Seoul (AsiaNews) - Caritas Korea has decided to urgently dispatch
250 thousand dollars to African countries affected by drought. The
sending of essential goods has already begun, and the Catholic organization has
launched an emergency collection among people to gather as much money as
possible to be deployed in areas affected by the tragedy. The
leader of the team support of Caritas Korea, Ms. Shin, told AsiaNews: "We can not stand by and
watch children dying of hunger, we have to do something."
Right
now, she explains, "in North Africa more
than 12 million people face a very worrying food shortage. The main problem
this year has been the scarcity of rain, which has decreased the production of cereals.
Furthermore, the 'increase
in food prices around the world threatens to decline further internal rations,
which are sold abroad rather than to the population. "
Not
forgetting, he continues, "the revolt of the Arab spring, which pushed
hundreds of thousands of people to flee their countries. Niger, Burkina
Faso, Senegal
and Chad have been overrun
by refugees coming from Libya,
Cote d'Ivoire and
Mali:
currently about 12 million people are in trouble and living on one poor meal a
day. We need funds before the beginning of early spring, we must help them
before it is too late. "
Together
with Caritas of other nations, Korea
has already started sending food, water and medical supplies. Shin
launches a last appeal to Catholics throughout the world: "The situation
is serious and urgent. We must do everything possible to help save the lives of
our brothers and sisters in North Africa."