The ten most under-reported humanitarian crises in 2022 were all in Africa, according to new analysis by the international humanitarian organization CARE. The organization’s annual “Breaking the Silence” report, that was released today, highlights forgotten crises which received the least media attention over the course of the year. The report is being published for the seventh time.
The following countries are 2022 included in the list of forgotten crises: (1) Angola, (2) Malawi, (3) Central African Republic, (4) Zambia, (5) Chad, (6) Burundi, (7) Zimbabwe, (8) Mali, (9) Cameroon, and (10) Niger. People suffer severe hunger in these crisis countries, and all ten countries on the list were affected by climate-related disasters last year.
From January 1 to October 10, 2022, an international media monitoring service analyzed more than 5.8 million online articles for CARE in Arabic, English, French, German, and Spanish. From a list of 47 humanitarian crises, those ten crises with the lowest media presence were identified.
“The United Nations recently warned of a historic hunger crisis in Africa. We see the scale of it every day in our work. Parents skip meals so their children don’t go hungry. Fields dry up, and livestock dies. Families must flee because they can’t find food or water. Given this dramatic situation, it is even more worrying that the plight of the people is hardly reported. If we continue to look the other way, the consequences will be disastrous,” said Claudine Awute, Vice President of International Programs at CARE.
“Reporting on the global hunger and climate crisis and their impacts on entire communities, including women, girls and children who often suffer grave protection risks, must be a top priority so that more humanitarian aid can reach these regions in the critical hours, days and weeks ahead”, the report said.
CARE says “change happens through attention” and calls on media, politics, business, civil society, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) alike to pay more attention to forgotten crises. Humanitarian reporting benefits from exchanges with local experts and from letting those affected speak for themselves. NGOs can provide support in this regard. On the donor side, it is also important to listen to the people in crisis regions so that they receive the help they need.
CARE is a major international humanitarian agency delivering emergency relief and supporting long-term international development projects. C.A.R.E. now stands for "Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere". The non-governmental organization, founded in 1945 as "Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe C.A.R.E.", is one of the largest and oldest humanitarian aid organizations focused on fighting global poverty and social injustice. CARE International is organized as a global confederation with a specific emphasis on the empowerment of women and girls. The NGO and its global network of independent national organizations work together across more than 100 countries.
Further information
Full text: Breaking the Silence. Then 10 most underreported humanitarian crises of 2022, Report by CARE International, released January 12, 2023
https://www.care-international.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/Most%20Under-Reported%20Humanitarian%20Crises%20of%202022.pdf
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