Children starve in refugee camp as USAID cuts bite – CNN

Report on the Impact of USAID Funding Reductions on Sustainable Development Goals in Refugee Crises

Discrepancies in Mortality Impact Assessments

Contradictory statements have emerged regarding the consequences of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding cuts on vulnerable populations. This discrepancy has significant implications for the achievement of global development targets.

• An official position, articulated by US Senator Marco Rubio, asserts that no fatalities have occurred as a direct result of the aid reductions.
• In contrast, a scientific study published in The Lancet projects a catastrophic outcome, estimating 14 million deaths within the next five years if the funding cuts are maintained. This forecast represents a severe setback for SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

Humanitarian Conditions in Refugee Settlements: A Case Study

The impact of reduced international aid is acutely observed in refugee camps globally. Conditions are reportedly deteriorating, with the world’s largest camp in Cox’s Bazar serving as a critical example. This settlement shelters one million Rohingya refugees who have fled persecution, a situation that highlights challenges related to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Field reports include personal testimonies that illustrate the human cost of inadequate resources. One account details a mother attributing the death of her seven-year-old daughter to the lack of available medical assistance within the camp, a direct failure to provide for basic health needs as outlined in SDG 3.

Key Sustainable Development Goals at Risk

The reduction in humanitarian aid places several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in jeopardy for refugee populations.

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: This goal is most immediately threatened. The combination of projected mass mortality from scientific studies and reported deaths due to insufficient medical care underscores a critical failure to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.
2. SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Refugee camps are epicenters of extreme poverty and food insecurity. Aid cuts directly undermine the provision of essential sustenance and support, pushing these vulnerable communities further from achieving basic living standards.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The policy disproportionately affects marginalized groups, such as refugees, exacerbating the inequality in access to healthcare, food, and safety between them and other global populations.

1. SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues

   The article highlights issues that are directly and indirectly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals. The primary focus is on health and the well-being of a vulnerable population, but the underlying causes and consequences touch upon broader development challenges.

   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

     This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The text explicitly discusses death and lack of healthcare. The mention of a “7-year-old daughter who died”, the mother’s claim of a “lack of medical help in the camp,” and the Lancet study’s prediction of “14 million deaths” all point directly to a failure to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for the Rohingya refugees.

   • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

     The article focuses on the plight of the “Rohingya minority refugees” sheltering in Cox’s Bazar after “fleeing persecution.” This identifies them as a marginalized and vulnerable group facing extreme inequality in access to basic services like healthcare compared to other populations. The crisis underscores the need to address inequalities within and among countries, particularly for refugees and persecuted minorities.

   • SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

     The root cause of the situation is mentioned as the refugees “fleeing persecution in Myanmar.” This points to a failure of peace, justice, and strong institutions in their home country. Furthermore, the worsening conditions and lack of medical help in the refugee camp can be seen as a failure of international institutions to protect vulnerable populations displaced by conflict and persecution.

   • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

     The article’s premise revolves around the impact of “USAID cuts.” This directly relates to the role of international cooperation and global partnerships in achieving sustainable development. The potential for millions of deaths resulting from these cuts highlights the critical importance of official development assistance and international aid in supporting vulnerable populations and achieving global goals.

2. Specific Targets Identified

   Based on the article’s content, several specific SDG targets can be identified as being directly relevant to the crisis described.

   • Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age

     While the child mentioned was 7 years old, her death from a preventable cause (implied by the “lack of medical help”) is indicative of a broader crisis in child mortality. The conditions described suggest that preventable deaths of children, including those under 5, are a severe problem in the camp.

   • Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services

     The mother’s statement blaming her daughter’s death on a “lack of medical help in the camp” is a direct reference to the failure to achieve this target for the refugee population. It shows a clear gap in access to essential healthcare services for the one million Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar.

   • Target 17.2: Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments

     The article’s central theme of “USAID cuts” and the subsequent dire predictions directly address this target. It highlights the consequences when a developed country reduces its official development assistance, undermining efforts to support vulnerable communities and achieve global development goals.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied

   The article does not cite official SDG indicator codes, but it provides qualitative and quantitative data that can serve as proxies or direct measures for progress (or lack thereof) towards the identified targets.

   • Indicator for Target 3.2 (Child Mortality)

     The death of the “7-year-old daughter” serves as a powerful anecdotal indicator of high child mortality rates. More broadly, the Lancet study’s prediction of “14 million deaths in the next five years” is a large-scale, forward-looking indicator of a catastrophic increase in mortality rates, which would include child mortality, if aid cuts persist.

   • Indicator for Target 3.8 (Health Service Coverage)

     The phrase “lack of medical help” is a direct qualitative indicator of poor health service coverage. It implies that the proportion of the population in the camp covered by essential health services is critically low, failing to meet the standards of universal health coverage.

   • Indicator for Target 17.2 (Development Assistance)

     The mention of “USAID cuts” is a direct, albeit non-numeric, indicator related to official development assistance. It signifies a reduction in the financial resources provided by a major donor country, which can be measured as a decrease in the net official development assistance as a proportion of the donor’s gross national income.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators (Mentioned or Implied in the Article)
   SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage and access to quality essential health-care services.	– The death of a 7-year-old child. – Prediction of 14 million deaths from a Lancet study. – Stated “lack of medical help in the camp.”
   SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of race, ethnicity, origin, etc.	– The specific focus on the “Rohingya minority refugees” who are sheltering after “fleeing persecution.”
   SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.	– The context of refugees “fleeing persecution in Myanmar.”
   SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals	Target 17.2: Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments.	– The specific mention of “USAID cuts.”

Source: cnn.com