inequalities due to a “high absenteeism of teachers and a lack of capacity to manage the education system overall.” Since 2013, government officials have implemented measures increasing the availability of education, funding research, advancing literacy of national languages and improving sector management.

The overall system of education in Benin will continue to advance due to the “2017-2025 Education Sector Plan Development Grant,” passed and approved in March of 2016 by the Global Partnership for Education. Totaling $428,794, the grant money will be used to create the strategy and analytical framework for the plan’s development.

Furthermore, because studies have shown that increased access to education can be a direct correlation of decreased child exploitation in developing countries, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has also been dedicated to helping towards the advancement of education in Benin. Some of the preventative measures implemented by UNICEF include, “establishing partnerships with community and religious leaders; providing furniture and school supplies; and upgrading schools through the provision of latrines and safe drinking water.”

UNICEF has also created a monopoly and trivia style board game called “Anaylse en Boite” that is specifically designed to teach children about their educational rights and how to better protect themselves from criminal exploitation when the opportunity for such exploitation arises.

– Lael Pierce

Photo: Flickr