Leaders, partners, and community members gathered to celebrate the launch of the EMERGE program in Baidoa, a transformative initiative aimed at empowering vulnerable households with sustainable solutions for resilience and growth.

Global Livelihoods Sector Annual Report 2023

This paper outlines World Vision’s multisectoral resilience framework, focusing on agri-food, health, and social protection systems in shaping resilience outcomes.

The weeks following the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon have focused on assessments of the high humanitarian needs and economic costs. The conflict has caused massive destruction, displacing nearly 1.2 million people, with 179,000 still unable to return home due to safety concerns, destroyed infrastructure, and limited access to essential services. Though the number of people in formal shelters has dropped to 6,600, the strain on local communities and infrastructure continues to be overwhelming. The hardest-hit areas include Nabatieh and Tyre, where families with young children and elderly members face prolonged displacement are grappling with severe water shortages, unreliable electricity, and damaged facilities.

The pandemic hit vulnerable families the hardest, including children, women, and people with disabilities. Many struggled with worsening economic and social conditions, leading to poor mental and physical health. Routine vaccinations dropped, and access to healthcare services became more difficult. To address these issues and support the recovery of public health, the organisation has launched its first major healthcare initiative, focusing on strengthening Georgia's health and child protection systems. Family doctors and social workers, were trained on key health topics such as immunisation, Hepatitis, HIV prevention, HPV, TB, and STDs.

This review supports World Vision’s Resilience Framework, highlighting key themes like conflict, COVID-19, climate change, and the HDP nexus in building resilient systems.

In this issue of the West & Central Africa Newsletter, we highlight the remarkable progress accomplished across our programmes throughout the year 2024, looking back on the trials and celebrating the triumphs.

In the last ten days, the conflict in Lebanon has seen intensified attacks across the country. On World Children’s Day, Lebanon mourned the tragic killing of 200 children since the escalation, underscoring the profound human cost of this crisis. Negotiations have resumed in an effort to reach a ceasefire. At the moment, no agreement has been confirmed, and hostilities continue unabated. Amid these negotiations, heavy bombings have escalated to unprecedented levels. Recent airstrikes targeted highly populated neighbourhoods without prior evacuation orders in central Beirut—Basta, Mar Elias, and Zokak el-Blat—areas sheltering internally displaced families. These strikes killed 48 people, injured over 150, and displaced hundreds of families for a second time. In southern Lebanon, entire villages have been destroyed, leaving critical infrastructure—water, sanitation, and electricity systems—completely inoperable. Heavy bombings in Tyre, Baalbek, Hermel and Beirut’s suburbs have further deepened the destruction. Economic and physical damages are now estimated at $8.5 billion, and even with a ceasefire, it will take at least a year of repairs before families can return home. Over 170,000 people face imminent job losses due to the destruction of infrastructure and livelihoods. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, as of 24 November, 3,754 people have been killed, including at least 230 children, and more than 15,626 have been injured.