Norwegian Refugee Council has revealed its observation of the world’s leanings in its treatment of the global displacement crisis.
In a report released on Wednesday by the NRC, it said it’s observed that the international community has shown an outpouring of love and care for Ukraine while the internally displaced people of many African countries have been neglected.
“In response to the tragic crisis in Ukraine, we have witnessed an outpouring of humanity and solidarity. Political action has been swift. Donor countries, private companies and the public have all contributed generously. The media has been covering the crisis around the clock. At the same time, the situation is deteriorating for millions of people afflicted by crises taking place in the shadows of the Ukraine crisis.
“Hunger levels are on the rise in most of the countries on the neglected crises list, compounded by rising wheat and fuel prices caused by the war in Ukraine. Parents have been forced to cut back on meals for their already malnourished children. Humanitarian organisations have been consistently sounding the alarm since the start of 2022, but the necessary action is yet to be taken by the international community.
“On top of this, funding for these neglected crises is under threat. Several donor countries are now considering, or have decided, to reallocate funds from other parts of the world to the Ukraine crisis and the refugee response in Europe.
“It is a recipe for disaster. And it will be felt first and foremost by people whose names we do not know and whose stories have gone untold.
“The report revealed that all the ten countries that have the world’s most neglected displacement crises in 2021 are all in Africa.
DR Congo: Worst-Affected By Displacement Crises
The Democratic Republic of Congo has the worst problem on the list with 5.5million internally displaced people.
Burkina Faso are second on the list, with Cameroon, South Sudan, Chad, Mali, Sudan, Nigeria, Burundi and Ethiopia all making the list.
There report states that there is a lack of political will, lack of media coverage on the neglected countries and the lack of international aid.
In 2021, DR Congo which is the most hard-hit was able to get 44% of what the UN sought in aids for the country. The report also stated that the country had to suffer the Nyiragongo Volcanic Eruption to have a level of media attention and international aids.
“In 2021, it took a major geological event, the eruption of Nyiragongo volcano, to trigger some brief international attention to the country. But while the world’s spotlight was on the lava flows, the plight of millions of Congolese in need of urgent assistance across the country remained neglected.
“Food insecurity reached the highest level ever recorded, with 27 million people – a third of the country’s population – going hungry. At the end of 2021, DR Congo was home to more than 5.5 million internally displaced people, the third highest figure in the world. A further 1 million Congolese have sought shelter and protection outside the country,” the report stated.
A global indifference was also felt in DR Congo as the media and the government paid little to no attention on what locals in the country faced.
“DR Congo was marked by fatigue in 2021. Not from the women, men and children who lived through the daily reality of insecurity and struggle, but from political leaders and the media who once again paid little attention to the crisis. There were no high-level political discussions concerning DR Congo, such as senior officials’ meetings, donor conferences or summits. The absence of strong international political engagement was matched by the lack of media coverage. Of all the 41 humanitarian crises analysed by NRC, DR Congo received the lowest level of media attention when compared to the number of displaced people.”
The year 2022 even threatens more hunger, in the face of skyrocketing prices of wheat and other cereals due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Of the countries on the list, Chad has had the lowest responses to its need of aids with just 35% of the UN’s expectations met while Nigeria has the highest at 72%.