South Sudan: Bishop Urges African Leaders to Act On Sudan’s ‘War of Horror’; Children at risk as Mali conflict escalates, says World Vision; 13 year old British youngster receives warm welcome in Malawi visiting the African school he has supported by refusing birthday presents since he was six years old; Priest appeals for worldwide prayer after Kenya violence; Italian treatment of migrant children from Greece is ‘appalling’
South Sudan: Bishop Urges African Leaders to Act On Sudan’s ‘War of Horror’
Nairobi — A panel of African civil society leaders, including Bishop Andudu Adam Elnail, were joined today by the former UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Dr. Mukesh Kapila, in urging African political leaders to use the upcoming African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa to end the humanitarian suffering in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.
The panel identified the January 25 Heads of State meeting on Sudan as a key test of the AU’s “credibility” and urged African leaders to recognise the importance of addressing the conflict in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile for wider regional security.
Having just returned from a visit to the region, Dr Kapila called for an independent commission of enquiry into the conflict amongst warnings of “ethnic cleansing”.
Bishop Andudu of Kadugli in the Nuba Mountains said: “I am here on behalf of my people. This is a war of horror where children are dying every day. There are no vaccinations, medicine, there is nothing. In December there were over 230 bombings. We are calling for AU leadership at its summit next week. This is a rare opportunity that we mustn’t miss.”
Dr. Mukesh Kapila, Special Representative for the Aegis Trust and former UN representative in Darfur said: “Ten years ago when I was UN chief in Darfur I tried to alert the world to what was happening, but it was too late. Today in Southern Kordofon and Blue Nile I’ve seen ‘Darfur plus plus’ with modern weaponry at play. I appeal to the AU to look at the humanitarian situation as a priority and establish a full commission of enquiry, with African leadership, into the situation on the ground.”
Nagwa Konda, Director of the Nuba Relief Rehabilitation and Development Organization, said: “We have been waiting for the AU to take action; we have been hearing a lot, seeing agreements being signed and communiqués issued but nothing has changed on the ground. I implore the AU to translate all this paperwork into action. We need more than communiqués: you can’t eat a communiqué, a communiqué can’t protect you from air strikes.”
Shara Joshep Lago, a Muslim human rights activist and a former observer during the Blue Nile State elections, said: “I am from Blue Nile and have been a victim of events. I have been chased by aircraft and ground forces. I saw a pregnant woman forced to give birth under a tree and then take her child and keep running. I call upon the African Union and the League of Arab States to take action to protect civilians. The humanitarian aspects of the conflict should be a priority. Otherwise nobody will be alive to enjoy a future peace.”
Children at risk as Mali conflict escalates, says World Vision
As the Malian Army mounts a counter offensive against rebel forces that is being aided by foreign troops, aid agency World Vision is warning of severe humanitarian consequences if immediate steps are not taken to guarantee the security of children.
“Children are especially vulnerable when military operations are launched, and this latest move has to be managed carefully and those who would like to flee have a safe passage out,” says Chance Briggs, the head of World Vision’s Mali office.
Governments committing resources to the offensive in the north have a responsibility to ensure children and their families are protected throughout the conflict, and that humanitarian organisations like World Vision can get help through,said Briggs.
“It would be intolerable to see more children separated from their parents, displaced from their homes, or cramped in refugee camps for weeks on end, not knowing where to go next or when they will be able to begin rebuilding their lives.
“Last year was a particularly difficult year for children around the country, and the ongoing conflict in the north threatens them further. Their needs must be prioritised, and international humanitarian law abided by at every step,” said Briggs.
Almost five million Malians are affected by the concurrent three crises namely, food, nutrition and military conflict. More than 400,000 people have already been forced to flee their homes, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
As a military offensive begins, World Vision fears that more children and communities will be put at risk both directly as a result of the intervention, and indirectly as humanitarian access is affected.
NGOs in Mali estimate that if military intervention begins the total number of displaced persons could reach 700,000.
* World Vision UK: www.worldvision.org.uk
Priest appeals for worldwide prayer after Kenya violence
A Kenyan priest has appealed to Christians around the world to pray for the people of Garissa, a violence-stricken city in the North Eastern Province of Kenya.
The Revd Canon Francis Omondi’s plea comes after at least five people were killed and four others wounded by Somali Islamist group al-Shabab who opened fire on guests at one of the city’s local hotels, The Dunes on 16 January.
Al-Shabab—a clan-based insurgent and terrorist group—has continued its violent insurgency in the area with Christians and security personnel being the main targets of the attacks.
Canon Omondi said, “The targeting of Christians and security personnel is a very worrying trend. Christians should pray for courage in the midst of these pressures.”
He has been championing health and education issues in the region for more than 25 years. He has also been helping grow the church of God within the region. However, he has been taken aback by the recent attacks on Christians.
“The Muslim fundamentalists have no respect for denomination,” he said. “They aim to rid Christians from here [along with] the security forces. As a result of this Christians who have not fled live in great fear”.
Canon Omondi reminded Christians around the world about their responsibility during such times of strife and violence.
