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“A child dies every 10 minutes” – war in Ukraine diverting attention from other world crises

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As the ongoing crisis in Ukraine continues, families are struggling to bring food to the table during the holy month of Ramadan in the Middle East and North Africa.

Juliette Touma, from UNICEF focusing Middle East and North Africa joined ticker earlier.

Six weeks into the war in Ukraine, the fragile nutritional status of children in the Middle East and North Africa is expected to worsen.

While Muslims in the region observe the holy month of Ramadan, disruption in imports caused by the conflict is creating food shortages amid high prices of essential commodities, including wheat, edible oils, and fuel.

If this continues, it will severely impact children, especially in Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Yemen; some are hunger hotspots according to recent assessments undertaken prior to the Ukraine crisis, as those countries were already struggling with conflicts, economic crises, or a sharp increase in global food prices in 2021.

“Definitely during the COVID 19 pandemic, we have seen in this region, interruptions to the supply chain, and that impacted the availability but also the prices of basic food items,” Juliette told ticker.

“In addition to that, we have high poverty levels and the high unemployment due to conflicts but also due to the pandemic. And now with crisis in the Ukraine, this has certainly impacted the situation even further,” she continues.

“In a place like Yemen, we do know that a child dies every 10 minutes due to preventable causes, including malnutrition. So the risk and the fear is that malnutrition among children in these two countries, is indeed going to increase.”

The ripple effect of the continuing war in Ukraine is compounding the impacts of two long years of the COVID-19 pandemic on economies, employment and poverty in the MENA region, where more than 90 per cent of food is imported.

Many countries have already been struggling with child malnutrition, especially due to ongoing armed conflicts and humanitarian crises.

“when you have more conflicts, that means that the attention is diverted,”

Juliette tells TICKER

“And this is a fear, of course that we have at UNICEF. So I mean, the best solution for all of us and the world is for these crisis to come to an end for these wars to come to an end as soon as possible. We don’t need more wars in this region. We don’t need more conflicts around the world. And certainly we do hope that all these wars will come to an end as soon as possible also for the sake of children wherever they are in this in this world.”

QUICK FACTS
  • Only 36 per cent of young children in the region are receiving the diets they need to grow and develop in a healthy way;
  • The region is home to high rates of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. On an average, nearly one in five children is stunted while the average wasting rate is 7 per cent.

In the MENA countries most impacted by the war in Ukraine, undernutrition rates are higher.

  • In Yemen, 45 per cent of children are stunted and over 86 per cent have anaemia;
  • In Sudan, 13.6 per cent of children suffer from wasting, 36.4 per cent are stunted and nearly half have anaemia;
  • In Lebanon, 94 per cent of young children are not receiving the diets they need, while over 40 per cent of women and children under the age of five have anaemia;
  • In Syria, only one in four young children get the diets they need to grow healthy. The price of the average food basket has nearly doubled in 2021 alone.

UNICEF works with partners to deliver and scale-up lifesaving treatment services for children with severe wasting in conjunction with its early detection in children under five years old.

Simultaneously, with partners, UNICEF delivers preventive nutrition services including micronutrient supplements, growth monitoring and counselling and support on breastfeeding and age-appropriate complementary feeding.

“what we’re calling for at UNICEF is for concerted efforts, so that we can all work together to provide children with with malnutrition, with the assistance they need, because it’s a sort of an illness, at some point, it becomes a sort of an illness,” Juliette says.

“We need to provide children with the micronutrients that they need, we need to do assessments early on, so that we identify and detect malnutrition among children early on,

“And we need more assistance to come to these countries, including the delivery of the supplements, but also of basic foods and basic medicine so that we avert more children from going hungry and more children from falling ill with malnutrition.”

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Resilience and positivity: Emmilia O’Sullivan’s inspiring health journey

Emilia O’Sullivan’s inspiring journey highlights resilience in overcoming life-threatening health challenges and her mission to help others.

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Emmilia O’Sullivan’s inspiring journey highlights resilience in overcoming life-threatening health challenges and her mission to help others.

