Issue 2: July 6, 2020

Staff

Avery Wang: Contributor, Layout

Diya Britto: Contributor, Social Media

Xander Starobin: Contributor, Web Design

Maya Britto: Contributor

Andrew Szabo: Contributor

Wongel Gebru: Contributor

In this issue...

We're covering the humanitarian crises in Yemen and the Democratic Republic of Congo, how humanitarian organizations have adapted their practices in response to COVID-19, and the financial challenges organizations are facing because of the pandemic. We're also examining the economic impact of resettling refugees in host countries and debunking common immigration myths.

A Guide to Yemen's Humanitarian Crisis

By Avery Wang

What's Happening in Yemen

Yemen is currently facing the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, suffering from war, famine, cholera and diptheria epidemics, and the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a UNICEF Crisis Snapshot, at least 70% of the population lacks safe and basic access to food, clean water, healthcare, and sanitation. As a result of the crisis, malnutrition and starvation are devastatingly afflicting Yemeni children. The country’s government and healthcare infrastructure are also crumbling.

“Yemen is today a living hell for children... It is a living hell for every single boy and girl in Yemen.”

Geert Cappelaere, the UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa

November 2018, from UNICEF transcript of press remarks

Statistics Snapshot (From UNICEF)

There are 28.5 million people in Yemen.
More than 24 million people need humanitarian assistance. That’s 80% of the population. This includes 12 million children.
2 million children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition.
Before the pandemic, 2 million children were out of school. Now, because of the pandemic, an additional 5 million children are out of school. That’s 7 million children total who are not in school.

The History Behind the Crisis

According to a BBC report, Yemen’s civil war and resulting humanitarian crisis began in 2011, when supporters of the Arab Spring uprising forced then-President Ali Abdullah Saleh out of power. Deputy President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi was then elected as the new President. Saleh had held office for 33 years, but his term was marked with corruption accusations and unresolved conflict with an armed group called the Houthis, whose members follow the religion Zaidaism, a sect of Shi’a Islam.

The end of Saleh’s presidency was the beginning of a two-year transitional period. The National Dialogue Conference was established as a means to resolve Yemen’s political divides, with the aim of creating a new constitution and holding elections at the end of the transitional period, according to the Middle East Institute.

According to an Amnesty International report, in 2013, the National Dialogue Conference (NDC) proposed a draft of a new federal map that would divide Yemen into regions. However, when creating the federal map, the NDC disregarded various socioeconomic and regional issues between different groups of people, resulting in a lack of public support and strong opposition from multiple political groups.

In response to the proposed map and increased public resentment, the Huthis seized an opportunity to expand their growing control over Yemen territory. In 2015, the Huthis captured control of Yemen’s capital Sana’a, forcing President Hadi and his government to flee. The fall of Sana’a is widely seen as the escalation of Yemen’s crisis.

According to the same Amnesty International report, President Hadi sought to restore his government and reclaim power in Yemen and requested an international intervention. Led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a coalition of states initiated an aerial bombing campaign, which sparked the brutal conflict that has consumed Yemen and led to what’s being called the worst humanitarian crisis in a century.

How Can I Help?

1. Download the FreeRice app by the World Food Programme.

With the FreeRice app, players answer short trivia questions in categories ranging from “Global Goals” to basic math and science. For each question you answer correctly, the World Food Programme’s sponsors donate the “cash equivalent of 10 grains of rice” to the WFP.

2. Download and donate to the ShareTheMeal app.

The ShareTheMeal app allows you to easily donate to different countries whose children are affected by malnutrition, as well as Syrian refugees in Iraq, Rohingya refugees, and Ugandan refugees. Donation options range from as little as $0.50 to feed one child for a day to any amount of your choice.

3. Educate yourself and others.

Follow the news, listen to podcasts, watch documentaries, do anything and everything you can to learn more about the crisis and possible solutions and actions, and then try to educate your peers and family members. This may incentivize more people to donate to organizations that provide direct assistance. A small effort can make a big difference.

4. Watch a video on YouTube.

Various people have made videos on YouTube and promise to donate 100% of the ad revenue to Yemen relief organizations such as UNICEF, SaveTheChildren, and Islamic relief. You can even leave these videos playing in the background and it will still help these organizations.

5. Email government officials.

You can also email your government officials to express your concern about Yemen’s crisis, the need for a solution, and the need for your government to take action and help. You can find templates and examples for these emails online if you are unsure what to say.

6. Sign petitions and share them.

Sign petitions and share them with your friends and family or on social media. This is a simple action that takes no more than a minute but increases support and pressures those in power to act.

The Situation In The Democratic Republic of The Congo

By Wongel Gebru

According to a June United Nations report, in addition to the global a COVID-19 pandemic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently facing ebola virus outbreaks and its longest measles outbreak in history. According to UNHCR statistics, these health crisis come at a time when the DRC has the largest number of internally displaced people in Africa (5.5 million) in addition to hosting over 527,000 refugees from neighboring countries such as Rwanda, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, and Burundi.

