Published on 15th August 2023.
Being a humanitarian is a unique thing in our world. It is an act of putting others before yourself in order to make their lives better. Humanitarians are natural givers and that giving is not focused solely on monetary means, but by providing services, products, or simply their time in an effort to improve the lives of others. There are a wide range of humanitarians in our world, and it is their group effort that often makes a way for others to live a more enjoyable life. However, recent economic challenges have changed the face of humanitarian giving in many ways. So, where are humanitarians focusing their giving in 2023?
Natural Disaster Relief
Natural disasters can happen anywhere, at any time. When you find yourself in the midst of the aftermath of a hurricane, flood, tornado, or even in the throws of severe drought, resources are tremendously difficult to find. Place yourself in the shoes of someone who has not only lost their home, but has nowhere to shop for necessary supplies and may have even lost family members during the process. It is a sad and lonely place and keep in mind, there are approximately 6,800 natural disasters that occur around the world each year. If it were not for humanitarian efforts, these people would likely starve or be forced to move far from their home.
In 2023, humanitarians are giving more to these natural disasters. Humanitarian organizations and individuals may even take action before a natural disaster takes place. Intense focus in the humanitarian world is given to preparing for the potential for deployment of necessary funds and supplies in the event of a natural disaster. Essentials such as non-perishable food and water are a given, but they also take clothing, tents, blankets, battery powered lanterns, and a variety of other things to help make those affected just a little bit more comfortable while their rebuild their communities.
Medical Treatment
Did you know there are anywhere from 10 to 15 million doctors practicing across the globe. That is an impressive number for certain, but keep in mind, there are over 8 billion people on the planet. If you do the math, the number of doctors is a mere fraction of the population and ensuring that doctors are available in all areas is almost an impossible feat. However, humanitarians continue to work with doctors to provide much needed medical attention to nations that would normally not have access to medical professionals.
Although there are plenty of humanitarian focused organizations that deploy doctors to physical locations, technology can help as well. Not all ailments require a complete physical examination. Telehealth is a way for doctors to see patients from anywhere to diagnose an issue. Specialists can be brought in for consultations when a doctor is not available. Telehealth has become one of the most beneficial medical opportunities for developing countries, so more humanitarians are focusing their attention on bringing the technology to underdeveloped areas. Technology can also allow for life saving medical treatments to be flown in via drones without having to deploy an entire plane.
Education
Education has not always been the focus of humanitarian giving. It was once thought that certain individuals lacked the capacity to learn. Women, children, and foreigners were drastically diminished in their ability to find quality education. Thankfully, those old school thoughts are in the past, for the most part.
Humanitarians are now realizing that the capacity to learn is within all and have even, according to some organizations, classified education as a human right. Therefore, efforts to educate from a very young age are strong. Schools in countries that have never had an organized education system are being empowered with the ability to learn.
Teachers are being deployed to underdeveloped areas to educate children to help them ultimately, bring a brighter future to their respective communities. Not only are educators physically teaching at these locations, but through the internet as well. Internet based education programs have skyrocketed in the past few years thanks to humanitarian efforts in bringing technology to countries in Africa, India, and other nations that have, in the past, been overlooked by the need for educational opportunities.
Technology
There is one common denominator in all three of the above humanitarian giving areas. Technology! Improving technology in 2023 has been a true focus in the humanitarian world. We can clearly see that by providing communication through the internet to underdeveloped nations we can provide medical care and education, but what about humanitarian relief for natural disasters? How does technology play into that?
Actually, it plays a very big part. Technology allows those rebuilding communities to see how the disaster affected ground structure. Penetrating radar can detect weak spots that may have formed beneath the community allowing engineers to know where to build new structures. Speaking of structures, technologies such as 3D printing can even completely build a 3D printed home in a matter of days. Both entities help to build communities back much faster and ward off the potential for increased homelessness.
2023 has been a year about rebuilding what was lost in previous years. Although we are in strange economic times, giving is essential to rebuilding what we have lost and thanks to humanitarian efforts throughout the world, we can expect to see a much brighter future.
