UNA-Canada Fact Sheets > The UN and Humanitarian Assistance

Refugees

The plight of refugees fleeing war has always been a problem, but the situation as become severe during the last 50 years. Today, there are an estimated 16 million to 20 million people who have fled international conflict, civil war and famine.

The responsibility for caring for these refugees falls on Sadako Ogata, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). It is a burden that is becoming more and more difficult to carry as the numbers of refugees climb, mainly due to regional conflicts and natural disasters. The greatest burden often falls on developing countries close to the conflict, which cannot support the mass intervention required to save refugees from starvation and disease. Developed countries spend billions of dollars per year on refugee support. There are currently some 19 million refugees, primarily women and children who are receiving food, shelter, medical aid, education and repatriation assistance from the UN.

Health

At the forefront of international health security is the World Health Organization (WHO), which has built an enviable reputation in dealing with public health problems throughout the world.

In 1980, WHO efforts resulted in the eradication of smallpox. WHO has also set a goal of eliminating iodine deficiency disorderswhich threaten an estimated one billion people by the year 2000 and polio is expected to be wiped out by that year.

WHO is also involved in efforts to improve drinking water supplies and sanitation services, and in programs to vaccinate children, prevent diarrhea and reduce parasitic diseases. One of the largest health programs ever launched is the WHO effort to prevent the spread of AIDS and deal with its after-effects, which often impact on whole populations in developing countries.

Polio, tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria and tuberculosis still kill more that eight million children each year. In 1974, only 5% of children in developing countries were vaccinated: today there is an 80% immunization rate due to the efforts of WHO and UNICEF, saving three million children yearly.

Emergency Food Aid

Over two million tons of food are distributed each year by the World Food Programme (WFP) - nearly 30 million people facing acute food shortages benefited from this assistance in 1994. Canada has been one of the top two multilateral contributors of food aid in the world for many years. Countries which have received food aid recently include Somalia, Liberia, the former Yugoslavia, Haiti and several in Southern Africa.

Disaster Relief

The Department of Humanitarian Affairs was created in 1992 to help the UN become more effective in coordinating emergency disaster assistance. The UN focuses on early warning, prevention and preparedness. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has saved millions of people from the effects of natural and man-made disasters through its early warning system, which uses satellites and surface monitors. For example, the system enabled countries to respond to the effects of the South African drought in 1992 and tracks oil spills and other environmental damage on an on-going basis.