A woman rides donkeys to carry water in the drought-ravaged Higlo Kebele district, Ethiopia, Feb. 8, 2022. (Credit: Michael Tewelde, World Food Program handout via Reuters via CNS.)
More than 26 million people in Africa will face a food crisis this year due to poor harvests and drought in many parts of the continent.
CAFOD, the official international development agency of the Bishops of England and Wales, has appealed to the World Food Crisis to raise money for humanitarian aid to those affected by the crisis.
The agency notes that Africa is not only facing a terrifying drought and skyrocketing food prices, but has also been devastated by a massive locust infestation.
In addition, the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine – a major source of grain in the region – are also affecting food prices.
Will Cruddace, CAFOD Community Development Leader for the Diocese of Nottingham, told BBC Radio Derby the situation is “terrible”.
“Around the world we are currently seeing a food crisis, but especially in East Africa, which is currently facing the worst drought in about 40 years, leading to crop failures, livestock deaths and an overall decline in food production. 26 million people who are starving,” he told the radio station.
Cruddace works with volunteers in the Diocese of Nottingham to communicate CAFOD campaign messages to the local church. The diocese covers most of the East Midlands of England, including Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.
The current food crisis campaign is raising money to buy food and livestock, help grow a variety of crops that are more drought-resistant, restore water pumps and work with communities – through local volunteers and experts – to build for the long term .
CAFOD has trained volunteers and professionals who work in Ethiopia and in East Africa to help, live locally and often come from the communities they serve.
Cruddace told BBC Radio Derby that the global food crisis is also affecting people in England and points to a wider problem in the international food chain.
“This campaign is one that we can see here in particular for us. The food chain is clearly broken, and just by going to the supermarket we can see how expensive that is,” he said.
However, he still urges people to show solidarity in every way possible.
“We can see that something is not quite right here, and we can fully sympathize that we are all going through the cost of living crisis, but we are not necessarily just asking for funds, we also have a campaign running alongside our Call for World Food Crisis called “Fix the Food System” involving a few of our local parishes recently,” Cruddace said.
This awareness campaign helped people better understand what isn’t working with the current food system and why it needs to be fixed, and provides examples of alternatives that are already being introduced. It also shows what concrete steps can be taken in the UK to help the food system.
Cruddace also noted that CAFOD had a fasting campaign against hunger.
“In our fasting appeal, we did a ‘Walk Against Hunger’, with some of our local schools and parishes walking to raise money against hunger. All of CAFOD’s campaigns were not just about raising funds, but also about educating congregations in England and Wales,” he explained.
