Welcome to Eureka Street

back to site

Keywords: Humanitarian

  • INTERNATIONAL

    In Laos, war isn't over even when its over

    • Melody Kemp
    • 04 October 2024

    By the time the last American bombs had fallen in 1973, Laos had attained the dubious title as the most heavily bombed country in the world per capita. An estimated 270 million bombs were dropped on this small country, 80 million of which remain unexploded. 

    READ MORE
  • AUSTRALIA

    When safetyism leads

    • Julie Szego
    • 07 June 2024

    In response to campus protests, universities erred on the side of free speech when every other day, the prevailing ethos is one of ‘safetyism’, namely suppressing speech or inquiry if an identity group frames it as ‘harmful’ to them. Universities should strive to be uncomfortable and ‘unsafe’ for all, with no identity immune from robust scrutiny.

    READ MORE
  • INTERNATIONAL

    Famine looms in Sudan as conflict enters its second year

    • Kirsty Robertson
    • 30 April 2024

    One year after civil war erupted, Sudan has become one of the world’s worst humanitarian tragedies with around 5 million people experiencing emergency levels of hunger. This puts Sudan on the brink of famine. Sudanese leaders claim this is the crisis the world has forgotten.

    READ MORE
  • INTERNATIONAL

    When helpers become victims

    • Joe Zabar
    • 16 April 2024
    1 Comment

    When a missile strike in Gaza killed seven aid workers, it sparked global outrage and demands for accountability and raised questions around the protection of those who risk everything to provide aid in zones of conflict. 

    READ MORE
  • INTERNATIONAL

    Myanmar is in a struggle for its life

    • Anonymous
    • 20 March 2024
    3 Comments

    The Myanmar civil war has left the country devastated. Three years since a military coup, Myanmar is a humanitarian catastrophe. With over 2.7 million people displaced, the UN reported that 18.6 million people need humanitarian aid, 6 million of whom are children. A report from our correspondent in Myanmar.

    READ MORE
  • AUSTRALIA

    Best of 2023: How Australia's asylum seeker policy has evolved over thirty years

    • Kerry Murphy
    • 04 January 2024

    Throughout recent decades of Australian history, the stance every government has taken on asylum seekers has reflected the shifting political landscapes and challenging humanitarian issues that have continually shaped Australia's response to those seeking refuge. 

    READ MORE
  • AUSTRALIA

    Three steps back and one step forward: Three decades of asylum seekers in Australia

    • Kerry Murphy
    • 28 July 2023

    How has Australia's asylum seeker policy changed over the past thirty years? The approach of every government has reflected the shifting political landscapes and challenging humanitarian issues that have continually shaped Australia's response to those seeking refuge. 

    READ MORE
  • INTERNATIONAL

    No time to wait to protect vulnerable lives in Sudan

    • Stephen Cornish
    • 28 June 2023

    In Sudan, longstanding political unrest and economic instability have culminated in a dire humanitarian crisis. With healthcare systems collapsing, incessant violence, and severe shortages, the country is grappling with escalating internal displacement and hosting over a million refugees. 

    READ MORE
  • AUSTRALIA

    For every silver lining there’s a cloud for refugees in Australia

    • Kerry Murphy
    • 05 April 2022
    3 Comments

    Recently the Government announced a special visa program for Ukrainians fleeing the war in their home country. The desperate situation in the Ukraine has dominated news for the last month, and already many tens of thousands of Ukrainians have fled their country seeking safety in nearby countries like Poland, Hungary and Rumania. Whilst Ukrainian migration to Australia is relatively small numerically, the response was quick and seemingly generous — a three-year visa with Medicare and work rights.

    READ MORE
  • INTERNATIONAL

    Ukraine requires inclusive humanitarian response

    • David Treanor
    • 28 March 2022
    5 Comments

    As this conflict unfolds, many governments commit necessary life-saving support for vulnerable people. However, these measures may not reach all citizens and groups, at least equitably. These include frail aged persons, children traveling without parents and those who live an intellectual and developmental disability (IDD).

    READ MORE
  • AUSTRALIA

    When ‘Good Refugees’ are admitted

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 21 March 2022
    12 Comments

    While Australia has developed into a multi-ethnic, cosmopolitan state based on immigration and humanitarian intakes, the country has never gotten away from the sense that some are simply more welcome than others. Be they migrants, refugees, or asylum seekers, preferential treatment abounds.

    READ MORE
  • INTERNATIONAL

    In the shadow of SIEV-X

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 01 November 2021
    38 Comments

    Two decades ago, an Indonesian vessel given the name SIEV X sank with loss of life that should have caused a flood of tears and a surge of compassion. Instead of being seen in humanitarian terms, the deaths of 353 people became a form of rich political capital, placed in the bank of opportunism to be amortised at a federal election.

    READ MORE