Summary

The article discusses the global humanitarian crisis exacerbated by menacing storms, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and calls for a collective rise to provide shelter and aid to the most vulnerable populations.

Abstract

The world is facing a multitude of crises, from natural disasters and conflict to the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These challenges have led to increased instability, inequality, and food insecurity, with the World Poverty Clock indicating a regression in poverty reduction for the first time this century. The article emphasizes the potential for 130 million additional people to face starvation by the end of the year. However, there is hope as individuals and organizations globally are stepping up to combat these issues. Heroic efforts by first responders, healthcare workers, businesses, and humanitarian organizations are making a difference. Innovative approaches, such as shifting production lines, providing food and hygiene education, and manufacturing protective gear, are being implemented, particularly in Lower and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). The article encourages a movement of creativity and artistry to raise awareness and devise local solutions, advocating for massive resource mobilization to areas of greatest need. It concludes with a call to action for unity and generosity in the face of these global challenges.

Opinions

The author believes that the current global crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, pose an unprecedented threat to the most vulnerable populations, potentially reversing decades of progress in international development and humanitarian response.
The article conveys a sense of urgency for the global community to act as a storm shelter for those in harm's way, emphasizing the role of creativity, artistry, and innovation in addressing the crises.
There is an optimistic view that despite the magnitude of the challenges, people of goodwill are rising to the occasion, demonstrating heroism and adaptability in their responses.
The author expresses concern that the impact of COVID-19 could lead to unimaginable horror in nations without sufficient resources or robust health systems, highlighting the potential for a significant increase in global poverty and hunger.
The author commends the efforts of NGO workers, religious and community leaders, and essential service workers who are providing critical support and resources to those in dire straits.
The article suggests that local capacities need to be enhanced and massive resources accelerated to places of greatest need, indicating a belief in the importance of localized solutions and international aid.
A call to action is made for individuals to contribute to the #WeRiseAsOne campaign, supporting vulnerable children and families affected by the coronavirus, reflecting the author's commitment to collective humanitarian efforts.

Humanitarian Affairs

Menacing Storms

How Might We Rise as a Storm Shelter for the Most Vulnerable?

Our world is rippling with crisis.

‪Our societies are ruptured by rampant instability, inequality and insecurity. Conflict and turmoil endlessly roil Yemen, Syria, Somalia, and other soil in Africa and the Middle East.

Infestations range from biblical hordes of locusts by the trillions devouring crops and threatening famines in wide swathes across East Africa, to the far less serious threat of so-called “Murder Hornets” in the Western United States.

Of course the ubiquitous CoronaVirus is writhing around the planet, lashing out at individuals, taking down economies, and overwhelming health systems in Asia, Europe and pockets of the Americas.

Even worse, Covid-19 portends unimaginable horror to be visited upon nations lacking sufficient resources to fight it, the robust health systems to tend to its targets, or the economic resilience at the household level to avoid sheer collapse.

For the first time this Century, the “World Poverty Clock” has ticked backwards. My colleagues in international development and humanitarian response arenas warn that decades of progress are in peril of being wiped off the map, along with the lives and livelihoods of millions.

The head of the World Food Program, David Beasley, has cautioned that upwards of 130 million additional people could be pushed to the brink of starvation by year’s end.

The good news is that people of good will are rising up.

We’ve seen heroic first responders and health care workers don masks and gloves for 18 hour shifts to save lives — or, tragically, serve without benefit of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s), often laying their own lives in the line of duty.

We’ve seen businesses shift production lines to manufacture items meant to preserve health and safety. Grocery and other essential service workers stand in the gap to ensure that our seniors and the rest of us have food on our tables and supplies in our cupboards.

Researchers have kicked into high gear to find a vaccine and a cure. And humanitarian organizations are preparing to stand against the devastating Tsunami-like waves Covid-19 is threatening to unleash upon the most vulnerable children and families on our planet.

Even now, NGO workers, religious and community leaders are stepping into the gap to deliver food items and other provisions to families in dire straits.

We’ve seen people in Lower and Middle Income Countries (LMIC’s) rising with creativity and care, adapting their normal routines and approaches. Community leaders, religious leaders and educators, shifting their location-based programs to mobile response.

This shows up as:

individuals delivering food parcels to families that lack the mobility to get to distribution centres to address food shortages;

hygiene education and hand sanitizers being provided at the local household level; and,

people who have graduated from tailoring courses shifting from clothing to manufacturing protective masks which were previously unavailable in remote locations.

In the face of the rising storms, please keep hope. Keep pressing. The world needs each one of us to rise to the hour and help. With generosity. With courage. In service.

This moment requires a movement of creativity and artistry and beyond to raise awareness, awaken people and advocate for innovative solutions to be devised, local capacities to be enhanced, and massive resources to be accelerated to places of greatest need.

From a song I’m working on with my friends, as we contemplate these storms:

Who knows what troubles we’ll see

But I know that through it all

You still hold the cosmos and me

So stay strong, Take heart Be of good courage And see what brightness Heaven will bring

As we take heart, let’s rise to confront these massive, menacing storm systems as a shelter for those most in harm’s way.

Please check my 90 second video on Twitter about the #WeRiseAsOne Campaign to protect vulnerable children & families from #CoronaVirus

#WeRiseAsOne

(The opinions expressed in this piece are the author’s own, and may not necessarily reflect the views of any other individual, entity or organization referenced herein.)

To make a contribution to Compassion International’s COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund: https://www.compassion.com/ In Canada: www.compassion.ca

Jamie McIntosh is speaker, writer & executive leader in the international humanitarian, development, global surgery & human rights arenas. He holds a Masters degree in International Human Rights Law from Oxford University. To connect with his reflections in poetry & prose: LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram