Issue 14: July 5, 2021
Staff
Xander Starobin: Co-Editor-in-Chief, Web design
Avery Wang: Co-Editor-in-Chief, Layout
Maya Britto: Contributor, Social Media
Jade Xiao: Contributor
Diya Britto: Contributor
Julie Chen: Contributor
Marin Theis: Contributor
In this issue...
We're covering how the UK's budget cuts endanger millions of lives in low-income countries, Denmark's plan to hold asylum-seeking refugees in offshore centers, and the risks of being a humanitarian worker. Also read about World Refugee Day, which took place in June, and the unique struggles of LGTBQ+ refugees in honor of the end of Pride Month.
Announced Budget Cuts By United Kingdom Endanger Millions of Lives in Low-Income Countries
By Maya Britto
The United Kingdom government’s announced budget contains massive cuts to foreign aid, a change that would pose serious threats to the poorest people around the world.
The United Nations established 0.7% of GNI (gross national income) as the target portion of developed donor countries’ GNI to spend on foreign aid. The United Kingdom (UK) first hit this target in 2013 and has continued to prioritize meeting this mark since then. But on November 25, 2020, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a foreign aid budget cut to Parliament during the annual Spending Review. In 2021, the UK is set to only spend 0.5% of its GNI on foreign aid, claiming its internal COVID-19 response is of greater importance.
Sunak stated, “During a domestic fiscal emergency, when we need to prioritise our limited resources on jobs and public services, sticking rigidly to spending 0.7% of our national income on overseas aid is difficult to justify to the British people especially when we’re seeing the highest peacetime levels of borrowing on record.”
The UK will spend £10 billion ($14 billion) on foreign aid, 8 billion of which will be allocated to the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO). Data submitted by the FCDO to the International Aid Transparency Initiative reveals huge cuts across multiple sectors.
Funding for education, humanitarian assistance, and water and sanitation aid -- sectors with the greatest relevance to children -- will be reduced by 36%, 45%, and 47%, respectively. Agricultural activities will be allotted less than half the amount of money they received in the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
Though planned spending on health is 11% greater than what was spent the previous fiscal year, most of these funds will be directed towards COVID-19 relief, according to a report by Save the Children, a humanitarian aid organization established in the UK in 1919. Substantial sums of money used for basic nutrition, family planning, and reproductive healthcare within the foreign aid budget will be taken away, and 2021-2022 figures could continue to change, meaning that funding for basic nutrition could be reduced by up to 80%.
Sunak claimed that the UK plans to “return to 0.7% when the fiscal situation allows.” However, millions around the world rely on foreign aid right now to survive. Slashes in basic nutrition funding alone could have disastrous effects. According to data collected by the World Health Organization, approximately 45% of deaths among children younger than 5 are caused by undernutrition. In 2019 alone, 135 million people in 55 countries faced acute hunger, according to a report by the International Food Policy Research Institute.
A number of humanitarian organizations have expressed distress regarding the novel cuts. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, will lose 85% of its promised supplies because of the UK's budget cuts, according to statements by its executive director, Dr. Natalia Kanem. The £130 million ($180 million) no longer available to the UNFPA would have likely contributed to the prevention of “about 250,000 maternal and child deaths, 14.6 million unintended pregnancies and 4.3 million unsafe abortions.”
Core funding for the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) will be reduced by 60%. UNICEF said in their statement, “In 2020, thanks to core funding, UNICEF was able to swiftly respond to the most pressing education, protection and health needs of children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any cuts to these funds will have serious consequences for children.”
The GPEI, Global Polio Eradication Initiative, may cease to exist entirely, losing 95% of its funding, based on the proposed cuts. According to several reports by BBC, the British Broadcasting Corporation, UNAIDS will lose 80% of its funding from the UK.
The FCDO was created on September 2nd, 2020, when UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) merged with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). According to statements from the FCDO, the merger will allow for the UK to more effectively deliver aid to foreign countries while keeping in line with the UK’s priorities.
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Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leading member of the Conservative Party announced plans for the merger in June 2020. Johnson supported his plans in the UK’s House of Commons by asserting that the UK had for too long been considered “as some giant cashpoint in the sky that arrives without any reference to UK interests.”
However, the merger has been criticized by several public bodies and press associations as a clear indicator of the UK’s recent shift in national priorities and increased promotion of self-interests.
The redistribution of aid funds to support the coronavirus response is leaving crucial foreign aid initiatives dangerously underfunded. It is critical to millions of people around the world that the UK and other countries on which low-income nations rely remain committed to their previous aid pledges.
