Why so many humanitarian crises are ‘forgotten’, and 5 ideas to change that
The New HumanitarianJan 16, 2023
Report: Africa Dominates List of 'Most Neglected' Displacement Crises
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The Facts
The Norwegian Refugee Council said on Monday in an annual report that nine African countries were among the world's top 10 most neglected displacement emergencies in 2023.
Burkina Faso has topped the list for the second straight year, struggling with around 2M internally displaced people, most of whom the humanitarian organization claims have no access to relief resources.
The Spin
Narrative A
Major humanitarian crises in Africa tend to receive insufficient media attention — meaning that it's harder to fund humanitarian aid due to the lack of public awareness. Journalists and editors can help change that by covering under-reported crises and not relying exclusively on a narrow range of institutional sources. This will help to secure more robust support from the global community.
Narrative B
Africa has long been marred by forced displacement crises, as internal conflicts keep destroying the future of the continent. Whether the international community neglects such crises or deploys ineffective peacekeeping operations, it's ultimately up to African nations themselves to build more capacity to prioritize conflict prevention and resolution.