Action Against Hunger | ACF-USA’s Post

In coming months, I’ll try to share the story of Cox’s Bazar , the world’s largest refugee camp that somehow does justice to this tragedy. To raise awareness in Australia and around the world of an issue that, after almost 7 years, can struggle for visibility with so much need in the world. These are just some small moments captured of a more detailed piece we will share in coming weeks. In this brief video, you might get a sense of the scale of the camp from the doctors at MSF, at the hospital just outside the camp(s) - there are 34 different camps with multiple organisations having responsibility. We heard about the epidemic of malnutrition and the impact on mothers with premature births, underdeveloped children, the chronic lack of medical support and developmental impacts on a whole generation of kids born in the camps. Several patients were brave enough to tell their heartbreaking stories, including this woman who was badly burnt when her gas bottle leaked and caught fire in her tiny shelter with no ventilation. Her husband tried to help her, and died from burns the day before. Sometimes, whole shelters catch fire and families perish. Suffering is an inevitability here. Whether from a lack of food, lack of security, suffocating heat in the tiny shelters, constant outbreaks of disease, lack of sanitation and hygiene, the impacts on a million refugees of a lack of livelihood and work rights, an extremely high though underreported suicide attempt rate and gang violence that is on the rise. It’s a human hell. We can’t give up on them and must continue to support greater aid from Australia (to both Bangladesh more generally as well as the Rohingya) and for much faster progress in the conditions of the camp, as well as safe pathways back to Myanmar, and elsewhere.m, including Australia.

With over 74,000 children under 5 years in 9 of the 13 refugee settlements in Uganda, 8.7k are screened for malnutrition by VHTs. Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) is a simple and effective measurement used to assess the nutritional status of children under five years old. There are 3 colors you need to know"RED MUAC" typically refers to a condition where a child's Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) measurement falls below a certain threshold, indicating severe acute malnutrition while "YELLOW MUAC" usually indicates moderate acute malnutrition in children. “GREEN MUAC” simply indicates a normal or healthy range. Last quarter, 42 children were identified with severe acute malnutrition (marked as 'RED MUAC') while 237 children had moderate acute malnutrition (marked as 'YELLOW MUAC'). Remarkably, we observed a significant 90.91% increase in cases of severe acute malnutrition and a notable 91.13% rise in moderate acute malnutrition. These figures also reflect the increase of surveillance of children( through assessments) by VHTs. Our VHTs play a crucial role in combating malnutrition by promptly referring affected children to healthcare facilities. Additionally, they conduct regular follow-ups to monitor and ensure that proper nutrition standards are being met. When we empower VHTs with digital tools we are not only making their work easier but also saving children lives through on time referrals and treatments. Every refugee child rescued from malnutrition, can grow up to achieve their goals and rebuild their home country. #refugeehealth #iccm #communityhealthcare #publichealth #vhts #guilddigital

By the end of 2023, UNHCR reported that more than 114 million people were forcibly displaced globally. Of their seemingly endless challenges, hunger is high up on the list of a refugees’ everyday experience. May 28th was World Hunger Day - Research shows that the world is the hungriest it has ever been, with 70% of people suffering from hunger living in areas affected by war and violence. According to FOA, 42% of people globally cannot afford a healthy diet. UNICEF found that 1 billion girls and women globally face undernutrition. WHO has reported that 149 million children under 5 are stunted. As we approach World Refugee day, would you join us this month in praying for all those displaced, and facing hunger on a daily basis: * 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.  * 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝗿.  * ⁠𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱. Use the live prayer map https://lnkd.in/gdsxfMbX to read more about the prayer needs of the forcibly displaced people all over the world.

Yemen remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. In 2023, a staggering 21.6 million people require some form of humanitarian assistance as 80 percent of the country struggles to put food on the table and access basic services. Eight years of conflict, compounded by economic collapse, natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, have taken an inordinate toll on women and girls. The health system has virtually collapsed cutting their access to life-saving reproductive health services. Today a woman dies during pregnancy and childbirth every two hours from causes which are almost entirely preventable with access to services. In 2023, more than 1.5 million pregnant and breastfeeding women are projected to suffer acute malnutrition – with risks of negative birth outcomes and malnourished infants.So many people in Yemen are in need of humanitarian aid in the best month of year "Ramdan" , especially the displaced families. The most important of these aids and assistance is to feed the poor families, orphans, widows, handicapped, displaced and all who are in need. #humansupportfoundation#Yemen#Taiz#

The GCRF DiSoCo conference will kick off in #Nairobi, Kenya tomorrow and will last two days. DiSoCo is a multi-site and multi-disciplinary GCRF protracted displacement project focused on Somali and Congolese IDPs in Somalia and Eastern DRC, as well as #Somali and #Congolese refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya and South Africa. The project's goal is to improve access to appropriate healthcare for chronic mental health and other conditions associated with protracted displacement, conflict, and SGBV. The conference aims to be a dynamic platform for engaging discussions on displacement, durable solutions, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), mental health, and other chronic health conditions affecting Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and refugee returnees in Somalia. Over the two days, we will present the findings from a four- year of research activities and engage with policymakers, technical experts and donors in panel discussions. The discussions will cover a range of topics including, displacement and health governance, policy processes, local integration of IDPs and refugee returnees, common health conditions, existing healthcare providers and services, livelihoods, and access to justice for survivors of SGBVs. Please find the full program attached for your reference.

