Caritas warns Zimbabwe starving are eating dung

Caritas is the global charitable arm of the Catholic Church. They are the largest non governmental givers of care in the world, yet get virtually no press.

Read this appalling situation they are dealing with in Zimbabwe and please consider a donation to Caritas.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=14582

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Harare, Dec 10, 2008 / 08:01 pm (CNA).- Caritas Internationalis is warning that the crisis in Zimbabwe is so grave that people facing crushing food shortages are mixing cow dung with their food.

With pressure continuing to mount on President Mugabe to relinquish his hold on power, Zimbabweans are suffering the consequences of his government’s policies.
Besides the lack of food, people are also suffering a cholera epidemic and crippling hyperinflation.
Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Lesley-Anne Knight reports that "people in Zimbabwe are dropping dead on the streets from Cholera. They’ve witnessed people mixing cow dung with what’s left of their food to make it go further. This is poverty at its most dehumanizing."

Caritas plans to ramp up its aid operations across the country with hunger likely to increase after poor harvests.

A Caritas survey in October found 70 to 90 percent of households going hungry and the remainder on the brink of starvation.

At least 5.1 million people are facing starvation out of a population of 13 million people. Additionally, nearly 14,000 cases of Cholera have been reported.


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Read more about Zimbabwe and Caritas work in general at their main web site here and there is a donate button:
http://www.caritas.org/


Here also is the link to Caritas for Children, where you can learn about Caritas programs especially for children, sponsor an individual child in a troubled area of the world, such as Uganda, or make a one time donation to their general work.

http://www.caritas.us/home

Please donate to Caritas for Haiti, thank you

http://www.zenit.org/article-23598?l=english

Caritas Needs $4.3 Million for Haiti

ROME, SEPT. 11, 2008 (Zenit.org).- A Haitian bishop is appealing for help to keep more of his countrymen from dying in the wake of the four deadly storms that tore apart the Caribbean island.

Caritas Internationalis has launched an emergency appeal for $4.3 million to help the 600,000 who were left homeless by the four storms that hit Haiti over the last month.

Gonaives, on the west coast, is one of the hardest-hit cities, Caritas reported. Its bishop, Yves Marie Péan, said, "Already many people have succumbed. Many more will die if we can't get them the immediate support they require. Help us provide for these many victims through the continued efforts of Caritas."

The series of natural disasters affecting Haiti comes at a critical time, as the vast majority of the population is already struggling with rising living costs. Haiti was the scene of violent food riots in April.

Caritas reported that the 2008 hurricane season coupled with the increase in food prices have considerably impacted people's ability to cope.

Benedict XVI appealed for help for the island nation during the address before praying the midday Angelus last Sunday.

"I am close to the whole nation and I hope that it will receive as soon as possible the necessary aid," he said.