Current

Lebanon is currently facing a severe financial and economic crisis, which is being exacerbated by the recent escalation in violence between the Hezbollah militia and the Israeli military. While a traditionally weak government and poor economic indicators have plagued the country for some time now, the situation has deteriorated dramatically since 2019.

Bloody conflicts have played out in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for decades now. Particularly North Kivu has been a crisis hotspot since the first wave of refugees arrived in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The situation in the province escalated again sharply in 2022 when the fighting between armed rebel groups (most notably, the M23 movement) and the government forces intensified again.

The food bank (Tafel) in Baden-Baden is struggling to cope with a sudden surge in demand. The waiting time for food bank eligibility is currently more than three months, with a waiting list of 200–250 people.

Okhmatdyt hospital in Kyiv is the largest medical facility in Ukraine specialising in the treatment of children. It provides a wide range of medical services, including surgery, cancer treatment, intensive care and organ transplants. Besides the 18,000 children treated annually at the 720-bed hospital, about 20,000 children receive emergency care in its trauma centre.

The conflict between Hamas and Israel has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis. 2.2 million people in the Gaza Strip are currently facing extreme hardship. 1.9 million children, women and men have been forced to leave their homes and urgently need assistance.

Droughts and widespread flooding are regular occurrences in Eastern Ethiopia. Such extreme weather events are also on the rise. These lead to failed harvests and the loss of livestock. Those who live from agriculture and cattle farming are no longer able to stockpile supplies to survive the next drought like they once could.

Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world (ranked 174 out of 189 in HDI 2022). Those particularly affected by the unfavourable living conditions are children with physical or intellectual disabilities. Many disabled children are killed or abandoned when they fail to meet the traditional expectations of a newborn.