Current prayer news from Tearfund

Prayer for the West Africa crisis

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 09:36:00 GMT

A year on from the Sahel food crisis, and the situation has improved for many families. Building resilience It is now more than a year since Tearfund launched an appeal for the food crisis affecting the Sahel region of West Africa. Poor rainfall and a locust invasion in 2004 resulted in poor harvests in 2005. Food prices rocketed, livestock died and some people even resorted to eating wild leaves. A year on and the situation has improved in the areas of Burkina Faso and Niger where Tearfund’s Christian partner organisations have been working. Farming communities are becoming more resilient to drought and are able to draw on reserves from shared grain banks to see them through the lean period, or hunger gap, between harvests. Ongoing problems However, food shortages this year – like every year – are still a daily reality for thousands of people across the Sahel. Jeff Woodke, Director of Tearfund partner Jemed in Niger says, ‘There is always hunger in Niger. If this were a country in Europe, even a no ...

Democratic Republic of Congo

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 08:50:00 GMT

Rape and other forms of brutality against women are common in DRC, with local authorities doing little to stop this or to prosecute those responsible, according to a new UN investigation. The country’s new parliament outlawed sexual violence in July 2006, but the UN report says that little has been done to implement the law. Tearfund's workTearfund partner Heal Africa Goma works with women and girls who have been raped. Women receive medical treatment and trauma counselling. Heal Africa then helps them set up small businesses so these women, who are often stigmatised and isolated from their community, can make a living and rediscover their place in society. Despite democratic elections being held last year, ongoing fighting in the east of DRC continues to force people from their homes. Villages continue to be raided and sometimes burnt. The ongoing violence and displacement also means women are still vulnerable to rape and other crimes. Reaching those in need is made difficult by the insecurity and by ...

Ivory Coast

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 08:52:00 GMT

A rocket attack against Ivory Coast’s new prime minister in which four people died has been condemned by the African Union. Rockets were fired at a plane carrying Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, who was not hurt in the attack. Several people have been arrested. Peace agreementA peace deal was signed in March this year between President Laurent Gbagbo and the New Forces rebels. Guillaume Soro was formerly the head of the New Forces rebel group, and was made prime minister after signing the deal. The attack on his plane took place in Bouake, where the New Forces have their base. He has vowed that the attack will not derail the peace agreement. As part of the peace deal the country will be reunified and then elections should take place early next year. Ivory Coast has been divided into a New Forces-held north and a government-held south since a brief civil war and a failed coup attempt in 2002. A patrolled buffer zone between the two halves has been dismantled as part of the peace process. Issue of identity ...

Pakistan

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 13:25:00 GMT

In northern Pakistan, some 34,000 people made homeless by last October's earthquake have been provided with transitional shelter kits to help them survive the winter. Harsh winter Earlier-than-usual snowfalls back in December in areas like the Allai Valley, North West Frontier Province, made it difficult for agencies to reach people in rural areas. But by working with the army and Pakistan's Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority, Tearfund partner Shelter Now International (SNI) is continuing to provide vital support to communities. Please pray Pray for groups more vulnerable to freezing conditions and snow such as elderly people, children and women. Access to them is often made more difficult by cultural attitudes. 'Winter is likely to be ongoing until March in northern Pakistan,' says Sarah Dodd, Tearfund's Disaster Management Officer for the region. Please pray for SNI as they distribute shelter kits to those who need them.

Chad

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 16:29:00 GMT

Relations continue to deteriorate between Chad and Sudan, as violence spills out from Darfur, western Sudan. An estimated 400 people died in Chad in cross-border offensives in May. The UN describes the situation as ‘apocalyptic’. Thousands of people continue to flee to camps in Chad and across the border into Darfur. No access Accessing those who remain in Chad is difficult because of ongoing fighting and direct attacks on aid agencies. Amnesty International has called on the Chadian government to allow a UN force in Chad. Tearfund partner Cord works in four camps in Chad for refugees from Darfur. They are providing health assistance, as well as organising literacy classes and games for children and youth groups in the refugee camps and local communities. Please pray Pray that God will protect refugees, young and old, forced to live in a state of extreme vulnerability and insecurity. Pray too for justice and lasting peace to end the violence in both Chad and Sudan. And pray that the international com ...

