Bright spots of an eventful year - Annual Report 2020
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The earthquake in Albania in November 2019 hit the country hard. But it was only to be the harbinger of a much bigger, more long-lasting crisis: Covid-19 has changed the whole world. Once again, it is the poorest countries that suffer the most from the consequences.
For example, we learned from our women's shelter Vive Žene in Bosnia and Herzegovina that 51% of the clients felt excessive fear during the pandemic: They associated the restrictions with the deprivation of wartime. Domestic violence increased dramatically: both our partner organisations and the recently published UNFPA World Population Report estimate that the number of registered cases increased by 20% in the pandemic year. This figure is frighteningly high. The number of unreported cases will be much higher. It is a sad consequence of the sanitary crisis - and yet remains only an interim conclusion. It will take time to get over the acute pandemic phase. The world's population will suffer the economic and social consequences for a long time to come.
This is not very encouraging news. And thus exactly the opposite of what we wish for now: Good news and cheerful prospects. However, we should not let ourselves be distracted by this sombre picture. Instead, read for yourself in our Annual Report 2020 about what we have achieved and what we have accomplished. It is remarkable how energetically our partner organisations and we have mastered the past year. Covid-19 may have shaken our foundations, but it did not break our commitment. More than ever, our work is needed. Thank you for allowing us to count on you on our path towards a more just, violence-free world for women and children!
