Impact on local communities
"Acute food insecurity is escalating, and by the end of 2022, at least 222 million people across 53 countries are expected to face acute food insecurity and need urgent assistance. Starvation is a very real risk for 45 million people in 37 countries." (Reliefweb 2022)
Children happy to gain warm cloths donated by UNICEF
- How can aid help?
- Aid can help support those who need support. This can be in ways to financially support those who cannot afford the basic necessity's such as food and fresh water. Food vouchers or food donations can be used to help support the livelihood of the those in need of nutrition, with issues of supplying them self's and their families with the bare minimum of nutrition (Development Initiatives 2022).
- Aid can also be seen with supplying vaccinations which can help to slow down the spread of diseases such as missals or COVID-19. Medical supplies can help to treat those who have injuries that need specific medical care that might not yet be available in the receiving country. This allows for more individuals to be treated with basic care.
- Aid such as cloths or materials like tents can help to supply some sort of shelter and warmth for those individuals that have lost their homes or shelter in crises. Supplying these items can help to supply those in need with a warm and dry place, safe from the elements to stay whilst plans and rescues can take place in areas that are needed (HART UK 2022).
- What would happen if the aid was not there?
- Without the support of aid from other countries and organizations, the regions that require the donations would not be able to support their basic population and there would be a large increase in those who live far below the poverty line. There standard of living in the regions in need would be drastically decreased as the support for those who need it is not available. This can be in the form of medical help, mental support, food, and water supplies. For example, without UK aid, Syria would not have had the support it currently has. To see the UK's crisis summery report follow this link.
- Can it be prevented?
- Due to a large increase in climate change, more and more areas of suffering more severe drastic weather conditions such as drought, and flooding have become more likely. This can cause mass famine in regions which continue to need the support of aid. This can be specifically seen in developing countries as more and more areas cannot financially support the sever humanitarian issues that reduce the livelihood of the citizens of the given area. Humanitarian crises cannot be avoided but can be reduced (IBERDROLA no date).
- Having precautions in place to reduce the impact of natural hazards such as alarm systems for tsunamis. This would allow for the area to get evacuated in time to reduce the casualties or injuries caused by the wave.
- Building regulation to build more flexible infrastructure can reduce the impact an earthquake would have on human life as they would be able to withstand stronger earthquakes, making the building safer (see video below).
- Having emergency plans in place, such as evacuation and equipment easily accessible to be able to be used when the incident first happens to reduce the fatality rate. This can be medical plans. In areas such as Syria where it is likely to have large earthquakes, having a plan in place would allow for the pressure to be take-off of the hospitals as they would be prepared for a large number of injuries and other areas that can be quickly turned into shelters or secondary medical areas would help support those who have lost their lively hood and homes (Concern Worldwide 2022).
- Knowing and preparing for dry and wet seasons and preparing for times where certain crops will not be available is also crucial. GMO crops could be used to help supply areas that are in need of food but at high risk of draught or disease to grow crops in large yield to area ratio. Which could take the pressure off the potential humanitarian crisis of famine (Liang 2016).
- How can it make countries self-sufficient?
- Supplying countries with aid is by no means the main step to making them self-sufficient. It in fact can suggest that it takes those developing countries that need aid, back steps in their development. This is due to the countries receiving the aid becoming reliant on the donations from other countries, both financially and medically. With donations such as doctors or medication being able to be donated, aid receiving governments can direct their budget funds to other areas of the country and stop prioritising the areas in which the aid is being donated. This can be seen for both medication but also for areas that have issues with famine or water aid. This can be seen with Syria.