Help humanitarian non-governmental organizations continue to support millions around the globe.
1. Donate to reputable non-governmental organizations, so you know your money is going to the right places.
International Rescue Committee
2. Stay informed so you can hold your leaders accountable. Know what stance world leaders you support take on foreign aid and foreign policy.
Denmark Introduces New Law Relocating Asylum Seekers Outside Europe
By Julie Chen
On June 3, 2021, Denmark passed a law that authorizes the holding of asylum seekers in countries outside of Europe. In a 70-20 vote, the government approved an amendment to the Danish Aliens Act that allows only the standard quota of refugees, a number which the United Nations establishes, into Denmark, processing the rest elsewhere.
Although the exact details for this procedure are still undetermined, Denmark plans to first partner with other nations. According to Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper, locations in Africa—such as Tunisia, Ethiopia, and Egypt—are likely options for holding asylum seekers outside of Denmark.
If a migrant receives asylum, they only obtain refugee status in their host country but do not automatically reside in Denmark, explained Martin Lemberg-Pedersen, an associate professor at the Centre for Advanced Migration Studies, to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“The idea to externalize the responsibility of processing asylum seekers’ asylum claims is both irresponsible and lacking in solidarity,” said Charlotte Slente, the secretary-general of the Danish Refugee Council. “Similar models, such as the Australian model or the so-called “hotspots’ on the Greek islands, have involved serious incidents of detention, physical assault, slow asylum proceedings, lack of access to health care and lack of access to legal assistance.”
Like Slente, organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) condemn Denmark’s recent initiative. Shabia Mantoo, a spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, said in a statement to Euronews that the UNHCR stands “firmly opposed” to policies that “forcibly transfer asylum seekers to other countries.” To nations who comply with the UNHCR’s Global Compact to follow “greater responsibility sharing,” Denmark’s new plan regarding refugees is like a “slap in the face” according to the director of Human Rights Watch’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Division, Bill Frelick.
The method of processing refugees outside of Europe, although lowering the number of asylum applications, adds additional dangers and uncertainties as well. Nikolas Feith Tan, a researcher at the Danish Institute for Human Rights points out that Denmark’s new law “represents a fundamental shift in how the international protection system works,” and assessing the “legality of something that is so imprecise and unclear” is difficult.
In response, Denmark reiterated that their law concerning asylum seekers can provide a solution to Europe’s migration crisis. At least 20,000 migrants have died since 2013 while voyaging across the mediterranean sea in search of a new life in Europe.
Rasmus Stoklund, a Social Democratic member of Denmark’s parliament and of its Immigration and Integration Committee, pointed out to Euronews that more than 50 percent of refugees did not immediately require asylum, and although Stoklund understands their desire for more opportunities in Europe, he maintains that their motive is not enough to give them a residence permit to stay in Denmark. Stoklund told the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, “If you apply for asylum in Denmark, you know that you will be sent back to a country outside Europe, and therefore we hope that people will stop seeking asylum in Denmark.”
“The incentive structure will be changed if we succeed in establishing such a reception center because migrants come from different places in Africa and Middle Eastern countries, they will probably stop seeking or applying for asylum in Denmark if they know they will be sent out of Europe again,” continued Stoklund to Euronews.
Despite Denmark’s claims, the country has a history with anti-refugee sentiments. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen advocated for Denmark to reach “zero asylum-seekers” during her election campaign vision. Supporting this cause, in 2019, Denmark withdrew residence permits from many Syrian refugees after deeming Damascus and the Syrian region as “safe,” even though Syria still suffered through a civil war.
Denmark has tried to tighten its immigration regulations and procedures in the past, considering the possibility of off-shore refugee centers as well. With more than 20,000 applications to Denmark for asylum in 2015, the total number by 2019 was 2,716 and even plummeted to 1,515 just last year.
Humanitarian organizations such as the UNHCR criticize Denmark’s initiative to relocate asylum seekers and its anti-refugee efforts. “Such practices undermine the rights of those seeking safety and protection, demonize and punish them and may put their lives at risk,” responds Assistant High Commissioner Gillian Triggs.
However, although Denmark has initiated a controversial asylum law, other EU countries are unlikely to follow suit, said Nikolas Feith Tan. He continued to tell Euronews, “Denmark...has opted out of the EU law asylum system. So the fact that Denmark can do this does not mean other EU countries can.”
