Not much "comfort and joy"

While people around the world are celebrating the gift of the Christ-Child and preparing for the New Year -- men, women and children throughout East and Southern Africa are desperately in need of “comfort and joy” amidst the suffering that continues to grip much of the region.

In Zimbabwe, the number of deaths from the outbreak of cholera continues to increase. As of Sunday, the outbreak had killed 1,564 people, and 29,131 cases had been reported. These figures represent increases from numbers released Thursday that showed 1,518 deaths and 26,497 cases. The World Health Organization says the outbreak has affected all Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces and has spread to neighboring South Africa. It is "closely linked to the lack of safe drinking water, poor sanitation, declining health infrastructure and reduced numbers of health care staff reporting to work." Health experts have warned that the water-borne disease could infect more than 60,000 people unless its spread is halted.

Meanwhile, attackers hacked to death scores of people who sought refuge at a Catholic church in a remote section of eastern Congo the day after Christmas. The Ugandan army and a rebel group accused each other of carrying out the massacre. A European aid worker said more than 100 people are reported to have been killed in the attack, and the Congolese military put the number dead at 120 to 150.

"The scene at the church was unbelievable. It was horrendous. On the floor were dead bodies of mostly women and children cut in pieces," Ugandan army spokesman Capt. Chris Magezi told The Associated Press. He blamed the Lord's Resistance Army for the massacre and quoted witnesses as saying the rebels used machetes, clubs and swords in Friday's attack.

For those faithful who are enduring such incredible hardships, when do the “tidings” bring “comfort and joy?”

Hope for Somalia?

Last week, Somalia's Prime Minister -- Nur Hassan Hussein -- was fired by the country’s President, Abdulahi Yusuf. But there is a problem. Hussein is hugely popular in Somalia . . . even to the extent of winning the backing of 143 members of Somalia’s parliament in a confidence vote. The overwhelming majority of the 166 member parliament showed up for a highly charged voting session.

President Yusuf said Sunday he was firing Hussein, a former Red Crescent official who has been in office for 13 months. But, later in the day, Hussein said the president had "no power to dismiss" him. The crisis is just the latest one to strike the impoverished Horn of Africa nation.

It must be noted that Somalia has been without an effective central government for nearly 20 years. Its lawlessness and chaotic existence have also made it a haven for pirates who seize ships for ransom in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. This year is one of the worst on record, with more than 50 ships attacked, 25 hijacked and at least 14 currently being held by pirates. The waters off Somalia are now considered the most dangerous in the world. It is possible that out of this power struggle that is beginning to boil in Somalia between the president and prime minister, the poor of the region may find hope that change will occur . . .

. . . and it appears that any change in Somalia will be change for the better.

... Zimbabwe: worse!

As predicted, Zimbabwe’s cholera crisis is worsening. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 60,000 people in Zimbabwe could be infected with cholera if the epidemic is left unchecked. And it seems that that is to be the case.

According to U.N. reports, cholera has already killed 600 people in Zimbabwe this month alone and infected another 14,000 people. These figures are based on the number of people who have been seen at hospitals and health centers. However, with Zimbabwe’s national health infrastructure crumbling -- and methods for reporting health statistics deteriorating quickly -- the WHO says the death toll is likely to be much higher.

“Half of Zimbabwe’s 12 million people could be at risk,” a U.N. representative said. That would mean a death toll of “biblical” proportions.

Cholera is an intestinal infection that is spread through contaminated food or water. It is highly contagious and can lead to severe dehydration and death. The International Red Cross said Tuesday it was ramping up its response to the outbreak by sending doctors specializing in infectious diseases and a medical logistician specializing in health, sanitation and hygiene have arrived in the country. Last week, the agency delivered 13 tons of medical supplies to Zimbabwe’s capital city of Harare.

Please join us in prayer for those presently in Zimbabwe -- both residents as well as missionaries and aid workers -- whose lives are in danger!

Zimbabwe: From bad to worse!

A recent cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe has claimed more than 1,000 men, women and children thus far according to health workers in the field. Unicef says it plans on providing a month's supply of water treatment chemicals for the residents in the capital city of Harare where water supply has been cut off because the government of Robert Mugabe is unable to buy chemicals needed to clean tap water.

Almost 12,000 people have contracted cholera since August in Zimbabwe, and the outbreak threatens to grow more dire and deadly!

Residents are digging shallow holes in their yards in hopes of finding water. In some cases, nearby holes served as latrines. Other residents were getting water from polluted rivers. According to those working in Harare and throughout the region, the situation is quickly moving from bad to worse. “Just be strong. This will come to an end one day,” MDC Vice President Thokozani Khupe told cholera patients while visiting the Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospital in the capital Monday. At Beatrice hospital in Harare, bodies were piled in the mortuary, awaiting relatives to collect them. “We are receiving up to 15 bodies a day since the cholera outbreak. That is why we have started piling them like that. We cannot cope with the situation,” a hospital official said.

The nation's four major hospitals have shut down, said former U.S. President Jimmy Carter who visited the region last week. He warned that the disease will continue to spread into South Africa unless action is taken. The disease is already spreading as a result of some victims traveling to Botswana and other neighboring countries for treatment. “This is now a regional disaster,” Khupe said.

Cholera is a highly contagious disease that causes severe diarrhea and vomiting. At this point, one thing is certain -- without emergency assistance, “this will come to an end . . . .”