In a congested area like the #Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’sbazar, staying healthy is always a challenge. For the last six years, refugees of different ages have been facing this challenge. Especially for pregnant women elderly people and person with disabilities, proper healthcare is essential. While health is a basic right for every human, ensuring the health rights of these refugees has been a challenge for every humanitarian worker.  On this World Health Day, I am proud to share that in IRC’s five primary healthcare centers (PHCC) we served over 1M clients till March 2024, ensuring the basic health needs including mental health of the Rohingya refugees and the local Bangladeshi host community people across the greater Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf region.  Our service includes maternal care, vaccination, outpatient consultation, laboratory diagnosis, sexual and reproductive health services, etc. Over the years, our 24/7 functioning PHCCs have become a one-stop destination for many Rohingya refugees and local Bangladeshi people. IRC Bangladesh hopes to serve the clients continuously and ensure the health rights of these people in the upcoming years as well.  For the Joint Response Plan 2024 for Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis in Bangladesh $287.8M has been received, representing 33.8% of the total requirements of $852.4 funding . The funding gaps for Critical and Firewalled Health and Nutrition services are huge with 76% Gap for Essential Health Services and 31.1% Gap for life saving Nutrition assistance. It is critical to adress these gaps to save lives and protect the rights of the most vulnerable communities. #myhealthmyright #worldhealthday2024 #IRCBangladesh

As we observe #WorldRefugeeDay, I am reflecting on my recent visit to Ukraine and our CEO Edgar Sandoval’s recent trip to Chad. Both of us witnessed firsthand the profound impact of ongoing conflicts and violence on millions of lives, particularly women and children. These experiences underscore the critical need for international support for peaceful resolution of conflicts – a key driver for much of the displacement - and funding to address the humanitarian needs faced by millions of refugees and vulnerable communities worldwide.    A new report from World Vision highlights the urgent need for increased funding for lifesaving food assistance. The report reveals that many families in countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Uganda, and Somalia are receiving only a fraction of their required calories or are being cut off from aid altogether. This has led to drastic reductions in meals, increased harmful coping mechanisms, and a severe decline in mental health. Children, who once ate two meals a day, are now often going without food for entire days, with many experiencing increased violence, neglect, and even child marriage as families struggle to survive.    Last year, World Vision provided food and cash assistance to over 20 million people in 46 countries, yet the need remains vast. As Mary Njeri, Director of World Vision’s Global Hunger Response, emphasized, hunger is not only a crisis of malnutrition but also of mental health. With more than 38 million people one step away from starvation, we must urgently increase lifesaving aid and support for education, mental health, and protection services.    On this World Refugee Day, I am deeply grateful for the dedication and commitment of our World Vision staff, who work tirelessly to build brighter futures for children and their families across the world. I echo Mary’s call; it is essential that we come together, raise our voices, and demand increased support and action from global leaders to resolve conflicts, tackle climate change issues and support humanitarian needs.      https://lnkd.in/eduk5yZf  

🚨 1 in 3 children under 2 years of age are now acutely malnourished in northern #Gaza. Children's malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in #Gaza. Famine is looming. There is no time to waste. Malnutrition among children is spreading fast and reaching devastating and unprecedented levels in the Gaza Strip due to the wide-reaching impacts of the war and ongoing restrictions on aid delivery. An immediate humanitarian ceasefire continues to provide the only chance to save children’s lives and end their suffering. We also need multiple land border crossings that allow aid to be reliably delivered at scale, including to northern Gaza, along with the security assurances and unimpeded passage needed to distribute that aid, without delays or access impediments. UNICEF UNRWA World Food Programme

Scabies has become a critical public health issue in Bangladesh’s refugee camps. However, there has been previous success of #scabies control programs in educational #institutions. Learn more about the effectiveness of this program: https://lnkd.in/enTqnzbi

🚨🚨 Refugees in the UK are currently being denied access to period products.⁠ ⁠ “Sometimes there were no [period] products...They couldn't provide the products – and we couldn't afford the products. We're given £8 or £9 a week for you to live on; we need food and we have all of these things that we need to buy, and period products are not cheap."⁠ ⁠ The inconsistent conditions in temporary or ‘contingency’ accommodation escalates the deliberately hostile treatment refugees and asylum seekers face from the Home Office, where living conditions actively harm their physical and mental health.⁠ ⁠ Thank you Glamour for sharing the shocking testimonies of our EBE forum* in your article 'Refugees in the UK are being denied access to period care products, according to a new investigation – how has it come to this?' ⁠ ⁠ Read the full piece in the comments below 👇 #Refugees #RefugeeSupport #Charity ⁠ *Our bloody brilliant EBE forum is a group of refugees and asylum seekers who use our services. We meet with our forum 8 times a year, in a safe and comfortable environment, to discuss how we can better improve our services and organisation and co-design a campaign for change in menstrual provision.⁠ Working closely with the people who receive our services in an ethical, considered and respectful way is really bloody important to us. All of our forum members' expenses are covered as well as their time and participation, and we also provide further support through referrals, training and check-ins. This is all in recognition of the time, energy, expertise and experience they have contributed. ⁠We refuse to fuel the repeated stereotypical portrayals of people in poverty by charities as passive and in need of a ‘saviour’. We, therefore, provide space to the people who know these experiences best - our EBE forum - and have facilitated a way for the members to tell their experiences for themselves.⁠