Bangladesh

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 15:13:00 GMT

Bangladesh’s interim administration is vowing to work towards a fair and peaceful election. The administration was installed after a state of emergency was declared on 11 January because of violence in the run up to elections originally scheduled for 22 January. Improvements needed The chief election commissioner says they need to prepare a flawless voter list, issue identity cards to voters and fix a time for the rescheduled elections. Formerly East Pakistan, Bangladesh was created in 1971 when Pakistan was split into two. Some 15 years of military rule followed. The political scene remains volatile despite the restoration of democracy in 1990. Please pray Please pray for peace and stability. Pray too for our partners – the unrest makes life unsettling. And please pray for the family of Sheetal Sarder, who was murdered on 19 February. Mr Sarder was a guard for Tearfund partner Heed. The police are investigating the incident. As yet it is not known who is responsible. Some money was also stolen fro ...

Northern Uganda

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 17:25:00 GMT

A year after peace talks began, an estimated 1,500 women and children have yet to be released by the Lords Resistance Army (LRA), says a spokesperson for the UN children’s fund, UNICEF. The LRA has been notorious for abducting women and children to work as soldiers and sex slaves during the region’s 21-year war. Discussions complicatedProgress has been slow and the talks have yet to reach a conclusion. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for LRA leader Joseph Kony, his deputy Vincent Otti and three other commanders for crimes against humanity – specifically, murder, rape, mutilations and mass abductions. The LRA has threatened to pull out of the peace talks unless the ICC withdraws the warrants.Since the talks began, thousands of people who had been forced from their homes by the conflict have returned home. Others have left the camps for displaced people and are now living in halfway camps. This means they can farm their land by day and sleep in the relative safety of a camp ...

HIV and AIDS

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 14:17:00 GMT

Every minute that ticks past today, another baby will be born with HIV. More than 20 million people have died of AIDS-related illnesses since 1981. And according to the UN, the situation continues to get worse. There have already been an estimated 4.3 million new HIV infections this year. Challenge The statistics are overwhelming. ‘If we call ourselves Christians, we can’t avoid the challenge of HIV. It is here, with us,’ says Gracia Violetta Ross. Gracia is living with HIV, and campaigns for access to education about and treatment for HIV. Tearfund believes that the worldwide Christian church has a vital role to play in combating the spread of HIV. We are uniquely placed to show Christ-like compassion to those whose lives and relationships have been ripped apart, and to promote Biblical relationship choices. Please pray ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.’ Psalm 28:7 Please pray that babies born with HIV will experience love as they grow up and that the ...

United Kingdom

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:47:00 GMT

Tearfund partner the National Christian Alliance on Prostitution (NCAP) supports organisations that work with people involved in prostitution. The Bridge Project, an NCAP affiliate working in Ipswich, knows the women who have been murdered in the past weeks. The team is in contact with the police and local authorities and is working with women in the area who are obviously distressed and vulnerable at this time. Please pray NCAP has these prayer requests: ‘Please pray for the team and the people they are in contact with. Lord, we pray for the families of Gemma, Tania, Anneli, Paula and Annette. We pray that you would hold them in the palm of your hand. We pray that they would know your comfort in the midst of their agony and grief. Lord, we pray for the streets of Ipswich, that your peace will surround the women there. We pray for the community that they would know your comfort in the midst of this.’ Visit www.ncapuk.org to learn about the work of NCAP.

Sri Lanka

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 08:30:00 GMT

As Norway says it’s ready to help revive peace talks in Sri Lanka, fighting continues. The military is claiming they can retake the east of the island from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in days. The LTTE still controls a large part of the far north of the island. Complex and long-term crisisAnalysts say that territory historically changes hands often, and they see no clear winner in this war. A breakaway faction of the LTTE, called the Karuna group after its leader, is outpacing the LTTE in terms of recruitment. Aid agencies claim that the Karuna group is able to operate freely in government-held territory. And analysts say Karuna fighters are working with the government in their battle against the LTTE. Both parties deny this. Resuming talks?At the beginning of July, Norway said it would help revive the peace talks if the warring parties asked for its help. The Sri Lankan government has reportedly asked Norway to help resume the peace talks. Norway brokered a ceasefire in 2002. This deal ...

