Thursday, August 11, 2011

Famine in Africa

Photo via


Hopefully anyone reading this knows by now that there is a famine in the horn of Africa. If you don't, please get yourself caught up. The UN is calling it the world's worst humanitarian disaster. It's estimated that 29,000 children under the age of 5 have died in the last 90 days and millions are at risk. Media attention seems to be picking up but I'm still shocked at the limited amount of coverage it's getting. I listen to CBC radio every morning which includes several news reports and the "World Report" and I rarely hear this famine mentioned. It baffles me. When people die in terrorist attacks, riots, natural disasters it is all over the news (rightly so). Maybe because this is ongoing it's not the top story, but it needs to be. In some ways it is complicated... why this is happening, the politics involved. But in other ways it's very simple. Thousands of people are desperate and dying and I believe it's our responsibility to help. Period.


I have given money, signed petitions and am trying to stay informed. I'm also trying to get the word out on places like Facebook and it's obvious some people do care which is encouraging. But I want to do more. I know I need to give more. I have a hard time spending extra money on the luxuries of life when people are days, minutes, seconds away from starvation. Last night I watched this great video featuring Bono and K'naan. I found it challenging. Some mothers are having to choose between children to feed or leaving their dead children on the side of the road so they can continue on to look for food. I know this is on the other side of the world, but as a mother if I try to imagine what that's like, enter the situation as best as I can, I want to do more. What can I go without so that I can give more and help save lives? There is plenty. Have you done something to help? If not, can you? Will you? To quote Bono, "It's not our intentions, it's our actions."

1 comment:

cheryl said...

thanks for sharing this huli. love your heart...