It has been a busy year at the site. The primaries, then the general election. The never ending attacks on the Constitution and civil rights. And then, the sub-prime crisis and subsequent financial melt down. Some of us have already felt some of the effects and many more will have unpleasant experiences over the next few months. Loss of work, loss of insurance, loss of dwelling, loss of security. But even with this somewhat bleak outlook, there are hundreds of millions of people all over the world with much more to worry about.
Follow below::
Somalia
Since Siad Barre’s fall in 1991, Somalia has remained a failed state. The country is fractured and clannish and there is no true central authority. After a strong Islamic insurgency the Transitional Federal Government (which was already all but impotent) was on it’s heels until propped up by an Ethiopian invasion in July of 2006. To top it off, the Somali president now seems to be resigning.
Somalia is moving more rapidly than expected into a serious humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 3.2 million people both in urban and rural areas facing extreme poverty, according to humanitarian officials.
[…]He attributed the crisis to drought and high food prices, coupled with the collapse of the Somali currency and continuing instability, making the country “one of the most difficult crises to deal with”.The Food Security Analysis Unit (FSAU) [www.fsausomali.org] of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) termed the humanitarian situation in Somalia as one of the worst in world.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Probably the worst of them all. The long civil war was officially over in 2003, but fighting continues to this day. The line between banditry and `insurgency’ is often difficult to detect. Violence, rape, hunger and disease take a daily toll estimated to 1,500. Imagine that, fifteen hundred unnecessary deaths every damned day.
A January 2008 IRC survey found that 5,400,000 people have died from war-related causes in Congo since 1998 – the world’s deadliest documented conflict since WW II. The vast majority died from non-violent causes such as malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and malnutrition–easily preventable and treatable conditions when people have access to health care and nutritious food.
Gaza
The conflict with Israel, as well as internal strife has caused the humanitarian situation in Gaza to be dismal for many years. The strip of only 360 sq.km (140 sq.m) is home to 1.4 million people. The area has been under blockade since 2007 and the Israeli government’s actions are having dire consequences.
A baseline survey conducted in World Vision’s North Gaza Area Development Programme (ADP) has revealed disturbing findings linked to the physical and psychosocial well being of children – underscoring the need for long-term, sustainable development among some 66,000 people.
Located north of the Gaza Strip, the Beit Lahya community relies on farming, fishing and the service sector for its livelihood – all of which have been severely impacted by Israeli military operations, movement restrictions in the sea and border closures leading to a devastated local economy.
Zimbabwe
A rich and bountiful land destroyed by colonial rule and the subsequent abusive rule of Robert Mugabe. His paranoia has brought about a despicably oppressive regime and he is still clinging to power. Inflation has reached a ridiculous 231 million percent, there are shortages of essential goods and services and an estimated 3 million people have left the country for South Africa, the largest exodus from any country not in war. His mis-management has now led to this:
Date: 24 Dec 2008
Concern’s team on the ground is reporting severe deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. This is being exacerbated by several outbreaks of cholera in the country, caused by a severe lack of clean water and sanitation. Reports of over 1,000 deaths with another 20,000 suspected cases are causing serious concern.
Sudan
The 20-year civil war between the north (government) and the south (SPLM/SPLF) ended with the comprehensive peace agreement in January 2005. Some progress has been made and 1.2 million displaced persons have returned. However, the Sudanese government continues to sabotage international efforts to provide aid to Darfur. The Darfur crisis has been ongoing for 5 years and 4.7 million people depend on aid.
The long, brutal war of attrition directed at humanitarian aid efforts in Darfur is again accelerating, as Khartoum seeks to effect a permanently destructive status quo prior to further UNAMID deployment. These efforts are also meant to deter the ICC from issuing an arrest warrant for National Islamic Front regime head Omar al-Bashir.
1 December 2008 – (Khartoum)- The United Nations Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, says the humanitarian situation in Darfur remains critical after five years of conflict.
[…]
“The humanitarian situation remains very serious. We are still helping something like 4.7 million people in Darfur, which is two-thirds of the population in the region. After five years, violence and displacement are still continuing at a dramatically high level. Some of the challenges I see in Darfur are clearly about the protection of civilians in all its different aspects. We need to make sure that people are protected, protected in the camp environment but also protected outside the camp environment. That is the primary responsibility of the government. Another major issue is the security of the humanitarian workers themselves. I am sure you are familiar with the statistics. The figures are pretty striking. I think we had 11 humanitarian [workers] killed in Darfur this year, 261 vehicles hijacked, 172 assaults on humanitarian premises and 35 ambushes or looting of humanitarian convoys.”Holmes said the humanitarian operation in Darfur remains the biggest in the world, adding that the need is still great. He stated that this operation has been successful in its objectives because it managed to keep people alive in Darfur.
Iraq
The number of American troops killed in Iraq has thankfully declined significantly over the last year. The level of violence is down, however, the humanitarian crisis remains. Iraq and it’s population and infrastructure had already suffered more than a decade of sanctions when the last war started in March 2003. The `shock and awe’ wiped out most of what remained. Utilities, education and health care services are sorely missing. Reconstruction projects have mostly been expensive failures where international (US) contractors have been excessively paid for shoddy, or non-completed work. Disaster Capitalism at it’s worst best.
One of the greatest challenges facing independent humanitarian action today is that of reaching civilians caught in war and armed conflicts. Nowhere is this more frustratingly illustrated than in Iraq, where MSF has struggled to gain a meaningful foothold since the US-led invasion of 2003. Various military and political actors have sought to use and abuse humanitarian action for political purposes and in doing so have made humanitarian organizations a target for violent attacks. This has undermined the ability of MSF, and other neutral humanitarian organizations to address critical needs of the civilian population.
MSF was forced to leave the violence-affected regions of Iraq in 2004 when attacks on humanitarian aid workers placed its teams at too great a risk. The recent moderation of violence levels in Iraq has presented MSF with new opportunities to re-engage inside Iraq with direct medical care. In 2008, MSF has cautiously started several new projects inside Iraq.
Well, I set out to write 10 briefs, but real work is interfering. There are plenty more to chose from.
Ethiopia
Myanmar
Central African Republic
Mozambique
Nepal
Afghanistan
So as Yuletide settles in and we celebrate the winter solstice, we should all count our blessings.
A peaceful holiday to you all!
