Increase Humanitarian Assistance to Guinea

International humanitarian assistance to impoverished nations too often depends on political issues and unreliable media attention, resulting in some of the world's most desperate people being denied the aid they truly need to survive.

Guinea's people are among the poorest in West Africa. In addition to the many problems facing the country and its children, HIV/AIDS has increased rapidly in recent years and, if unchecked, will reach epidemic status. The suffering caused by war competes with the many development challenges. Today, in N'Zйrйkorй, a community located in southern Guinea, there are an estimated 10,000 refugee children and youth living on their own, without family support or structure. Many are involved in or extremely vulnerable to exploitative labor situations, commercial sexual work or illegal activities.

Numbers at a Glance:
-By income, Guinea ranks 156th out of 177 countries.
-The average life expectancy is 50 years old.
-The mortality rate of children under 5 is 160 in 1,000 live births.
-Over their lifetimes, women have a one in 18 chance of dying of complications during pregnancies or in childbirth.
-Girls typically spend only six years in school.
-The country is suffering from 30 percent inflation.
-There are approximately 150,000 refugees in southern Guinea.

Organizations such as Save the Children currently operate aid programs focused on education, health services, and child protection in Guinea, but their efforts remain underfunded and under-publicized.

Please spare a moment of your time to sign this petition designed to increase attention on the crisis in Guinea and request increased American support of humanitarian aid to the people of Guinea. Your signature can make a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of families!