The large numbers of displaced people in the country not only makes handling deadly diseases like COVID-19, Ebola, and Measles more challenging, but it also makes individuals' and families' survival and livelihood much more difficult.

According to UNHCR statistics, 15.6 million people in the DRC are severely food insecure. Mass food insecurity is significantly complicating the DRC’s ability to host a large number of refugees especially during the multiple health crisis that the DRC is facing.

According to a UNHCR report, since the end of the DRC's civil war in the early 2000's, fighting has continued because of political disagreements with the war's outcome forcing approximately one million people to flee since 2003.

Displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are in desperate need of aid. Although some organizations are making efforts to assist, more people, resources, and effort is needed to solve the immense issues facing the DRC. The mainstream media has failed to cover the DRC's humanitarian crisis nearly as much as they have covered the crisis in other countries such as Yemen or Bangladesh. You can help the situation by spreading awareness on social media and within your community, lobbying your congressperson, and donating to refugee organizations who are trying to improve the conditions in the DRC.

Refugee Organizations Change Practices in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

By Xander Starobin

As of June 3, according to the UNHCR, 134 refugee-hosting countries have reported local transmission of COVID-19. In order to keep refugees as safe as possible from the virus, organizations that work with refugees have changed their practices, protocols, and actions.

One part of the effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus within refugee populations is educating refugees about the risks of the virus and how they can keep themselves safe. According to a report on June 19, Médecins Sans Frontières (also known as Doctors Without Borders) has directed teams in the Burj Al-Barajneh refugee camp in Beirut, Lebanon to reach out to refugees who are most at risk to COVID-19 and train them and their families to practice “shielding.” Similar to traditional quarantine practices, families who practice shielding establish and maintain “safe zones” in their homes or neighborhoods in order to provide extra isolation and thus protection for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

Similarly, according to a recent statement from the refugee organization Alight, their workers in five South-East Asian countries now incorporate information about COVID-19 awareness and prevention into the preexisting campaign for malaria and tuberculosis prevention.

Organizations have also been increasing their efforts to test refugees for the novel virus or to screen them for symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. For example, Alight currently screens people for coronavirus symptoms at 49 regional checkpoints within or around South-East Asian refugee settlements, according to a recent report. Workers have also set up symptom screening checkpoints at all the entrances of Alight-managed refugee camps in Rwanda. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has taken similar steps. According to a recent report, at the Kutupalong refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the IRC has set up locations where refugees can be screened for symptoms.

However, some countries with high numbers of refugees such as Afghanistan have had a gross lack of testing. According to an IRC press release on June 1, Afghanistan has a capacity to test only 2,000 samples per day, but testing facilities are receiving 10,000 to 20,000 samples daily. That means that between 80 and 90 percent of potential cases are not being tested, and thus could be going undetected. UNHCR statistics state that 2.7 million refugees came from Afghanistan in 2019, indicating that this lack of testing could endanger thousands of refugees.

Despite Afghanistan’s lack of testing capacity, an IRC press release stated that workers have continued many of their programs in modified ways. For example, education programs for children are now taking place in the homes or shelters of individual refugee families rather than in larger group settings like classrooms.

Ultimately, the transmission of COVID-19 within global refugee populations is inevitable. Some organizations have tried to mitigate the destructiveness of the virus for refugee communities by setting up locations to treat refugees who contract it. According to an Alight report, they have been training and equipping front-line healthcare workers in Somalia to treat refugees with the coronavirus. Alight teams treat these refugees at 21 different health clinics that they operate throughout Somalia, although necessary equipment is limited.

According to reports from Médecins Sans Frontières, workers in Yemen have been doing their best to continue treating patients, but a lack of supplies and staff has caused significant challenges. According to MSF, head of mission in Yemen Claire HaDuong said, “The United Nations and other donor states need to urgently find ways to step up the response, including through hands-on interventions of medical humanitarian agencies and support to the Yemeni health system with money to pay health care staff, equipment to protect them, and oxygen concentrators to help sick patients breathe.” Approximately 24 million Yemenis--80 percent of Yemen’s population--are in need of humanitarian aid, according to data from UNICEF.

Humanitarian Aid Organizations Face Financial Concerns Due to COVID-19

By Andrew Szabo

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused financial hardship for various humanitarian organizations. These organizations need more equipment, people, and resources in order to help a growing number of those in need, but scarcity and high costs have caused great challenges.

According to their website, Alight, a humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization previously called the American Refugee Committee, is equipping personal protective equipment (PPE) to some of their frontline workers, setting up isolation units and handwashing stations around the globe and is providing disinfections supplies to medical centers.

