Pope makes €25,000 contribution to fight famine in eastern Africa
July 21, 2017
Pope Francis has donated €25,000 to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to support efforts against famine in eastern Africa.
The Pope’s contribution fulfills a pledge that he made in a message to the FAO earlier this month. He said that he was “inspired also by the desire to encourage governments” to follow suit.
More than 20 million people are facing hunger in eastern Africa. The famine is most acute in South Sudan, where 6 million people are in danger. The FAO reports that food aid is also urgently needed in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
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Further information:
- Pope Francis donates €25 thousand to ease East Africa famine (Vatican Radio)
- World leaders must recognize right to food, Pope tells FAO (CWN, 7/3)
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Posted by: aclune9083 -
Jul. 21, 2017 10:29 PM ET USA
Where does the Vatican news apparatus point out that desperately needed food and medical supplies are being withheld by various Islamic terrorist groups and corrupt governments as a means to political domination? Perhaps the Holy Father should spend more time lauding the efforts of the free world in trying to avert these humanitarian catastrophes rather than his criticizing them for inaction.
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Posted by: james-w-anderson8230 -
Jul. 21, 2017 9:59 PM ET USA
One would think that the principal of subsidiarity would dictate direct aid through Catholic agencies in East Africa rather than funneling money through a bureaucratic international organization.
