The profound demographic changes that the Arab region has experienced during the past few decades have led to slow, albeit noteworthy increase in the proportion of older people, which will inevitably place heavy burdens on families who are assumed the responsibility in providing care for its older members. Although there has been much research about elderly caregiving issues in other regions around the world, less is known about aging family member caregiving, the challenges that family member caregivers face in the Arab region, and the facilities provided for family support to the elderly and to the caregivers themselves. Thus, the purposes of this study are to gain an overview of the current situation of ageing and elderly family member caregiving in the Arab region; to address the challenges family caregivers face, such as necessary skills and knowledge, communication, cultural issues, health, financial burdens and enhancement of quality of life in association with their care-giving role. These challenges can negatively impact the quality of life for the caregiver and the care receiver. The importance of implementing research and policy intervention to meet these challenges for all concerned will be discussed.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how internally displaced families in Khartoum-Sudan face difficulties and challenges in meeting their basic needs of shelter and health when they are displaced from their homes. By using empirical data, the factors that hinder families in getting access to shelter and health provision and how they survive with few facilities provided to them will be discussed. The paper will also highlight the role of the state in the situation of the displaced families and the services provided to them. Design/methodology/approach Various methods were used in the research, among them were interviews and focus-group discussions. Interviews were conducted with children aged 10-18 years. A sample of 129 children from four camps was selected, and parents or guardians of the children were interviewed. The theoretical section on what is displacement and how displaced people meet their basic needs and rights gives a background on how displaced families in Sudan survive and struggle to meet their health and shelter rights. Findings The basic needs for the displaced families were not met, and if they were met, it would have led to better living conditions, stability and security for these people. The paper concludes with some recommendations. Originality/value The state should meet the basic needs and rights of the internally displaced people. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure that health and shelter are provided to displaced people.

The civil war in Sudan and natural disasters have led to the displacement of many people of whom 2.2 million live in and around Khartoum, half of whom are under the age of 18. These children, living in barren, remote areas, must fi nd ways to survive and meet their basic needs of food, shelter, health and education.This article focuses on the work of an international organisation working in health services for displaced people in one of the camps in Khartoum in order to argue the case for a rights-based approach to health care, for separate provision of services to adolescent mothers, for education on sexual and reproductive health for children before they become sexually active, and for sexual and reproductive health services and education for adolescent boys and men.This article concentrates on health education, in particular sexual and reproductive rights and how gender-based differences impact on the health and well-being of children. By concentrating almost exclusively on pregnant and lactating women and children under fi ve, the organisation may reduce the possibility of successful outcomes for women and may not contribute to the reduction of sexually transmitted diseases, early pregnancy and related morbidity and mortality.

The family, as a social institution in Qatar, is the main care provider for its older adult members. In this paper we examine what caregivers do -their work practices -and the different roles and responsibilities that home caregivers perform when providing care for elderly persons in Qatar. The findings of this study were based from a larger study using qualitative descriptive design. This article demonstrates the work practices and main challenges that caregivers face while taking care of their elderly. We argue that a main source of stress for caregivers is the lack of formal services and supports geared towards individuals caring for their ageing loved ones; addressing this service gap would alleviate some of the demands associated with caregiving. The paper will present exemplars of caregivers taking care of their elderly relative. These exemplars are used to support the analysis which is clustered around identified related themes. The main findings regarding the challenges that caregivers face include: feelings of responsibility; dependency on caregiver; emotional care; social planning; problem solving; and environmental quality. All of the themes impacted the health of the caregivers and led to stress and burden on the life of the caregiver.

Sudan has undergone civil war and natural disasters since 1980s until today. This has led to internally displaced people to Khartoum the capital. The majority of the internally displaced people are women and children. Access to health, educational facilities, employment and shelter is minimal or lacking. Men, women and children perform and engage in different types of child labor as a source of income generating activities. The purpose of this paper is to explore the different forms of income generating activities that displaced children perform as a source of income for them which can be of risk to their lives. Qualitative methodology used through open-ended unstructured interviews with the children. In this paper, I argue that if the state has provided a secure and protective environment for the displaced children with their basic needs in health, shelter, food and education, it would have led to better living conditions with minimal risk to their life and stable family relations. I will present case studies of displaced children under 18 years and their experiences in labor and the impact and challenges they face in producing income to support themselves and their families.