The Catholic Relief Society of America (CRS), the charitable organization of the U.S. Catholic Church, is urging world leaders to consider more humanitarian aid to East Africa amid an unprecedented rise in global famine.
World situation
“World hunger is increasing rapidly. It never happened,” Bill O’Keefe, executive vice president of Catholic Relief America, said in a speech at the 77th United Nations General Assembly on September 21. As world leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations the convention, many families from East Africa to Afghanistan gathered around the dinner table but had nothing to eat.
Mr. O’Keefe explained that the main victims were the war in Ukraine and climate change. He was also complicated by humanitarian funding to deliver food to the tragically missing. In Afghanistan, for example, more than half of the population is seriously ill, but less than half of human resources are deployed. Somalia and South Sudan are the worst-hit countries in East Africa.
Against this backdrop, the American Catholic Relief Society urges UN Member States to address the problem by increasing short- and long-term aid to food-insecure countries, especially those affected by global warming.
Mr O’Keefe stressed: “We know what we have to do. Now we have to do it before it’s too late.”
Regarding the severe humanitarian crisis in Somalia and some neighboring countries, during the Angelus prayer last Sunday, 14 August, the Pope said: “I would like to draw your attention. Sisters, the A country with a severe humanitarian crisis. The people of the region are already living in very precarious conditions and now their lives are at risk due to the drought. I hope that international solidarity can effectively respond to this emergency.”
Our Heavenly Father, thank you for another day. Thank you for the abundance of your blessings. Thank you for your unending, unchanging love, mercy, and grace. Father, we are thankful for our families and friends throughout the world. Thank you for the special blessing that they are to our lives and for the prayers that we pray for one another. And Father, thank you for hearing and answering our prayers. We pray for those who are in the path of hurricane Iane, and pray for protection for them and their families as well as their homes. We understand that this thing is huge and is continuing to grow. But father we know that you are greater than all things. we pray for the emergency and rescue teams that are out making preparations, we pray that you’ll protect them and their families.
