Weekly Action - 12 December 2022 - East Africa Food Crisis
East Africa Food Crisis
East Africa has been gripped for months in the worst drought it has experienced in 40 years. Up to 26 million people are at severe risk of going hungry across Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. Thousands of people and an estimated 7 million livestock have already died. Many more are at risk of death from malnutrition. Parents are not eating for days in order to feed their children, and are taking children out of school in order to work for money that is desperately needed to buy food. Communities are in urgent need of food, water, finances, nutrition support and healthcare.
What is causing the drought
This devastating drought is being driven by a number of factors. Global inflation is driving up food prices, pushing communities to the edge. The war in Ukraine has resulted in a drastic reduction in grain shipments, which are crucial for East Africa. Both are key factors (and the focus of recent actions and blogs by Arise). But overwhelmingly, the main driving cause of the drought is global climate change. Scientists from around the world have for decades predicted that global climate change will result in more extreme weather and droughts. In recent years we have begun to see this happening more and more, with records for the highest temperatures, and worst droughts, floods and storms being broken over and over again, almost every year. It is developing countries like Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, whose greenhouse gas emissions are a fraction of those of more developed nations, that have done the least to cause climate change, but are now being hit first and hardest by a changing climate.
As Christians what should we do about it?
As Christians we know we are called both to care for God’s amazing creation, and to love our neighbours, especially the most vulnerable. At this tragic time for East Africa we need to rally round. We need to meet immediate urgent needs for those at risk of starvation. And we also need to tackle the long-term underlying causes, and urgently get out of fossil fuels which are driving global climate change, and instead shift to 100% clean renewable energy, which does not lead to climate change, and is cheaper as well.
Arise’s 4 Shifts Campaign calls for a rewiring of our global economy to be green and fair, so it still creates the jobs and wealth that lift people out of poverty, but does so without relying on fossil fuels and overconsumption which is wrecking our planet. As part of that campaign we need to transition as rapidly as possible to 100% clean renewable energy, whilst also supporting countries like Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya who are already feeling the impacts of climate change right now.
Will you take action as part of Arise’s 4 Shifts campaign this week, to meet the immediate needs of those experiencing drought in East Africa and shift to a clean energy economy?
Take Action
Speaking out in advocacy
Write to your MP in your own words asking them to take urgent action to:
1. Meet immediate needs of communities facing starvation in East Africa by urging the government to dramatically scale up the amount of emergency humanitarian support they are channelling to Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.
2. Address the long-term causes of the climate crisis by urging the government to bring forward and strengthen the UK’s plans to transition out of fossil fuels, so that we shift to zero emissions and 100% clean renewable energy, and ban the use of fossil fuels by 2030. Implement this in every sector (energy, transport, buildings, industry etc.)
Find your MP, and their contact details here
Pray
Pray for all those impacted by the drought in East Africa. Pray that their immediate needs for food, water, finance, nutrition support, healthcare and other basic essentials are met. Pray that the governments of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya can help their countries to adapt to a harsher climate.
Give
Give to Christian organisations like Christian Aid, Cafod, Tearfund or World Vision who are supporting communities in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya who are experiencing extreme malnutrition and starvation as a result of the drought.
Practical Action
Reach out to friends and neighbours in your community with roots and family in East Africa. How have they and their families been affected? How can you and your church support them?
Ethical Consumption
Speed the shift to a 100% clean energy economy by switching you electricity provider to a renewable energy company like Ecotricity or Good Energy.
Encourage us and others by letting us know what actions you have taken – message us at info@ariseuk.org, or via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Find out more
It’s great to take this action as individual Christians, but even better to come together with others to pray, discuss, worship, learn, have fun and take action together. Contact Arise if you are interested in joining or starting a local Arise group in your church or area. If you are already in an Arise group, take this action to your wider church, and get them all to do it too.
Find out more about why the world needs 4 Shifts to transition to a green and fair global economy in Arise’s 4 Shifts Report, and how this forms part of God’s bigger vision for our world in the Arise Manifesto.
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