PASTORAL LETTER - June 20, 2000

Horn of Africa

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Catholics in the Horn of Africa recently appealed to the Catholic Church in Canada to offer whatever assistance it can to alleviate the suffering caused by famine and war in that part of the world.

Between 16 and 20 million people are now threatened with famine. Ethiopia is expected to bear the brunt of the problem; as many as 8 million people there could be affected. Some regions have not had rain for three years. Two million people are also threatened in Somalia, Djibouti, and Eritrea, as well as 6 million in Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. Another 2.5 million refugees in these countries need assistance for their most basic needs.

The victims are mostly women and children. Often, when a drought begins, the men travel to urban areas in search of work and leave the women and children behind. When the women run out of food or water, they are forced to walk kilometres in search of humanitarian aid. Many families have sold whatever livestock they had left and have been reduced to eating the seeds that should be used for the next harvest. Many children are beginning to die from illnesses such as measles, diarrhoea, and pneumonia.

The Horn of Africa is among the poorest regions in the world, yet the countries there are also burdened with external debt. Ethiopia, for example, faces an external debt of more than $10 billion, equivalent to 131% of its GNP. Ethiopia spends twice as much on servicing its debt as on primary education.

Although the drought is the main reason for the food shortages, armed conflicts have also worsened the situation. 58,000 Eritreans have been forced to seek refuge in Sudan. It is estimated that there are 750,000 homeless in Eritrea. The vast majority again are women, children and the elderly. The 15-year-old civil in Sudan has created another 375,000 refugees, and approximately 4 million homeless in Sudan.

One sign of God's mercy which is especially need today is the sign of charity which opens our eyes to the needs of those who are poor and excluded. There is a tremendous need for international solidarity and cooperation to come to the assistance of our suffering brothers and sisters living in the shadow of death. I want to make a special appeal to all of you to help and have authorized that a special collection be taken up in our parishes to assist in this relief emergency effort.

Our efforts in Canada are being co-ordinated by the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace which has already forwarded more than $150,000. to the Horn of Africa. Much more needs to be done. I hope that you will respond financially and by lobbying the Canadian government to do whatever it can to facilitate the peace process among the warring factions in the Horn of Africa.

Sincerely yours in Christ,