Current

The Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram has been active in northern Nigeria, Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon since 2010. More than two million people have been displaced. Local agriculture has been brought to a standstill. The food situation has deteriorated dramatically.

With its population of around twelve million people, South Sudan is the world’s youngest nation and among the ten countries facing the most severe humanitarian crises worldwide. The country has known no peace since it gained its independence in 2011. Violence, political tension and recurring conflicts have displaced millions of people and destroyed their livelihoods. For many, hunger and hardship are part of everyday life. More than 40% of the population is dependent on food aid. South Sudan is frequently hit by severe floods, which exacerbates the famine in the country.

The violent conflict between Myanmar’s military forces and armed rebel groups has intensified further since 2023. During counter-insurgency operations, the military junta is committing war crimes. Human rights organizations accuse the government and military of serious human rights violations. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for the ruler and military commander Min Aung Hlaing for crimes against humanity in connection with the deportation and persecution of the Rohingya.

In Baden-Baden, the Caritas association runs a residential facility for homeless people facing severe social hardship. Many of them are in poor health – and a growing number also require nursing care. Particularly the medical and nursing care for older people experiencing homelessness is inadequate. This is due to a lack of services addressing their specific needs.

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.