Crises In Black Countries That Deserve Ukraine Attention

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Aftermath Of War In Amhara Region's Historical Wollo Province

Source: J. Countess / Getty

If you haven’t heard about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, then you’ve probably been living under a rock. Every news outlet in the world has somehow covered the war in Ukraine–and for good reason.

According to the United Nations, 816 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country a month ago. The UN has also estimated more than 3 million refugees have already fled Ukraine.

Although Ukraine gets the majority of the world’s attention, it’s not the only country fighting through a devastating humanitarian crisis–but it’s one of the whitest.

So what about the rest of the world? Here are 5 humanitarian crises happening in Black and brown countries that aren’t getting as much attention as Ukraine. If you haven’t heard of any of these, please use this as a catalyst to get involved. If we Black folks around the world don’t help each other who will?

It’s important to note that we are not comparing the crisis in Ukraine with any other conflicts happening around the world. Our comparisons are geared towards showing how some conflicts get more sympathy and attention than others.

1. Hunger Crisis In Ethiopia

In November 2020 a civil war erupted in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. What began as political turmoil between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front turned into all-out violence and the casualties of war have been immense.

Thousands of Ethiopians have been killed and millions have been forced from their homes as the condition of the country continues to deteriorate. The conflict has also devastated everyday life for Ethiopians.

On top of a dragging war, the country also faces one of its worst locust plagues in the last 25 years. According to the UN, at least 5.2 million people urgently need food support, 3.1 million children are at risk of malnutrition and more than 3 million people do not have access to safe drinking water.

Source: FRED DUFOUR / Getty

2. Cameroonian Civil War

In 2016, a civil war broke out in Cameroon between Cameroon’s military and separatist forces from the Anglophone territories in the Southern Cameroons region of the country. The Cameroonian Civil War, which is also known as the Anglophone Crisis, is an ongoing conflict between Cameroon’s military and separatist forces.

According to Human Rights Watch, the conflict has resulted in 4,000 civilian deaths, more than 712,000 displaced from their homes, and more than 1.3 million people in need of humanitarian aid.

Source: – / Getty

3. Violence In Sudan

For the last 20 years, Sudan has been engulfed in violence.

Since February 2003, the government of Sudan has been in constant conflict with two rebel groups in the Darfur region of the country–the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement.

The genocidal violence in Darfur has been some of the worst this world has ever seen. Hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed during a campaign of ethnic cleansing against non-Arabs in Darfur by Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir. His crimes against humanity were deemed so heinous that he was indicted by the International Criminal Court.

In the past year alone, 420,000 Africans were forced to flee from their homes in the Darfur region, and an estimated 700 people were killed.

Source: STANLEY LOUIS / Getty

4. Dysfunction In Haiti

It seems like every year Haiti is hit with another disaster or crisis. Hurricanes, earthquakes, political assassinations, COVID-19, and a host of other crises have all been at the forefront of Haiti’s dysfunction.

After the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, gang violence and kidnappings have crippled the country. In August 2021 Haiti was hit with a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, which further exacerbated the nation’s problems.

More than 2,100 people were injured and tens of thousands were left without homes.

As Haitians tried to migrate to the U.S. they were met with whips on horseback by U.S. Border Patrol. More than 800,000 Haitians were impacted by the August earthquake.

Source: OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / Getty

5. Jihadist insurgents in The Sahel

The Sahel is a large region of Africa on the southern edge of the Sahara desert. That region consists of many different countries but the main core is Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mauritania.

Over the past 10 years, jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda have terrorized the region. In 2012, jihadist violence in Mali spread to the neighboring countries of Niger and Burkina Faso, resulting in the deaths of thousands and more than 3.5 million people displaced from their homes.

High-profile kidnappings are also the norm in the region. As jihadist groups continue to wreak havoc on the Sahel, humanitarian support is needed now more than ever.