Conflicts and population displacement
Heal, protect, and rebuild lives.
Context
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of people forcibly displaced from one country to another, or within their own country, has almost doubled in the last ten years; there were 41 million forcibly displaced people in 2010, and the figure had risen to 89.3 million at the end of 2021. This is the highest number ever recorded (Source: UNHCR).
People are considered displaced when they are forced to flee or leave their place of habitual residence – either by crossing an international border or by moving within their own country – because of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, human rights violations or natural disasters.
100 million
people were uprooted worldwide as of May 2022, due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, or events seriously disturbing public order. That number was 89.3 million at the end of 2021.
44%
of the world’s forcibly displaced are in Africa. On this continent, conflicts are causing record levels of displacement, with 36 million people displaced in 2022. (Africa Center for Strategic Studies)
ALIMA's response
Forced displacement causes cycles of vulnerability and is a source of post-traumatic stress. Within informal camps, access to food, water, sanitation, and health care is limited. In several of our countries of operation affected by such situations, ALIMA teams provide medical and nutritional care, deal with pediatric emergencies, and ensure mental health as well as psychosocial support for displaced or refugee populations.
Our activities
Medical-nutritional care
ALIMA treats displaced children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with complications such as malaria, respiratory distress and anemia, and provides them with specialized care to improve their chances of recovery and survival. In addition, teams conduct workshops to educate displaced families on best practices linked to health and nutrition.
Maternal health
Among the displaced populations, pregnant women are particularly vulnerable. For this reason, they have access to free prenatal and postnatal consultations, assisted deliveries and family planning consultations.
Pediatric emergencies
ALIMA’s medical teams take care of children who require immediate care or risk serious consequences for their health or even their lives.
Psychosocial support
To support displaced persons, ALIMA provides psychological first aid, specific care for psycho-trauma, and psycho-stimulation for children.
Vaccination
In addition to routine vaccination, ALIMA conducted vaccination campaigns in IDP camps during the COVID-19 crisis, for example in Mauritania and Chad.
On the ground
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