Central African Republic

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 15:05:00 GMT

Fear of returning home Thousands of people displaced by civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR) are reluctant to return to their homes despite improved security in the region. The conflict, which has lasted for 18 months, has been between government forces and the rebel Army for the Restoration of the Republic and Democracy (APRD). The APRD claims the current government toppled a legitimate one in 2003 and is mismanaging public funds. Calmer Since rebels signed a peace agreement the situation is calmer, but many whose homes were burned and possessions stolen are still too frightened to return. They continue to live in makeshift camps but conditions mean there isn’t access to enough food, clean water or medical help. The aftermath of the rainy season in July is also making getting aid to people virtually impossible. History of conflict Landlocked CAR has experienced civil conflicts for over thirty years due to successive misrule by military governments since its independence in 1960. A violen ...

Darfur, western Sudan

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:48:00 GMT

Leaders from rebel groups in Darfur have agreed to allow humanitarian agencies free access to those affected by the conflict. In their communiqué they have agreed to stop hostilities against aid organisations and African union peacekeepers. The group has also established a common position on the sharing of power and wealth and land issues. Key absencesThe meeting took place in Tanzania and was convened by the African Union (AU) and UN special envoys for Darfur. However, two influential rebel group leaders were absent from the talks. Abdul Wahid al Nur, who claims to represent the Fur group, refused to attend. And Suleiman Jamous, the humanitarian coordinator of the Sudan Liberation Army, is being held under house arrest by the Sudanese authorities. Last month Sudan’s president agreed to allow a joint UN-AU peacekeeping force into Darfur. The force, known as the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), will absorb the 7,000 AU peacekeepers currently stationed there. It will be composed of ...

India and Pakistan

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 10:16:00 GMT

Bomb blasts in India, near the Pakistani border, will not undermine the peace process between the two countries, according to President Musharraf.

Bomb blasts

Two bombs exploded on a train on Monday, killing at least 66 passengers. Two unexploded bombs were also found on the train.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, is in New Delhi this week to meet with Indian leaders. They are discussing the peace process between the two countries.

Please pray

Please pray for comfort for the bereaved families of those who died in the bomb blast. Pray that this incident will not trigger any backlash and will not damage the shaky relationship between India and Pakistan.

Give thanks for the increased stability between the two countries over recent years. Please pray for the peace process – there are people who would like the two countries to remain divided.

International Women's Day

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 11:29:00 GMT

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March and is designed to connect all women around the world, inspiring them to achieve their full potential. Events such as conferences and political rallies will be held in many countries. This year the focus is on ending impunity for violence against women and girls. Gender injustice Rape is used as a weapon of war and usually goes unpunished. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one non-governmental organisation reported a total of 21 rape cases a day, according to the UN. However, President Laurent Kabila has promised the UN that the culture of impunity will end, and that any government soldier or employee involved in sexual abuse will be fired. Women throughout DRC will be celebrating the day. In Uvira, eastern DRC, Tearfund along with other aid agencies will visit and give help to children who have been orphaned as a result of AIDS and to women who have been abused. On 8 March there will be a parade through Uvira. Female Tearfund staff wi ...

Bolivia

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 11:32:00 GMT

Beni province, northern Bolivia, is under water after some three months of heavy rainfall. Crops have been destroyed in Santa Cruz, eastern Bolivia. At least 35 people have been killed and the Red Cross estimates that as many as 350,000 people have been affected by the floods, including many indigenous people living in remote areas of Beni. Changing climate The El Nino phenomenon, in which waters warm in the Pacific Ocean and then cause extreme weather conditions, has been blamed for the rains. President Evo Morales has said that the rains are a result of the failure of wealthy industrialised nations to combat climate change. According to the UN, water supplies have been contaminated and there have been reports of dengue fever outbreaks. Aid has started to arrive but the floods have blocked roads and the rain has caused landslides, making it difficult to reach those in need with vital supplies. Tearfund is monitoring the situation. Our partner the Evangelical Christian Union has links with churches ...

Guinea

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 11:37:00 GMT

It’s now the army’s turn to protest against Guinea’s president, Lansana Conte. Six people have been killed during protests in the capital, Conakry, and in other towns. The soldiers have been protesting over pay and demanding better housing. Wage disputes Soldiers allege that Mr Conte has not kept his promise to increase their wages, but analysts believe he does not have enough money to give the soldiers what they are demanding. These protests by the army follow violent strikes by trade unions and opposition parties in January and March this year, in which more than 120 people were killed. People took to the streets to call for President Conte’s resignation. Politics Soldiers were sent in to quell the violence and human rights organisations report that the soldiers looted properties and raped and beat people. As part of the deal which ended the strikes, President Conte named Lansana Kouyate as the new prime minister, from a list drawn up by the opposition and unions. President Conte came to power in ...

Mozambique floods

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:12:00 GMT

More rain is forecast for Mozambique over the next few weeks. Torrential rain has already caused extensive flooding, forcing thousands of people from their homes and destroying valuable crops. The harvest was due in April and May. Great need despite preparation There have been heavy rains since January, causing rivers such as the Zambezi to burst their banks. The rains have been blamed on the El Nino phenomenon, a climatic cycle causing unusual weather patterns. Mozambique learnt lessons from severe flooding in 2000 and 2001 and was well prepared; the United Nations has praised Mozambique for its handling of the floods. Local relief agency, the National Disaster Management Institute, has an early warning system and in October predicted that there would be floods. They stored tents, blankets and water purifying chemicals as a contingency plan and were able to move boats and communication kits to vulnerable areas long before the floods hit. They also made sure there was UN World Food Programme (WFP) fo ...

Colombia

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:59:00 GMT

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is offering demobilised right-wing paramilitaries the opportunity to run for public office, under a new Bill. This is an attempt to salvage his peace deal. Controversial peace deal The deal initially stated that former paramilitaries would be charged with sedition rather than common crimes. Under the charge of sedition they would not have faced cocaine-smuggling charges and would have been able to run for public office. However, the Supreme Court then ruled that they could not be charged with sedition because they had never tried to overthrow the government. Colombia’s violent conflict has claimed at least 35,000 lives in the past 15 years and nearly 3 million people have been forced from their homes. Many human rights groups have criticised President Uribe for not making sure that criminal networks were properly dismantled and for not offering adequate compensation to those who suffered at the hands of the paramilitaries. Christians assassinatedLast month, two Christian ...

Liberia

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 14:24:00 GMT

Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia, is to be tried at The Hague for crimes against humanity, war crimes and the use of child soldiers. The trial has been adjourned until Tuesday 3 July so that a defence team can be assembled after he sacked his lawyer. Mr Taylor has said that he will not be given a fair hearing and that he will boycott the trial. Involvement in Sierra LeoneHe is indicted on 11 charges over his alleged role in Sierra Leone’s civil war, which lasted from 1991 to 2002. He is accused of providing Sierra Leone rebel group, the Revolutionary United Front, with training, money, fighters and arms. He has pleaded not guilty to all 11 counts. In 1999, rebels in Liberia tried to oust Taylor and in 2003 he fled to Nigeria. He was deported from Nigeria in 2006. His trial is being held at The Hague because it was feared it would cause violence if held in Freetown in Sierra Leone. Last week in Freetown, three militia leaders were found guilty of war crimes. They will be sentenced in July. Af ...

Madagascar

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 14:30:00 GMT

Madagascar was already suffering from drought before being hit by six cyclones earlier this year. More than two months after the last cyclone, many islanders are struggling to find food and children are missing out on their education. Long-term damageThe cyclones brought with them strong winds and heavy rains. Crops were destroyed and homes, schools and roads were damaged. Cyclone Indlala was the strongest, and is estimated to have devastated some 80 per cent of the island’s vanilla harvest, the country’s main export. Children whose schools were washed away have been missing out on their education. Tearfund partner the Bible Baptist Church of Madagascar (BBCM) runs a hospital in Mandritsara, north east Madagascar. BBCM staff member David Mann says of the destruction caused by cyclone Indlala, ‘During April, May and June we were not able to run our vaccination programmes. It is only during these last two weeks that my team and I could visit the villages to see the damage. ‘All the villages close to a ri ...

Slavery

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:20:00 GMT

On 25 March 1807 the Abolition Bill was passed, marking the beginning of the end of the transatlantic slave trade. This Sunday has been labelled Freedom Day, to mark the 200th anniversary of this historic victory. Still work to be done Today, more than 12 million people live in forms of modern-day slavery, including sex work, forced labour on farms and domestic service. It is believed that up to 85 per cent of women working in British brothels come from overseas. Approximately 4,000 people are trafficked to the UK every year for the purposes of enforced prostitution. They are lured by the false promise of a better life. Before they reach the UK they have often been kidnapped, intimidated, humiliated, raped, abused, beaten and drugged. Christian response Christians in the UK were among those who helped overthrow the transatlantic slave trade. Today, Christians are caring for those who have been forced into prostitution in the UK. Churches from one town will often link up and form a charity that can ...

India: Maoist conflcit

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:22:00 GMT

Maoist fighters have attacked police and tribal militia members in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh State of Central India, killing some 55 people. The victims are mostly members of a civil militia group called the Salwa Judum, which is supported by the state government to fight the Maoists.

Wide disruption

The Maoists started their rebellion 40 years ago in eastern India. They claim they are fighting a long-running insurgency for the rights of landless farmers and tribes. They now operate in six of India’s 29 states.

Some of the work of our partner organisations has been indirectly affected by the fighting and the ongoing security threat, particularly in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa.

Please pray

Please pray for a peaceful and just outcome to the conflict. Pray too for the safety and security of aid agencies and our partners as they operate in difficult circumstances.

East Africa locusts

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 09:20:00 GMT

There is an infestation of locusts developing on the Red Sea coast around Somalia and Eritrea, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation.

Preventative measures

The locusts will become adults in the next week and will start swarming. The UN says the locusts may move further north into Sudan.

Aerial spraying has stared to stop the locusts from swarming. Swarms cause devastation to food crops. One swarm can contain as many as 80 million locusts per square kilometre, and some swarms can measure several hundred kilometres. A small swarm is capable of eating as much food as 2,500 people.

Please pray that action taken now will stop the locusts from maturing and swarming.

Nigeria

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 08:30:00 GMT

Nigeria’s new president, Umaru Yar’Adua, from the ruling party, has been officially sworn in following elections in April. The two main opposition parties have already challenged the results of the poll in court, and say they will organise demonstrations. EU observers say that the elections were not credible. Oil-related violenceIn his inaugural address, the new president vowed to tackle the violence in the troubled Delta region. He has appealed for a truce so that dialogue can take place. A large proportion of Nigeria’s oil wealth allegedly goes to the ruling president and his party. The Nigerian delta is rich in oil but few Nigerians see any benefits, with most of the oil wealth going straight to the government and foreign oil companies. Militant groups have been fighting for regional control of the region’s oil wealth. They have kidnapped dozens of foreign workers over the years. Poor track recordPresident Yar’Adua takes over from Olusegun Obasanjo, who was voted into power in 1999 in elections in ...

Nepal

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 08:30:00 GMT

Maoists in Nepal are threatening to pull out of the coalition government. The former rebels were formally registered as a political party earlier this month, but have threatened to walk out over a row about the soldiers posted as guards for the homes of Maoist ministers. The Maoists claim the solders are part of a section of the Nepali army which used to fight them before the ceasefire. New democracyNepal’s first national elections in eight years are scheduled to take place on 22 November, according to the country’s interim government. Nepal will be voting for 497 seats in the assembly. This assembly will then draft a new constitution which will finalise the peace process. Nepal began moving towards peace and democracy last April, when the people of Nepal took to the streets to protest against King Gyanendra who had sacked the government the previous year. The Maoists signed a peace deal with the multi-party government in November 2006. Please prayPlease pray for Nepal at this key time in its history. ...

Asia earthquake

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 08:30:00 GMT

Monsoon rains in earthquake-affected areas of Pakistan are causing misery for those still living in camps for displaced people. Some shelters have badly leaked and others have collapsed. Slow rebuilding processSome 13,000 people are still living in temporary shelter, almost two years after the earthquake devastated swathes of northern Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Rebuilding throughout the earthquake-affected region has been slow. One of the problems is the question of where to rebuild. Some villages were razed completely by the quake so it is not safe to rebuild in these places. And harsh conditions have made it impossible to build during the past two winter seasons. MonsoonMeanwhile, torrential rains across the provinces of the North West Frontier, Balochistan and Sindh have killed an estimated 260 people. Access to some of the more remote locations is proving difficult as roads and bridges have been destroyed or blocked by debris. Tearfund’s partners are not working in any of the area ...

Thailand

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:40:00 GMT

Tensions are high between Buddhists and Muslims in Thailand’s restive south. Eight Buddhists were recently killed in an attack on a minibus and a grenade was thrown into a mosque at the beginning of the month. At least 14 people were injured. Separatist revolt Unlike the rest of the country, the three southern provinces are predominantly Islamic, with Malay Muslims making up 80 per cent of the population. A separatist revolt dimmed in the 1980s but was sparked again in January 2004. More than 2,000 people have been killed in the separatist insurgency in the past last three years. Thailand has enjoyed periods of great growth and development which have benefited many, but which have been at great cost to others. Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, in particular saw a huge influx of workers during its boom years. Many social issues have arisen as a result of this growth, such as a large-scale sex industry, which in turn has contributed to HIV infection. Please pray Please pray for political stability and for pe ...

Brazil

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:42:00 GMT

Violence has become a normal part of life in Brazil and thousands of people are killed every year. Murder rates in Rio de Janeiro are similar to those of some countries that are at war. Last week the state governor requested government troops be sent to Rio to combat crime. However, the local authorities do not accept the need for this. Inequality There is a huge gap between rich and poor, and police officers are underpaid and often corrupt. Federal police recently staged a 24-hour strike in protest that they had not received a promised pay rise. Most of the violence takes place in Brazil’s shanty towns, or favelas. Shootouts between police and drug gangs add to the numbers of casualties. Vigilante groups, which claim to be protecting the favelas, are also violent. Often there is a lack of basic sanitation and electricity. Tearfund's work Tearfund partners work in shanty towns in different parts of the country. For example Casa Filadelfia in Sao Paulo carries out HIV prevention work and tries to preve ...

South Sudan

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:47:00 GMT

Peace came to south Sudan more than two years ago, but many residents and people returning to the region are still feeling the effects of decades of war, and some violence continues. Landmines There are still unexploded mines across the region, and it is proving difficult to work out where they are. Returning refugees are most at risk, as they have no local knowledge of where the mines might be. Some farmland and water points are not being used for fear of mines. However, a lot of roads have now been cleared. Implementing the peace agreement Troops from northern Sudan are still present in the south, in contravention of the peace agreement. According to a local government minister, the presence of the troops in the southern oil producing Unity state is making people fearful of returning to their homes in the area. Oil was one of the causes of the war. And Ugandan rebels from the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) have been carrying out attacks on civilians in south Sudan. The attacks peaked when peace talks ...

Philippines

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:04:00 GMT

A rebel base has been captured by soldiers in the Philippines, on the central island of Samar. Maoist insurgency The base belonged to the Maosist group, the New People’s Army, who have been fighting the government in an insurgency that began in 1969 and has killed more than 40,000 people. They have bases in 69 of the Philippines’ 81 provinces. The Maoists want the Philippines to be ruled by a socialist government. But they have not been successful. In a separate conflict on the southern island of Mindanao, rebels have been fighting for a separate Muslim state for decades. This conflict has claimed some 120,000 lives. Please pray Please pray for the forthcoming national election which is tentatively set for 14 May, 2007. Several incidences of election-related violence have already been reported. Pray too for our partners as they plan for the year ahead. They are seen as neutral because they work through churches. Pray also for the Philippine Children Ministry Network as it works to curb the traff ...