PPE, if it follows CDC standards, can cost up to $2500 a day per worker, according to a report from the Society for Healthcare Organization Procurement Professionals. Providing PPE to workers in their 21 clinics in Somalia and various clinics in Sudan incurs a sizable expense. Individually, disinfection supplies are not very expensive, but because Alight is providing them to medical centers all around Somalia, Rwanda, Sudan, and South Sudan, the sheer amount of supplies needed incurs a high cost. Handwashing stations and isolation units also incur their own costs. Collectively, the rising costs of these supplies increase the operating cost of Alight’s practices.

Other organizations have also had trouble getting enough supplies and staff including Médecins Sans Frontières (also known as Doctors Without Borders and MSF) even with its $1.5 billion annual budget, according to recent reports.

Despite the high cost of direct medical care, educational campaigns about the dangers of COVID-19 and ways to prevent its spread in refugee communities have proven to be useful and extremely low cost mitigation efforts for organizations including Alight, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and MSF, according to reporting from each respective organization.

Most nations and international funds have continued to offer the same amount of funding to these organizations and others despite the pandemic’s widespread economic impact. However, these vital sources of funding may begin to dwindle in the future as they may face further economic hardship.

Among the top 15 donors to the UNHCR, only 5 have provided less funding by the end of the 2nd quarter of 2020 compared to 2019, according to UNHCR donor profiles. The other ten have provided equivalent or more money so far this year compared to last year. However, organizations such as MSF and the International Red Cross, which heavily depend on private donations rather than governmental donations, may have more to worry about.

According to a report from the NIH, some studies suggest that people won’t necessarily reduce charity to non-profit organizations, even if their economic stability shifts to a much less secure financial state. However, other studies indicate that people with less economic stability (as is the case for many due to COVID-19) do less charitable giving. If fewer people feel comfortable donating as much during these trying times, humanitarian organizations may begin to lack the necessary funding to continue their vital work with refugees.

Even if refugee organizations maintain the same budget this year that they had last year, their ability to help people may be limited by the rising cost of providing the necessary equipment to ensure safe work conditions. Unfortunately, this increase in costs and consequential decrease in capacity comes when the world is at an all-time high for the number of displaced peoples and refugees, according to a 2019 UNHCR fact sheet.

Refugee organizations are in great need of donations in order to continue their vital work, especially during the current pandemic. If you would like to donate to any of the organizations referenced in this article, check out the links below.

Humanitarian Aid for Children in Crisis | UNICEF USA

Saving Lives, Building Futures UNICEF USA helps save and protect the world's most vulnerable children. UNICEF USA is rated one of the best charities to donate to: Less than 3% of every dollar spent goes to administrative costs.

Donate to save lives | Doctors Without Borders

Your donations help Doctors Without Borders respond quickly to medical humanitarian emergencies, provide disaster relief, and save lives. Please donate today.

Safeguarding Communities Against COVID-19

Safeguarding Communities On the frontlines around the world protecting the vulnerable fromCOVID-19

Help refugees this winter. Give monthly.

Refugee families escaped war, hunger and persecution, but now they must face a new threat: a cold and snowy winter. Right now, refugee children are shivering under thin blankets, wondering if they will ever be warm again. They go outside without hats or gloves and sleep on the cold ground in flimsy tents at night.

Donate Now.

The coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues to spread rapidly across international borders. It has now reached countries with weak health systems which are less prepared to combat the disease. Vulnerable populations and those living in crisis will be hit the hardest by this outbreak.

How do Refugees Affect Economies?

By Maya Britto

Major concerns regarding refugees are widely economic. Many major host countries are already combating numerous economic struggles and are wary of refugees exacerbating their difficulties. How exactly do refugees affect the economies of their host countries?

Although refugees contribute to the economy, it is very hard for many of them to find a place to start because he labor market integration of refugees is slow. According to the Transatlantic Council on Migration, Germany received half of the 3.1 million asylum seekers that entered the European Union between 2015 and 2017. However, since the 1990s, only 55 percent of refugees in Germany enter the workforce after five years since their arrival. In comparison, 82 percent of other migrants find jobs in that time span. However, it is important to note that 87 percent of the refugees that seek asylum are fleeing war or persecution. They hardly have the means to start a new life in only a few years after being suddenly forced out of their homes.

Also, According to a report by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), cash aid that refugees receive results in income “spillovers,” benefitting businesses and households in the host country. Refugees receiving aid increase the annual real income (income earned after accounting for inflation) in the local economy by approximately $205 to $253.

