A current event happening is the occurrence of droughts which lead too little to no food
and displaced families. With climate changes, some areas of the world are challenged with
severe weather changes that negatively affect their quality of living, health, and their
future. One drought can be a disaster to countries over night. Droughts leave families no
access to clean water which leads to people going without food and clean water for days if
not relocated or given access to help. In some cases, the community has no choice but to
drink and/or use the contaminated water, which is certainly detrimental to health. In these
situations, communities are forced to leave for a new sustainable area because it is their
only choice. “Climate change and unprecedented exploitation of earth’s resources are
endangering humans’ ability to feed a still-growing global population, according to a UN
report released today” (global health now, 2020). Leaving the area is not the only solution.
In many countries that face drought spells, building against climate change has emerged.
According to the United Nations (2020), “through its participation in global policy
processes, UNHCR has played a pioneering role in raising awareness about climate change
as a driver of displacement and the need to address protection for people displaced in the
context of disasters”. The UN refugee agency provides communities guidance, policy
coherence, research to fill gaps, and field activities that help minimize and address
displacement. Families are helped to rebuild their homes in other area that are less affected
by droughts and organizations help create resources that can be accessed during these
times. “WHO supports policies that provide health services to migrants and refugees,
irrespective of their legal status, with the provision of adequate standards of care for
refugees and migrants being important for population health and fundamental for
protecting and promoting the human rights of both the refugees and migrants and the host
communities” (Matlin, 2018). “Mental health problems may arise from events and
conditions experienced before, during and after migration, including experiences of
conflict, injury, violence, witnessing others including friends and family members being
abused or dying, perilous journeys, hunger, confinement, harsh treatment by authorities,
boredom, worries about health and about family back home and fears of being sent home”
(Lindert, 2008).
“In the health field, it is crucial that the needs of migrants and refugees be met within the
framework of international agreements which countries have adopted, recognizing the
right to health of all individuals and the centrality of this principle in the design and
implementation of policies and programs at global, regional, national and local levels”
(Matlin, 2018).
References:
A Future of Global Hunger. (n.d.). Retrieved June 29, 2020,
Matlin, S. A., Depoux, A., Schütte, S., Flahault, A., & Saso, L. (2018). Migrants’ and
refugees’ health: towards an agenda of solutions. Public Health Reviews, 39, 27.
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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (n.d.). Climate change and disaster
displacement.
Humanitarian Crisis
Hello Deja,
I read your post and found it to be excellent since it discusses drought and how it leads to
a humanitarian emergency crisis. Water is the basis of human survival on earth, and the lack of it
means that the existence of people is threatened. This notion demonstrates why a drought can
lead to a humanitarian crisis. You also point out that droughts can be mitigated through
sustainable solutions. On that note, I want to point out that drought-prone areas need to engage in
water harvesting methods to ensure a sustainable supply of clean water to community members
(Carty, 2017). Also, as articulated in the post, more should be done to increase the awareness
about climate change and the measures that can be taken to reduce its effects. Such knowledge
will increase the adaptability and resilience of countries against adverse weather patterns.
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS 3
References
Carty, T. (2017). A climate in crisis: How climate change is making drought and humanitarian
disaster worse in East Africa.