humanitarian aid

Synergistic associations between social inequities and HIV vulnerabilities - known as a syndemic - are understudied with youth in humanitarian settings. We explored refugee youths' HIV prevention needs in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda. This multi-methods study involved 6 focus groups and 12 in-depth individual interviews (IDI) with refugee youth ( n  = 60) aged 16-24, and IDI with refugee elders ( n  = 8) and healthcare providers ( n  = 8). We then conducted cross-sectional surveys with refugee youth (16-24 years) ( n  = 115) to assess: poverty, recent sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and condom engagement motivation (CEM) (wanting to learn about condoms for HIV prevention)...

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services are a necessity for marginalized persons such as the displaced. The protocol describes an intervention that can contribute to overcoming challenges associated with SRH service delivery of three selected reproductive health (RH) services: HIV/AIDS, contraception, and cervical cancer screening. A pre-and post-intervention approach will be used to evaluate the effect of an intervention with trained Community-Based Reproductive Health Personnel (CBRHP) and/or mHealth technology within the selected IDP camps...

In the late 1920s, the USSR intensified its international activities in the Arabian Peninsula. The rapprochement with Arab monarchies provided opportunity to study political, economic and ethno-cultural characteristics of region by organizing transit of pilgrims to Mecca through the Soviet territory and providing medical care in first-aid posts at diplomatic missions. The Soviet physicians, in atypical situation of Arab monarchies, played important role as intermediaries between royal courts and the Soviet government, serving as agents of "soft power"...

Across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated particular challenges for internally displaced people (IDPs). Over 1.9 million people in Myanmar have been displaced due to the escalation of armed conflict after the military coup in 2021. The vulnerability faced by IDPs in Myanmar, coupled with the impact of the recent military coup and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has received little global attention. This study examined how military coup exacerbated the health and well-being of IDPs in Myanmar post the military coup...

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are of the most essential nutrients for crop production, and inputs of their fertilizers have been a direct and effective way to replenish their removal from crop harvest. However, the global soil K status is scarcely documented. This study attempts to evaluate the soil K deficit in global cereal croplands and potential effects of better K fertilizer management. We hypothesized that historical records of cereal yield and K fertilizer use rate (K-FUR) can be used to understand how soil K deficit is related to the cumulative insufficient K replenishment...

BACKGROUND: Consideration for men as survivors of sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict settings has gained some prominence in the last decade. There remains a paucity of empirical data on forms of sexual violence from the survivors' perspective, and no study has considered the context of the 2013 South Sudan conflict specifically. METHODS: This paper reports the findings of an exploratory qualitative study on the forms of sexual violence perpetrated against men in conflict and post-conflict settings, with the survivors as the main participants...

This article examines how systems and institutions influence the distribution of resources in society and, as such, affect livelihoods, food security, and nutrition. It draws on research on the political economy of food, and the governance effects of food aid practices, conducted in Sudan and Somalia and on the role of a social approach to nutrition in situations of famine and mass starvation. This article argues first for the importance of examining political structures as basic causes of malnutrition as they influence whether and how institutions function (in relation to land, markets, employment, aid, or justice)...

INTRODUCTION: Urban refugee youth remain underserved by current HIV prevention strategies, including HIV self-testing (HIVST). Examining HIVST feasibility with refugees can inform tailored HIV testing strategies. We examined if HIVST and mobile health (mHealth) delivery approaches could increase HIV testing uptake and HIV status knowledge among refugee youth in Kampala, Uganda. METHODS: We conducted a three-arm pragmatic controlled trial across five informal settlements grouped into three sites in Kampala from 2020 to 2021 with peer-recruited refugee youth aged 16-24 years...

BACKGROUND: Essential workers carry a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 mortality than individuals working in non-essential activities. Scientific studies on COVID-19 risk factors and clinical courses for humanitarian aid workers (HAW) specifically are lacking. The nature of their work brings HAW in proximity to various populations, therefore potentially exposing them to the virus. The objective of this study is to assess severity degrees of COVID-19 in relation to multiple risk factors in a cohort of HAW...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The displacement of populations due to humanitarian emergencies has an adverse impact on the global elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases. However, the level of immunisation coverage among Rohingya refugee children remains unknown. Therefore, this study investigated immunisation coverage and its determinants among Rohingya refugee children in Malaysia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September to November 2020 among the guardians of 243 Rohingya refugee children studying under the sponsorship of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Malaysia...