The process of integrating refugees into the societies of host countries results in a change of public expenditure. According to the European Commission, destination countries attempting to achieve higher levels of refugee integration must spend more on education, social housing, and welfare benefits. In 2016, the Commission estimated that integration efforts could cause a drop in gross domestic product (GDP) of 0.1% - 0.6% at a minimum. However, this fact is deceiving because the long term benefits of refugee integration outweigh the short term costs. The Commission estimated that as a group, the refugees who had been in their new countries for a few years could increase their country's annual GDP by 0.2% - 1.6%.

Host countries fear that refugees may endanger the work opportunities of native-born people. However, according to the European Commission, immigrants with higher education degrees have more difficulty finding a job than native-born people with the same qualifications. As a result, many immigrants work in jobs they are overqualified for, under less desirable conditions for low wages. Newly accepted refugees and asylum workers in dire need of a job may start by doing manual-intensive labor, which allows native-born workers to change their occupations away from manual labor. This systemic issue creates income inequality between migrant populations and native-born populations, and it causes the poverty rate of immigrant households to be higher than native-born households in the host country, according to the European Commission. Therefore, despite their contributions to the economy, refugees are still underprivileged in comparison with their native-born cohorts and have fewer opportunities for socioeconomic advancement.

According to the International Labor Organization, Syrian refugees in Lebanon threaten the economic opportunities of poor native-born workers there. They have increased both inter-community tensions and universal poverty rates. However, Syrian refugees registered by the UNHCR amount to more than a quarter--approximately 26 percent--of the total Lebanese population. Refugees in most host countries are a much smaller percentage of those countries' population. For example, only 1.5 percent of the German population is made up of refugees. Furthermore, Lebanon’s economy is frail and unstable amidst post-war reconstruction and preexisting labor shortages. However, the inflows of foreign aid worth over a billion USD, specifically targeting Syrian refugees in Lebanon between 2012 and 2014, resulted in Lebanese GDP growth and abated inflation, as reported by the United Nations Development Program. All of the contributing factors to the situation in Lebanon make it a unique case, and not a good example of how refugees affect the economies of other countries.

Refugees can definitely be an economic asset to a host country, provided two criteria:

The host countries must thoroughly work to integrate refugees into society and the workforce, understanding that the long term benefits outweigh the initial costs.
The economy of the host country must be stable in order to support a growing population and the integration of new refugees.

Debunking Two Common Immigrant Myths

By Diya Britto

Myth #1: Immigrants Take Our Jobs

According to a 2019 press release from the US Department of Labor, the unemployment rate of foreign-born US residents declined from 3.5 percent to 3.1 percent from 2018 to 2019, and the jobless rate for native-born US residents decreased from 4.0 percent to 3.8 percent. In 2019, the United States resettled 30,000 refugees, a 33% percent increase from the refugees resettled in the year 2018. This number means that even when the foreign-born population increased, the unemployment and jobless rate declined for both immigrants and their native-born counterparts.

In fact, according to “America's Advantage: A Handbook on Immigration And Economic Growth," published by the George Bush Institute, immigrant-owned businesses with employees have an average of 11 employees, helping the economy and decreasing the unemployment rate. Additionally, according to studies prepared by the George W. Bush Presidential Center, 7.6% of immigrants are self-employed compared to 5.6% of native-born Americans, indicating that immigrants are more likely to create new jobs for Americans than native-born individuals. Therefore, not only do refugees not take American jobs, they strengthen our economy by providing more jobs for citizens born in America.

Myth #2: Immigrants Are Violent and Increase the Crime-Rate

Immigrants do not increase local crime rates and are less likely to be imprisoned than their native-born counterparts. According to a Texas Department of safety brief from 2015, there were 28.6 sex crime convictions of illegal immigrants per 100,000 in 2015, which is about 7.9% fewer convictions per 100,000 than for native‐born Americans living in Texas in the same year. The homicide conviction rate for undocumented immigrants was 16 percent below that of native‐born Americans in Texas in 2015. Undocumented immigrants had a criminal conviction rate 50% below that of native‐born Americans and documented immigrants had a criminal conviction rate 66% below that of native‐born Americans.

Also, according to a study by the United States Government Accounting Office in 2011, between 2005 and 2010, the incarceration rate increased for native-born residents by 16% but only 7% for foreign-born residents.

This data proves that immigrants do not increase the crime rate in our cities, and are less likely to be incarcerated than native born Americans.

According to a May 2018 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 51% of Americans said that the United States has a responsibility to accept refugees, but 43% of Americans did not. In 2018, the Trump administration limited the number of refugees allowed into the US to 45,000. For comparison, in fiscal year 2017, the Obama administration hoped to accept at least 110,000 refugees, according to White House statements from the time.

Common misconceptions about immigrants and refugees have been a significant factor in why so many Americans believe that the US does not have a responsibility to accept refugees and why the Trump administration has recently enacted policies that limit immigration. Many of these misconceptions are founded on fear and a lack of understanding. In order to help displaced people around the world, it is important to get rid of the stereotypes associated with them.