News report

News Report
By:steph p
Impact of War and Conflict on Humans and their Environment

Today there is sad news in the International Community. Physical, psychological, health, displacement, education, and gender specific violence…these are all of the things that negatively affected by the war. There are 17 countries with over 100,000 people infected with AIDS orphans and 13 of these countries are in conflict. In 2001 more than half of the outbreaks of infectious diseases came from conflicted areas. Young mothers in war zones have to look after their displaced families on their own if the father dies and he acts as a soldier. They don’t have someone to help them with the chores or to clean up after a meal, if there is enough food for a meal that is. They don’t have protection that they need. Tens of thousands of people flee from the horrific fighting in the Congo (E-DRC). Children have to carry children, elderly, and the ill on their backs to safety. Children are forced to grow up before their times and accept that if they are meant to die this young that they will. War zones have more infant mortality rates, premature births, and birth defects. If these were your children how would you feel? Who would you want to help? People affected by war need urgent help from the international community. People are malnourished. Many people are hungry and do not know when their next meal will be or where they have to go next. How would you feel if you lost all possessions and properties you thought no one could take from you? World Vision visited their headquarters at the Kibumba region. During their visit they heard rapid gunfire close by. The heavily armed men were always stationed at the doors to keep guard. A full army vehicle rushed by the headquarters towards the closest town, inside was a wounded soldier. Armed conflict causes homelessness, unemployment, and deep physical trauma. Some of the internally displaced persons who made it to Kanyaruchina area were sweating, exhausted and hungry, but hopes were high and they were glad to be safe. World Vision was responsible for the movement of an elderly man with Tuberculosis to the safe haven of Goma because he was unable to walk that far. Soldiers limped with bandages by their blood drenched uniforms that were hung to air dry. World Vision distributed milk in the Congo behind enemy lines in November 2008. Mothers bring their children to get nutritious milk in hopes that they can care for their children. They hope after the conflict ends that there will be less malnutrition. In countries with malnutrition and disease the death rates from armed conflict can rise up to 24X what they were.(Especially children under the age of 5.) Rape is used as an ethnic cleansing. The women are forced to become “wives.” They must do chores and can be raped at any given time. In Uganda 8 year old girls are being kidnapped and trained to fight or forced into domestic and sex slavery. The impact of war on people is so tremendous that we must keep peace and stop the wars all together. The innocent people who are affected by wars suffer the most I believe. They have no choice in anything that goes on in their environment and are commonly forced to flee. I don’t believe this is just and it is up to us to help change the situations.