World Refugee Day Marks Global Recognition of Struggle, Rights of Refugees
By Marin Theis
World Refugee Day is annually celebrated on June 20th, as established by the United Nations. The day raises awareness about the struggles that refugees face on a daily basis and recognizes that refugees are people deserving of the same basic rights as everyone else.
The day of recognition commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the historic Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, which is also known as the 1951 Convention. The 2021 theme for World Refugee Day was “Together we heal, learn, and shine,” according to a UNHCR report. The theme was chosen in order to bring awareness to the struggles refugees face in receiving healthcare, education, and overall happiness.
The UNHCR does an annual donation campaign and distributes the funds to the various efforts that relate to the theme. This year, funds went towards providing education, healthcare, and more sports opportunities to refugees. Signatory countries hold numerous different events celebrating the day. Non-signatory countries do not celebrate World Refugee Day in any official capacity.
On this World Refugee Day, activists highlighted the ways in which non-signatories of the 1951 Convention can do better. According to an article from the Human Rights Watch, countries like Thailand, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia have violated many of the terms of the 1951 Convention that are recognized as international law outside of the convention itself. Activists also recognized the signatory countries that do not abide by the standards of the convention, like Greece and Tanzania.
The 1951 Convention was created after World War II with the intention of protecting European refugees. Because “refugee” was not a legal status during World War II, European refugees were not protected in the countries to which they were forced to flee as a result of the conflict. The 1951 Convention aimed to ensure that refugees would be protected and treated in the same manner as citizens of host countries.
The signing of the 1951 Convention was revolutionary. Prior, refugees were not protected under international law and host countries were not obligated to provide a sufficient quality of life. Refugees were also more easily subject to deportation under far less regulated conditions.
The 1951 Convention protects the rights of refugees to flee their countries and receive a sufficient quality of life in another, safer country. According to the convention, these rights include the right not to be deported except for under strictly defined conditions, the right to work, the right to housing, the right to education, etc.
149 member states of the United Nations signed the 1951 Convention. This group did not include the United States, which refused to ratify it for fear of international obligations. The United States did, however, ratify the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, which outlined procedures for enforcing and carrying out the 1951 Convention.
LGBTQ+ Refugees Continue to Face Unique Challenges Because of Their Identity
By Diya Britto
The prevalence of homophobia and transphobia around the world has caused not only significant challenges for refugees who are part of the LGBTQ+ community, but also has caused LGBTQ+ refugees to flee their home countries in the first place.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, In more than 70 countries, governments have criminalized same-sex relations, and governments have adopted laws that discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. Countries such as El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala fail to protect LGBTQ+ people from violence at the hands of criminal gangs, and there have been many reported incidents of discrimination from government officials and violence from local police. LGBTQ+ individuals also face discrimination with regard to housing, employment, education, health care, and other social services. Even refugees living within refugee camps face discrimination from others. In Kenya’s Kakuma Camp, for example, LGBTQ+ refugees reportedly face degrading comments, frequent harassment, and violence.
According to information provided by the U.S State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, LGBTI individuals may be targeted, harassed, hurt, or even killed in their home countries or country of refuge. They face multiple forms of discrimination that other refugee communities don’t.
During the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the UN first proclaimed that it would protect LGBTQ+ people fleeing violence or persecution. International refugee law states that LGBTQ+ refugees are identified as those who have a fear of persecution because of their gender identity or sexual orientation, however they choose to define it. International law states that specific terms and labels are not needed to identify someone as an LGBTQ+ refugee, especially when their life is in danger.
According to a Discussion Paper from the UNHCR, “The majority of industrialized countries recognize that sexual minorities may be eligible for refugee status under the 1951 convention.” However, “lack of systematic and comprehensive data on the number and types of claims make it difficult to assess the overall recognition rate.”
According to a report from the UN made in 2019, only 37 countries allow asylum for people who face persecution on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Although about 1% of all refugees resettle, fewer than 0.5% of LGBTQ+ refugees ever resettle; LGBTQ+ refugees are about half as likely to resettle as other refugees.
According to a report from The Organization for Refuge, Asylum, and Migration (ORAM), 175,000 LGBTQ+ persons are in peril in their home countries worldwide.
However, according to the UNHCR, reports indicate that some LGBTQ+ persons have no adequate access to information about how and where they can claim asylum. Many individuals feel unsafe approaching the authorities because many are scared that some authoritative figures would be unable or unwilling to help them. In other cases, LGBTQ+ asylum-seekers find it difficult to reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity, and lie about their reasoning for claiming asylum.
In many cases, even when LGBTQ+ refugees escape, they still face discrimination and violence in the very places they seek asylum. Many Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) refuse to help LGBTQ+ asylum-seekers. Other organizations are reluctant to help refugees that are part of the LBGTQ+ community because of the laws in the organizations' countries that criminalize same-sex relationships.
According to the Center for American Progress, in the US, LGBTQ+ people in detention centers are ill-treated and are often deported on the basis of discrimination. Many LGTBQ+ refugees also claim that within their new communities, they experience similar harassment to that which they tried to flee.
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Governments and agencies have a responsibility to pay at least equal attention to LGBTQ+ refugees as they do to other refugees. The process through which asylum-seekers are verified as refugees must be made easily accessible and safe for LGBTI individuals to use. Though the US and Canada are safe places where LGBTI refugees can seek asylum, the refugee admission caps are still very low.
How can you help?
1. Educate
Make sure your home and community are welcoming and safe for all LGBTQ+ people. Educate your community on inclusivity, and make sure attitudes and mindsets of people in your community are understanding
2. Speak Out
Speak out if you see a discriminatory act against a member of the LGBTQ+ community. These acts can be anything from an act of violence or sexual harassment to derogatory comments and verbal abuse. Push figures of authority to ensure a non-discriminatory system of housing, employment, legal work, and finance.
3. Donate
Here are some organizations to which you should donate to support LGBTQ+ refugees:
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LAMDA (Supports LGBTQ+ community in Guatemala)
Humanitarian Workers Face Physical, Mental Risks
By Jade Xiao
According to the data from the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance, in 2008, there were approximately 210,800 humanitarian aid workers (HAWs) serving areas in need around the world. They travel to extreme environments for long durations, often with threats of violence, natural disasters, or public health, and work under stressful conditions, putting their physical and mental health at risk.
While death rates are relatively low, the workers’ physical health is still often at risk due to the frequency of their travel and the locations to which they travel. In the past, the most common causes of death were unintentional injuries, especially vehicle accidents. According to the Elsevier Public Health Emergency Collection, between 1961 to 1983, of 106,539 humanitarian aid workers, 185 died during service and almost 70% of those deaths were due to unintentional injuries. The following two decades showed a decline in death rate: of over 70,000 workers, 66 deaths occurred, and approximately the same percentage of those deaths were the result of fatal accidents.
Morbidity and illnesses are another risk factor. According to a survey by the International Committee of the Red Cross, 36.4% of the workers surveyed reported declining health, and 72.8% reported at least one medical issue during service. Depending on the location of the workers, various infectious diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis, and rabies, are common in communities with which the aides work closely.
In recent years, violent attacks have become a prominent threat as the frequency of the incidents and the resulting casualties has risen dramatically. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that these attacks are mostly concentrated in Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to an article from the United Nations, 2013 marked a record instance of violence towards humanitarian aid workers, with 251 attacks affecting 460 workers. The sudden increase in numbers was caused by the breakdown of political stability and security in countries such as Syria and South Sudan. According to data from the Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD) from the USAID, 2019 marked yet another record number of incidents and victims, with 277 attacks and 483 victims; 125 of the victims were killed, 234 were wounded, and 124 were kidnapped. As of June 2021, according to the statistics from the AWSD, there have been 78 major attacks in 2021 so far.
Humanitarian aid workers’ mental health may be compromised due to the intrinsically stressful work and conditions. The workers constantly encounter and witness military conflict, poverty, natural disasters, direct attacks, and other traumatic events. According Europe’s Journal of Psychology, workers experience job content stressors, which are the demands directly associated with the work, and job context stressors, which are associated with the environment around them. For humanitarian workers, job context stressors cause an accumulation of stress and exacerbates “depression, anxiety, burnout, heavy drinking, secondary traumatic stress, and post traumatic stress disorder.” The CDC states that studies have shown that workers experience increased levels of anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, and depression.
To prevent and reduce the severity of the risks, the non-governmental organizations and other volunteer groups have implemented more thorough screening and support systems for the workers. The world celebrates the sacrifices and the hard work from the tens of thousands of humanitarian aid workers every year on August 19.
You can pay tribute to them by joining the United Nations campaign by using the hashtag #RealLifeHeroes on social media and watching the launch of the project on Wednesday, 19 August 2020, 7pm Eastern Standard Time (New York) at https://www.youtube.com/user/ochafilms.