wfn.org | United Methodists make churchwide appeal for African famine

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

July 12, 2002      News media contact: Linda Bloom7(212) 870-38037New York
10-21-31-71B{298}

By United Methodist News Service

Noting the potential for mass starvation, the United Methodist Council of
Bishops has issued a churchwide appeal to fight famine in Southern Africa.

The appeal was approved the week of July 8. Funds will be directed to the
United Methodist Committee on Relief's African Famine and Relief Advance No.
101250-4 and used to support United Methodist and ecumenical work in the
region.

The Rev. Randolph Nugent, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of
Global Ministries, requested the appeal based on advice from UMCOR staff,
part of the mission agency. "Without a churchwide appeal for the African
drought, it is believed that we will not be able to raise sufficient funds
to meet the needs of the people," Nugent wrote in a memo to the Council of
Bishops.

Two United Methodist episcopal leaders from the affected region, Bishop
Christopher Jokomo of Zimbabwe and Bishop Joao Somane Machado of Mozambique,
also urged action.

Countries affected by what the United Nations World Food Program calls the
worst food shortage in a decade include Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique,
Lesotho, Tanzania, Zambia and Swaziland.

United Methodist officials in Mozambique, for example, have reported severe
food shortages in the central area of the country. The Rev. Morais Quissico,
an UMCOR disaster relief coordinator there, told Disaster News Network that
people have become weaker and more vulnerable to disease, especially by
eating "bush foods" not meant for human use.

"The majority of the people in these remote rural areas do not have any
other source of survival other than cultivating the land," he explained.
"From land cultivation they get food, not only to eat at home, but also to
sell and get money for other necessities."

The World Food Program and U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization warned in
early June that the severe food crisis eventually could affect nearly 13
million people by next March. In early July, the World Food Program launched
a $507 million appeal to feed people in the region. To date, the U.N. agency
estimates it has been feeding 4.6 million people.

Alternating droughts and floods, combined with the mismanagement of food
supplies, have led to the shortage, which is complicated by the region's
chronic poverty and high HIV/AIDS infection rates. Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia
and Lesotho have already declared national disasters because of the famine. 

Malawi, which may be the hardest hit, is experiencing what could be its
worst crop failure since 1949.  In May, the U.N. Development Program
coordinator for Zimbabwe reported that all of that country's rain-fed crops
had failed and that the people had only a quarter of the food needed for the
next 12 months. A recent U.N. report from Zambia indicates that desperate
citizens there are eating potentially poisonous wild foods, stealing crops
and turning to prostitution as a means of raising money to buy food for
their families. 

Action by Churches Together, an ecumenical aid coalition to which UMCOR
belongs, has already prepared appeals for its work in Malawi and Zimbabwe
and anticipates making more appeals. As of June, UMCOR had only contributed
$10,000 to each appeal because of limited resources.

Worship materials promoting donations for the churchwide appeal are being
mailed in July. Because of the need, according to UMCOR executive Wendy
Whiteside, "we're asking the churches to take an offering for the next three
months - one in July, one in August and one in September."

She noted that the request for three offerings symbolizes the fact that
drought conditions generally take three years to develop.

Kristin Sachen, UMCOR's international coordinator of emergency services,
said that because governments are making food donations, the relief agency's
own focus would be on the support of local, grass-roots programs that help
with food distribution.

"We would also support the underlying vulnerabilities, such as assistance to
HIV/AIDS-affected families and orphans and support of education in the
collapsed economies," she added. UMCOR will investigate agricultural
development projects "to improve the long-term sustainability of
communities."

Contributions to the Churchwide Appeal for Southern Africa Famine should be
designated for UMCOR Advance No. 101250-4. Checks can be dropped in church
collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR at 475 Riverside Dr., Room
330, New York, NY 10115. Credit-card donations can be made by calling (800)
554-8583 or going online to http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor.

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United Methodist News Service
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