He said: “Christians around the world ought to pray for us urgently! We need God to change our situation.”
The Canon has refused to leave the region despite the situation being “volatile, tense and very unpredictable.” He said, “I have been in the region for the last 25 years and my commitment to developing the region holds me here.”
INTERPOL once described Garissa as “One of the safer areas in the larger eastern Great Lakes region.” However, this is no longer the case after having been a target of many terrorist attacks in recent months.
October saw gunmen kill a police officer and wound another in Garissa. The following month, three Kenyan soldiers and two police were also shot dead there.
13 year old British youngster receives warm welcome in Malawi
A young fundraiser has celebrated turning 13 by visiting the African school he has supported by refusing birthday presents since he was six years old.
Charlie Doherty fulfilled a persistent dream by travelling to Malawi to meet children receiving assistance from Mary’s Meals, a charity helping hungry kids which has received £20,000 through his own considerable efforts.
The youngster, whose birthday was on Monday 14 January 2013, was given the surprise trip as a Christmas gift by his mother, who announced the news to him when they reached the top of Mount Snowdon in Wales as part of a charity hike for Mary’s Meals.
Charlie spent his first day as a teenager visiting the school which he supports through one of the charity’s campaigns. The scool concerned is Ipyana Primary, which is located in the northern district of Karonga, Malawi. All of the 1,429 pupils receive a daily meal through Mary’s Meals for a whole school year.
Upon arriving at the school, Charlie was greeted warmly by volunteers, teachers and children.
The visibly moved youngster thanked the students for their warm welcome, saying: “I am so happy to be here and share this with you all today. Thank you for welcoming me. My dream of visiting Malawi has finally been realised.
“No child should go hungry and I hope that, working together to achieve the Mary’s Meals vision, we can put an end to child hunger.”
Charlie, from Crawley, has been fundraising for the Scottish-based charity since he was six. After hearing about the suffering of children in other countries, he asked for money to be donated to the charity instead of receiving birthday presents.
He has undertaken a number of fundraising challenges for the charity which includes a 600-mile cycle from Brighton to Scotland with his mum.
It took the pair three weeks to reach the charity’s warehouse in Glasgow where Charlie delivered one special backpack which was later shipped to a child in Malawi.
The backpack donated by Charlie was one he had owned since he was seven, and which he had been keeping to pass onto a child in Malawi, where Mary’s Meals provides a daily meal in a place of education to over 569,000 hungry children every school day.
The charity’s Backpack Project appeals to schools, clubs and other groups to fill unwanted backpacks with basic educational materials to send to children receiving Mary’s Meals.
Charlie is one of the stars of a new documentary called Child 31, in which he talks about his fundraising efforts and why he is so motivated to help impoverished children.
Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, chief executive of Mary’s Meals, commented: “Charlie is an incredible boy and we are extremely grateful for all he has done for us over the years.
“I’m always touched by all the beautiful acts of kindness which so many people like Charlie do to support our work, and which make it possible for us to provide a daily meal to hundreds of thousands of children, living in some of the world’s poorest countries.
“As a result of their good deeds, thousands of children, who would otherwise be hungry and working for their next meal, are instead sitting in a classroom with a full stomach, learning how to read and write.”
Mary’s Meals began feeding 200 children in Malawi after Scottish founder of the charity Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow visited the country in 2002.
It now feeds over 700,000 children every school day in 16 countries around the world, including Malawi, Liberia and Haiti. It costs Mary’s Meals an average of just £10.70 to feed a child for an entire school year.
A daily meal in school, served by volunteers, means that children are encouraged to come to school and receive an education, which can provide a route of out of poverty.
Mary’s Meals began in Malawi in 2002 when its founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow met a young woman called Emma who was dying from AIDS. She was sitting on the mud floor of her hut surrounded by her children. When Magnus asked her 14-year-old son what his dreams were in life, his stark reply was: “To have enough food to eat and to go to school one day”. This was a key part of the inspiration that led to the Mary’s Meals campaign.
Support for Mary’s Meals is global, with fundraising and awareness raising groups springing up across the world, including in Abu Dhabi, Australia, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Malawi, Netherlands and the USA.
* More on Mary’s Meals here: www.marysmeals.org.uk
Italian treatment of migrant children from Greece is ‘appalling’
Italy is summarily returning unaccompanied migrant children and adult asylum seekers to Greece, where they face a dysfunctional asylum system and abusive detention conditions, Human Rights Watch (http://www.hrw.org/) says in a report published today.
Stowaways on ferries from Greece, including children as young as 13, are sent back by Italian authorities within hours without adequate consideration of their particular needs as children or their desire to apply for asylum.
The 45-page report, Turned Away: Summary Returns of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Adult Asylum Seekers from Italy to Greece, documents the failure of Italian border police at the Adriatic ports of Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, and Venice to screen adequately for people in need of protection, in violation of Italy’s legal obligations.
In compiling the report, Human Rights Watch interviewed 29 children and adults who were summarily returned to Greece from Italian ports, 20 of them in 2012.
The full report, Turned Away: Summary Returns of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Adult Asylum Seekers from Italy to Greece,, can be accessed here: