Tag: Facts

The largest humanitarian crisis of our generation

“Syria in Crisis” – sadly, this phrase is very common at the moment. So much so that it just seems to be a part of the fabric of global society now, and just another one of those big problems in a country far away that is too big to fix… so now it doesn’t even get much coverage on prime time TV news, doesn’t make the front page of papers, is shoved in some ‘global news’ category deep within the news websites. And so we, in our busy lives, as we just mange to scrape the surface of current affairs and glean what is interesting and relevant to us from the mass of information going around, forget about what UNICEF have called “The largest humanitarian crisis of our generation”…

UNICEF Syria
This bold red strip is currently at the top of the UNICEF website


Now that’s a big call. But I think if anyone would know, UNICEF would… so I think we all need to dig a little deeper and take notice, or more appropriately… take action.

WFP have helpfully given a short overview for us to better understand the situation:

“Conflict in Syria has forced millions of people to flee their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis in which food is a top priority. WFP aims to bring food assistance to up to 6.5 million Syrians between now and the end of the year. These include 4 million people inside Syria – on both sides of the front lines – and 2.5 million refugees in neighbouring countries.”
Source: http://www.wfp.org/crisis/syria

Continue reading “The largest humanitarian crisis of our generation” →

The single biggest solvable problem facing the world today

Here’s a bunch of interesting facts that I just learnt from WFP (World Food Programme). As part of the article they make a big claim that “hunger is the single biggest solvable problem facing the world today” – the remarkable thing about this claim is that they say that hunger is “solvable”. You don’t really hear that too often, but it is exciting to hear this positive spin on the state of world, rather than the ‘doom and gloom’ that we often hear.

Some of these facts are a bit ‘doom and gloom’, but some definitely give hope that hunger is in fact solvable – like the fact that I can make a difference with only 25 CENTS a day – that’s around $7.50 per month to give a child a chance at a healthy life. And maybe something surprising for all us relatively comfortable Aussies – most of the world’s hungry people live on our door step – in the South Pacific (not Africa as most may think). Continue reading “The single biggest solvable problem facing the world today” →

Not a Drop To Drink [Infographic]

According to the United Nations, unsanitary water kills more people worldwide than war. As the precious water supply dwindles, it may prove to be more than just a crisis for developing countries. Click the image below to learn more…

“Every 20 seconds a child dies from water borne illness”

Source: GOOD and Column Five Media

DO SOMETHING:

There are tons of organisations doing great work to improve access and supply of clean water to those who need it most, but here is one that I like:

Water For Water’s heart is for those in need, those who find themselves without access to safe drinking water for themselves and their families. http://www.waterforwater.com

Fact: The 2 biggest killers of children under the age of 5

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“The 2 biggest killers of children under the age of 5 are pneumonia and diarrhoeal diseases.”

* UNICEF / World Health Organisation / World Bank / UNFPA

TAKE ACTION: “I believe it shouldn’t end at the beginning” – check out the great campaign by Compassion called ‘I Believe‘. The sadest thing about the above fact is that these are entirely preventable and treatable diseases. Forty-three per cent of under-five deaths are attributed to the five diseases: pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, HIV/AIDS and measles – in Australia, these diseases account for just two per cent of deaths of children under five. Visit the I Believe website to learn more about child mortality and find out how you can help.

Brazil In Focus

Thanks to Compassion Australia for this update on Brazil:

Powdery white-sand beaches lined with palm trees stretch for more than 7000km along the coastline of this enchanting South American destination. The country is synonymous with soccer and joyful parties, but rapid growth in the urban population of Brazil has created serious social, environmental and political problems, with some 20 million people living in slums and on the streets. Continue reading “Brazil In Focus” →

Two Positive Posters

Positive PostersI recently posted about a great competition called Positive Posters. It’s in full swing now with heaps of entries coming in with some great designs, interesting concepts and challenging issues put out there.

I’ve been thinking about submitting something for a while and finally got around to it! So here’s my crack at some Positive Posters. Hope you like them – if you do then it would be awesome if could ‘like’ them – just click on the poster to go to the PP website and then hit the Facebook ‘like’ button!

More importantly, I hope the message/issues raised challenge you to action! Continue reading “Two Positive Posters” →

Fact: One in Eight Children Die Before Age of Five

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The highest rate of infant mortailty is in sub-Saharan Africa, where ONE (1) CHILD IN EIGHT (8) dies before the age of five.

* UNICEF / World Health Organisation / World Bank / UNFPA

TAKE ACTION:

Save the Children runs a ‘NO CHILD BORN TO DIE’ campaign where your help can save children’s lives in sub-Saharan Africa and around the world – check out the website: http://bornto.savethechildren.org.uk

Fact: 3500 children die each day

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Over 3500 children die each day because they lack access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

* UNICEF / World Health Organisation / World Bank / UNFPA

TAKE ACTION:

Water For Water’s heart is for those in need, those who find themselves without access to safe drinking water for themselves and their families. http://www.waterforwater.com