With the collapse of the medical system in Syria, Israel began providing Syrians with humanitarian aid, first to the war-injured and then general medical treatment. We developed a novel specialist ambulatory care concept to provide medical care for Syrian children. Children with their caregivers were transported by bus across the border from Syria to our medical center in Israel for day-stay outpatient-clinic advanced evaluation and treatment due to coordination between Syrian, Red Cross, and Israeli authorities, including Israeli Defense Forces...

We examine the impact of fantasies used in the redevelopment of sport mega-event cities on host communities; particularly as related to the male-dominated FIFA World Cup and forced prostitution. We start with a discussion of event fantasies, particularly those that circulate in relation to humanitarian aid and the alleged involvement of women and children in forced labour and sexual exploitation. We trace these fantasies across several FIFA host cities since the 2006 FIFA World Cup, hosted in Germany, to leverage continual and perpetuate attention (and profit) through the non-profit industrial complex...

Humanitarian organizations are increasingly utilizing biometric data. However, we know little about the extent and scope of this practice, as its benefits and risks have attracted all the attention so far. This paper explores the biometric practices of the UN Refugee Agency, the United Nations World Food Programme, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, and World Vision International. The paper analyzed relevant documents published over the past two decades and 17 semi-structured interviews with humanitarian workers conducted between June 2021 and June 2022...

BACKGROUND: Official Development Assistance (ODA) significantly aids sustainable development in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted aid allocation, posing challenges for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). OBJECTIVE: This study explores and underscores the profound implications of shifts in ODA allocation by Development Assistance Committee (DAC) member countries, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, offering a unique perspective on the evolving landscape of international aid...

BACKGROUND: Despite a decade of conflict, there has been little exploration of respiratory health in Syria, notwithstanding the known impacts of conflict on lung health. Our aim is to explore the burden and trends of respiratory consultations in Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) facilities in northwest Syria through an ecological analysis. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of routinely collected data relating to respiratory presentations in SAMS' facilities between March 2017 and June 2020; we compared data by facility type, infectious versus non-infectious aetiologies and age...

BACKGROUND: Currently, conflict become common phenomenon in the world affecting the lives of millions of children. Due the continued conflict in Ethiopia millions of children are suffering from extreme levels of violence, lack of basic humanitarian needs, and lack of health services. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to assess the effect of conflict on child and adolescent health in Amhara region, September 2022. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was employed among children agedd < 18 years in conflict affected areas of Amhara region...

BACKGROUND: To help promote the effective delivery of drug donations, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the Guidelines for Medicine Donations. The need for revisions is timely given the large-scale influx of medicine donations since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study analyses current policies of donors and recipients that are commensurate with the recommendations in the Guidelines and examines current practices, challenges, and revision suggestions. RESULTS: A search for medicine donation policies of donors and recipients was conducted in May/June 2022 and repeated in January 2023...

Colombia faces the complex humanitarian challenges of locating approximately 100,000 missing persons and identifying thousands who are deceased. Identification is a difficult task in many cases, because the skeletonized bodies are deteriorated, missing person data are unavailable for comparison, and the provenance of the remains is often totally unknown. Isotopic analysis of human tissues (e.g., bone, hair, nails, and teeth) aid in the identification process of unknown individuals because they can provide valuable information on possible geographic origin...

Palestine, since 1948, has endured frequent military occupations and uprisings, intifadas , in a limited geographic area that has resulted in one of the worst humanitarian crises. The prolonged nature of this military occupation has created a biosphere of war that is uninhabitable, whereby Palestinians suffer from physical, psychological, and social wounds. Israel also imposed restrictive measures in Gaza, making it difficult for Palestinians to obtain permits to work and travel throughout Palestine. Israel continued to intensify the restrictions on Gaza, reaching a blockade on the Gaza Strip, which cut off Palestinians from Jerusalem, where hospitals, banks, and vital services are found...

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