Human Needs

smoke over buildings

In Sudan, volunteers step up to help those caught in the crossfire

While many Sudanese are fleeing the country, most people remain trapped in their homes as food and medical supplies dwindle. In the absence of outside help, neighborhood committees have formed to bring in food and water and to check on people's welfare.

In Sudan, volunteers step up to help those caught in the crossfire
Karolina Daremyan bikes just six weeks after receiving her new prosthetic legs at Shriners Children's Boston.

How a Boston hospital transformed a Ukrainian child’s life

How a Boston hospital transformed a Ukrainian child’s life
The ambiance of the Bab al-Yemen restaurant in Boston adds to a unique dining experience for customers, Apr. 12, 2023.

At Boston’s first Yemeni restaurant, food, community and tradition are on the menu this Ramadan

At Boston’s first Yemeni restaurant, food, community and tradition are on the menu this Ramadan
Smoke rises from a central neighborhood of Khartoum, Sudan, amid intense fighting between armed forces, April 16, 2023.

Fighting between armed forces in Sudan continues amid warnings of wider regional conflict

Fighting between armed forces in Sudan continues amid warnings of wider regional conflict
Vicky sits in a park in Madrid. She’s smiling because her hospice caretakers have arranged for her to fly home to the Dominican Republic to visit her mom and family one last time.

'What I really needed was a hug': Madrid hospice workers make sure the unhoused won't die alone

'What I really needed was a hug': Madrid hospice workers make sure the unhoused won't die alone
Wide view of Almeria in southern Spain.

Migrant farmworkers in Spain living in makeshift encampments have little hope for formal work

Many migrant farmworkers in Spain say they can't afford housing, so they live in makeshift plastic housing near the farms where they work. Local governments have tried to remove these informal settlements and relocate people to shelters far from the farms — but they keep building back.

Migrant farmworkers in Spain living in makeshift encampments have little hope for formal work
Boats carrying mining supplies move along the Uraricoera River in Alto Alegre, Roraima state, Brazil, as some miners leave Yanomami Indigenous territory ahead of expected operations against illegal mining, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. 

Lula declares humanitarian crisis for Brazil's Yanomami territory, cracks down on illegal mining

A humanitarian crisis looms in Brazil's Yanomami territory, where communities have been ravaged by malnutrition, malaria, COVID-19 and widespread illegal mining. Now, the central government is trying to crack down on illegal mining and support these communities after years of neglect.

Lula declares humanitarian crisis for Brazil's Yanomami territory, cracks down on illegal mining
The Singh family in a promotional video for the specially designed Bold Helmets.

This mom couldn’t find sports helmets to accommodate her sons’ Sikh religious requirements, so she designed her own

Many kids' products on the market are not always inclusive or accommodate unique needs — including religious ones. Ontario mother Tina Singh decided to design sports helmets for her three boys that wouldn't compromise their Sikh faith — or their safety.

This mom couldn’t find sports helmets to accommodate her sons’ Sikh religious requirements, so she designed her own
Firefighters and rescue teams search for people in a destroyed building, in Adana, southern Turkey, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023.

How to support relief efforts in Turkey and Syria after deadly quakes

The earthquakes that hit southern Turkey and war-ravaged northern Syria on Monday have killed over 12,000 people, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue crews race against time to save people trapped beneath rubble.

How to support relief efforts in Turkey and Syria after deadly quakes
Haitians line up outside an immigration office as they wait their turns to apply for a passport, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 10, 2023.

‘Haiti has zero elected officials’ as cholera, gang violence persist, journalist says

As of Monday, Haiti no longer has any democratically elected government officials, after the terms for the remaining senators in government expired. Journalist Widlore Mérancourt, editor-in-chief of AyiboPost, discusses the worsening situation with The World's host Marco Werman.

‘Haiti has zero elected officials’ as cholera, gang violence persist, journalist says
A hospital worker carries a tray of medicine at a government-run hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan doctors say the country can't survive on donated drugs forever

Sri Lanka imports at least 80% of its drugs and medical supplies, and the economic crisis has left it with inadequate foreign reserves to pay for them.

Sri Lankan doctors say the country can't survive on donated drugs forever
A Posh Club performer leads club-goers in a conga-line.

Dancing away the loneliness: In the UK, social prescriptions help fight isolation during the pandemic

Social prescriptions are relatively common in the United Kingdom, especially to treat loneliness and isolation. When these conditions were exacerbated by the pandemic, the UK already had a strategy in place to help those who need it most, including the elderly.

Dancing away the loneliness: In the UK, social prescriptions help fight isolation during the pandemic
Woman carry jerry cans filled with water at Kuresyon village in Galkayo, Somalia.

Drought, high temps in Somalia are pushing people to move to other towns

Somalia is facing a devastating drought after two years without rain. It's the worst drought to hit the Horn of Africa in 40 years. And it's pushing many people to leave their hometowns in search of better sustenance.

Drought, high temps in Somalia are pushing people to move to other towns
Refugees wait to travel back to Ukraine from the train station in Przemysl, southeastern Poland

Ukraine: The humanitarian catastrophe

As part of our regular series of conversations with Harvard University’s T.H. Chan’s School of Public Health, The World’s reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Michael VanRooyen, director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, about the dire situation and the multiple health risks that refugees from Ukraine, and from around the world, face. VanRooyen is also the chairman of Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (@HHI).

Ukraine: The humanitarian catastrophe
Ukrainian refugees wait for a transport at the central train station in Warsaw, Poland

Discussion: Ukraine: The humanitarian catastrophe

Nearly 4 million people have fled the war in Ukraine in the largest exodus that Europe has seen since World War II. Those still in the country are faced with a faltering healthcare system. As part of our regular series of conversations with Harvard University’s T.H. Chan’s School of Public Health, The World’s reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Michael VanRooyen, director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, about the dire situation.

Discussion: Ukraine: The humanitarian catastrophe