True hunger is—

.

“The proper definition of the word ‘hunger’ is ‘a compelling need or desire for food’ or ‘the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need for food.’ I recognize that my hunger,” says Michele Tvedt, “pales in light of what others go through, and the endless access I have to food is abnormal compared to the majority of the globe.”

Writing on the World Vision Blog, Michele continues:

“True hunger, especially at a young age, leads to a lack of brain development, an unhealthy heart, cracked skin that leads to infections, and weak bones that prevent proper growth.

“True hunger means making the painful choice of entering into the sex trade to provide for your family, or watching your family slowly get weaker and weaker.

“True hunger is an upstanding, honest man stealing maize from his neighbor to fill the bellies of his children.

“True hunger is a child unable to focus at school because of the weakness and dizziness pounding through her body. Or a child unable to go to school because he must beg for food on the streets instead.…”

According to World Vision, 13.3 million people have been affected by the drought in East Africa: Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.

In Somalia, 53 percent of the population—4 million people—are in crisis: a child dies every six minutes.

Millions more are at risk.

But it’s not just East Africa that’s suffering. A few days ago Deb, blogging at Avec Deux Mains, told of the severe food crisis in Niger, West Africa, where she lives and works.

When I worked in Africa, my job took me to Niger for about a week and my heart aches when I think of the acute suffering there now.

The problem is twofold: food shortages combined with increasing violence carried out by militants in the nation to the south, Nigeria. You’ve probably heard about this in the news lately.

According to the BBC News, the cereal harvest took a blow from both drought and pests in much of the Sahel region, a semi-arid band along the Sahara Desert’s southern edge “… but it is Niger—one of the world’s poorest nations with chronically high levels of child malnutrition—that has the largest number of vulnerable children.

“The European Union’s Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Kristalina Georgieva called it ‘a race against time.’ She said that because of the poor harvest the traditional hunger season was expected to start in February or March rather than two months later.”

She urged, “If we act quickly to protect the most vulnerable we can prevent a catastrophe from happening.”

Can you help? Do you know others who can help?

Here’s what’s so sad: We all waited too long to help in East Africa a few months ago.

In “Slow Response to East Africa famine ‘cost lives,’” BBC reports:

“Thousands of needless deaths occurred from famine in East Africa last year because the international community failed to heed early warnings, say two leading British aid organizations.

“Oxfam and Save the Children say it took more than six months for aid agencies to act on warnings of imminent famine.

“Between 50,000 and 100,000 people have died in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

“The agencies say governments, donors, the United Nations, and NGOs need to learn from the mistakes.” (Read more at “Slow Response to East Africa famine ‘cost lives.’”)  

Read about babies left to die alongside the road at “Horn of Africa Drought: Survival of the Fittest.”

See BBC pictures at “Combating Drought in the Horn of Africa.”

How can you help? I hope and pray you’ll look into participating with one of these organizations already on the ground in Africa:

World Vision

World Concern 

“God can do so much with just one person

who is willing to respond to His call.

What He asks is not that we possess great skill

or ability or fame.

Instead, He simply asks

for us to be willing to be used by Him.

Whether that results in the liberation of nations

or racial groups,

or whether it means that one child can go to school,

saying ‘yes’ to God changes the world.”

 

Rich Stearns, President of World Vision 

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