Social Upheaval

In places where religions and cultures clash, the things we rely on to stay constant – education, social customs, the respect of human rights – can change drastically for the people caught in the middle.

The occupation of Syria by ISIS had drastic effects on the school lives of its children; effects that linger today. As one student explained, “I’m not going to school right now, I’m far behind because the Iraq government will not recognize the education received during the ISIL occupation of the city. During that time all we learned about was tanks and bombs and religious teachings.”
Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo live in constant fear of rape and sexual violence. In 2018, the United Nations documented thousands of cases of conflict-related sexual violence in the DRC, committed by most of the many warring parties.

More Issues

Chronic conflict

When deep-seated tensions over land, culture, and leadership boil over into war, conflict can last years or decades –– and its effects often last much longer in impoverished areas.

Climate

What are some effects of climate change that you see around you? Does child marriage, child labour, child exploitation or forced displacement happen to come to mind?

Economic Crisis

Many vulnerable families don’t have the means to escape poverty because of lack of jobs or sanctions that drive up prices on essential products. They suffer the consequences of their government’s actions.

Natural Disasters

Droughts that ruin harvests. Earthquakes that destroy homes. Deadly diseases that infect thousands. Natural disasters are hard to predict and harder to recover from for many vulnerable populations.

Refugees

1% of the world's population is displaced. Refugees and those forcibly displaced face realities most of us simply can not comprehend.

Sudden Conflict

Gang activity, terrorism, or civil unrest are less predictable than other forms of violence, and take advantage of the poor communities of the world’s most dangerous places.

Weak Governance

We should expect that any government would provide for its people in times of crisis. Sadly, many vulnerable people in the world’s most dangerous places are ruled by governments that are unwilling or unable to provide the most basic safety to their citizens.