In collective shelters for displaced families, in quieter parts of the city, I witnessed grief over life that has been lost. I met families who have lost their belongings and a more dignified life. But I also saw resilience and a strong sense of community.

Most population growth is happening in the developing world. The clue is in the name - many developing nations are on their way up. Endeavouring to curb population growth can only be a positive thing. Many of the actions we could take are intrinsically humanitarian in themselves.

I walked around to see how children in Homs are living. In a convent that works with children, situated at the end of a line of fully standing buildings and right before the destruction and rubble begins, I was amazed to find children reading books, listening to teachers, drawing pictures and playing games. The drawings on the walls spoke of smiling faces, waving hands, laughter and messages about the need to forgive. A total contrast to the rubble outside that represents so many battered lives.

The world did not end today. At least, not for you. Not for me. In places like Syria and Pakistan, individual worlds will come to an end because of hatred, greed and violence.

What are the first things you would grab if you were forced to leave your home tomorrow? Not many people would answer that question with "contraceptives."

The UN mission in Afghanistan says 2011 was the deadliest year for civilians in the past decade, with 3,021 deaths. That's a 25% increase in two years. These are the figures that are most telling about the human security crisis in Afghanistan.

Conditions inside Syrians are worsening for ordinary citizens who have faced weeks of government shelling and sniper fire, and remain besieged inside ...

Melkadida camp, like the three other camps around Dollo Ado, is full, yet every day more refugees arrive, waiting in a transit camp for a new site to be opened. Like the refugees that have already lived here for several years, each of them faces a difficult future.