At year's end, a global agenda for compassion

[Guest guest]

At year's end, a global agenda for compassion A humanitarian organization spotlights crises that deserve the world's attention Published 12:00 am PST Monday, December 31, 2007Story appeared in EDITORIALS section, Page B4 Sacramento Bee Print | E-Mail | Comments (0)| Digg it | del.icio.us In a world with many failed states and intractable conflicts, it's all too tempting to turn a blind eye to human beings caught in the crossfire through no fault of their own. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization Doctors Without Borders seeks to

change that with its annual list of forgotten crises – the "Top Ten Most Underreported Humanitarian Stories." We may have short attention spans and "compassion fatigue" in the face of seemingly unresolvable problems, but we can do something to feed the hungry and heal the sick where societies have fallen apart – if we muster the will to do so. • Malnutrition kills about 5 million children under age 5 each year. We know how to prevent these deaths with nutrient-dense, ready-to-use foods (RUFs) – milk- and peanut-based pastes enriched with vitamins and nutrients. But, as Doctors Without Borders points out, "so far these products are only available to a tiny fraction of the severely malnourished children who need them." The organization seeks an "urgent scale-up of RUFs." • Tuberculosis kills 1.6 million people a year, but remains one of

the world's neglected diseases. The most common test was developed in 1882 and detects TB in only half the cases. There have been no advances in drug treatment since the 1960s. A truly effective vaccine is lacking. The need is for research to accelerate development of new vaccines to prevent TB and for new tools to improve diagnosis and treatment. The international goal is to eliminate TB by 2050, as was done with smallpox two decades ago. • Massive displacement of civilians in Somalia, Sri Lanka, Congo, Colombia and the Central African Republic. People driven from their homes in these conflict-ridden countries have little access to food or basic health care. Unfortunately, notes Doctors Without Borders, "the result is that the focus is not necessarily on the most vulnerable and desperate – precisely the people whose stories deserve to be told." • Special cases: Chechnya, Myanmar (Burma), Zimbabwe. People in

Chechnya who had fled conflict between local separatists and Russian forces are beginning to return to their homes. But the security situation is still precarious and basic health services are lacking. Myanmar received international attention when Buddhist monks challenged the repressive government, but the health and food situation for ordinary people has received little attention. This country is headed toward a humanitarian crisis. Zimbabwe, a country of 12 million people with abundant natural wealth, is in a class of its own. It could be the breadbasket of Africa, yet corruption and repression under dictator Mugabe have produced poverty of more than 90 percent. More than 4 million people are in desperate need of food. Basic water and sewer systems have fallen apart, increasing water-borne diseases. Three million people have fled to other countries. The Doctors Without

Borders "forgotten crises" list reminds us that compassion is not just about sympathy; it's about taking action to alleviate suffering or removing its cause. As individuals, we may not be able to end human conflict, but we can do something to help feed the hungry and heal the sick – and expose corruption and repression to put pressure where we can make a difference.