In Short

Emmilia O’Sullivan, an award-winning author, has faced severe health challenges since childhood but remains resilient and determined to inspire others through her book, podcast and beyond. She emphasises a positive mindset and actively engages with her medical team while supporting her family during her journey.

Emmilia O’Sullivan, an award-winning author, shared her journey through numerous health challenges starting from childhood.

Born with kidney disease, she had a kidney removed by age two and lived on one kidney until major complications arose at seventeen, requiring a bladder reconstruction and a kidney transplant at twenty-one.

However, shortly after her transplant, she faced a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at twenty-two. Following remission, she discovered rare EBV-driven smooth muscle tumors.

Over the years, Emmilia dealt with various medical issues, including a tumour requiring a craniotomy and a severe bout of sepsis that led to a coma.

Despite these obstacles, Emmilia demonstrates remarkable resilience, emphasising a positive mindset and a strong desire to survive. She actively engages with her medical team, focusing on treatments and timelines, determined to keep moving forward.

Her support system includes her husband and family, and she also plays a reassuring role for them despite her struggles.

Emmilia views her health challenges not as defining elements but as aspects of her life alongside her ambition to inspire younger individuals facing similar issues.

Through her book, & podcast she aims to provide guidance and support for others.

You can find her podcast on social media platforms and her website, ammeliaosullivan.com. Emmilia’s story is a testament to fighting spirit and the pursuit of life goals despite adversity.

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Mental health services in Australia face funding and access crisis

Mental health support needs increased funding and resources to combat stigma and ensure affordability in Australia.

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Mental health support needs increased funding and resources to combat stigma and ensure affordability in Australia.

In Short

Demand for mental health support is rising in Australia, hindered by affordability, resource shortages, and stigma. Shehara Fernando, CEO of Crowned Cross Healthcare, calls for equal prioritisation of mental health services and systemic changes to improve access and reduce stigma.

The demand for mental health support continues to rise as affordability, resource shortages, and societal stigma present significant hurdles.

Shehara Fernando, founder and CEO of Crowned Cross Healthcare, highlighted the pressing need to prioritise mental health services on par with physical health care in Australia. High out-of-pocket costs hinder access, with current Medicare rebates often inadequate for ongoing therapy and specialised treatment.

Resource shortages, particularly of psychologists and psychiatrists, must be addressed through increased training of healthcare professionals and the expansion of telehealth options, which can reach rural populations effectively. Fernando emphasised the need for tailored services for diverse groups facing unique mental health challenges.

Overcoming societal stigma, especially among men, remains critical. Statistics reveal only 15% of Australian men with mental health conditions seek help, with a substantial number dropping out of treatment. Fernando urged public figures to speak openly about mental health, fostering an environment where seeking help is seen as a sign of strength.

Crowned Cross Healthcare aims to deliver quality mental health services and encourages individuals to connect through their website and social media for support and resources. More systemic changes and discussions are vital for improving mental health care access.

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Hamas agrees to release Israeli hostages after Trump issues ultimatum amid ceasefire uncertainty

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Trump and Netanyahu warn of renewed conflict if hostages are not freed by deadline.

Hamas has confirmed it will release three more Israeli hostages as originally planned, reversing an earlier threat to delay their release.

The terror group had warned that it would withhold the captives unless Israel provided compensation for what it claimed were unmet entitlements.

However, under mounting international pressure, Hamas has agreed to proceed with the release.

The announcement comes amid growing tensions, as both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump have made it clear that a failure to release all remaining hostages by Saturday at noon could result in the collapse of the current ceasefire.

Trump, during a press conference, stated that if the deadline is not met, Israel should “cancel it and … let hell break out.”

Netanyahu echoed similar sentiments, reinforcing that Israel would take decisive action if Hamas did not comply.

In a recent meeting, Trump and Netanyahu also discussed the possibility of resettling Palestinians outside of Gaza and even suggested U.S. control over the region—a proposal that has sparked debate among international leaders.

Josh Hasten a Middle East correspondent for JNS, and the co-host of the JNS podcast “Jerusalem Minute” joins Veronica Dudo to discuss.

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