Tired of hearing about it ...

It isn’t unusual for someone to say they are tired of hearing about the crises in Africa ... how disease, poverty, famine and drought continue to plague generation after generation. But imagine the despair of the people who suffer through these situations. One could imagine that they are tired of it, too.

Those in Ethiopia are facing the worst famine and food shortage in 20 years! As has been reported within the last week by most major television networks and newspapers - this is a crisis that is threatening the lives of more than 120,000 children. (See http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/05/20/ethiopia.children/)

Because of the dramatic increase in the price of rice and corn, parents throughout East Africa have been unable to buy the food they need for their children. Additionally, the small amount of rain that normally allows Ethiopian farmers to plant a second crop each year did not come this year. Now, a “serious” crisis has become a disastrous one!

It is estimated that as many as six million Ethiopian children under the age of five are at risk of starvation. More than 120,000 children have only about one month to live! Within the past few days, a member of the Missionaries of Africa (missionariesofafrica.org), Fr. Edward Ndahinda, who is working in the region, has confirmed that indeed the situation is as bad as the news agencies are reporting.

Yes, the people in Ethiopia are tired of hearing about it, too.