Eritrea

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 03 May 2007 10:16:00 GMT

Eritreans who were deported from Ethiopia during the border war of 1998-2000 are now demanding compensation. They have been protesting on the streets outside legal offices in various Eritrean cities over the past few weeks, saying they lost all they had when they were deported but that they have not received any compensation. Claims commissionThe Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission was set up as part of the peace deal signed in 2000. The Eritreans are hoping the Commission will award them what they say they are owed by Ethiopia. Meanwhile, Ethiopia has also been preparing a claim for the Commission. Eritrea and its larger neighbour, Ethiopia, fought a border war from 1998 to 2000. A buffer zone was created in 2000 as part of the ceasefire agreement. Since then the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea have continued to dispute the border. Food shortagesThe border dispute has left a terrible legacy in Eritrea. Even in a good year, farmers cannot grow enough food to feed the population, and at least two- th ...

Mali

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 17 May 2007 09:26:00 GMT

Mali manages to produce more food than the country needs, yet there are still high levels of malnutrition. The many causes of malnutrition in Mali must be addressed at government level, say analysts. According to UNICEF, more than half of the children in Mali who die before their fifth birthday suffer from the effects of malnutrition. Making the most of good harvests Harvests in Mali have been relatively good for the past two years. Local partners Odes Mali and the Evangelical Baptist Church are running market gardening projects to encourage people to diversify their crops, and promoting cereal banks. They have also been attending meetings with local government and non- governmental organisations about the ongoing availability of food. In Timbuktu, northern Mali, there is an increasing concern about the availability of rice, which is grown in the vicinity. Millet is being moved up from the south. Unfair trade rules As well as producing surplus food, Mali is one of the main cotton producers in Africa. H ...

Northern India

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 17 May 2007 09:30:00 GMT

India’s low-caste party has won more than half of the votes in assembly elections in the state of Uttar Pradesh, northern India. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won 202 of the 403 seats. The BSP’s leader, Ms Mayawati, is from the Dalit caste. Influence of the low casts Uttar Pradesh is India’s most heavily populated state, as well as being one of the poorest, and holds a lot of political influence. Most of India’s prime ministers have come from Uttar Pradesh. India’s two main parties faired badly in the polls. Tearfund partner the Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) runs three projects in Uttar Pradesh, focusing on health promotion and HIV awareness. HIV awareness Consequently, young people are now aware of HIV and how it spreads, local health workers are using new syringes for each vaccination and truck drivers have volunteered for blood tests. EHA is working in coordination with the India Evangelical Mission and the Uttar Pradesh Mission. Please pray Please pray for stability and security in rural ...

Global day of prayer

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 24 May 2007 09:25:00 GMT

Supported by Tearfund, the Global Day of Pray 2007 takes place on Pentecost Sunday, 27 May. It’s an opportunity to be part of an international movement, joining in prayer with Christians from around the world. The main event in the UK takes place at the West Ham football ground on 27 May. The event begins at 2pm and will run until 5.30. Worship will be led by Tim Hughes and Graham Kendrick, among others. With God's eyes Matthew Frost, Tearfund’s Chief Executive says, ‘Tearfund’s vision is to transform the lives of millions of the world’s poorest people, in a positive and sustainable way. 'As we spend time in prayer, we can begin to see the world through God's eyes and understand more fully his heart of compassion. We are pleased to be a partner of the Global Day of Prayer 2007.’ Please pray Please pray for this exciting day which will bring together churches and individuals from across the UK of all ages, cultures, backgrounds and denominations. For more information or to book a place visit http ...

G8 in Germany

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 24 May 2007 09:39:00 GMT

This week the leaders of eight of the world’s most powerful nations have been meeting at the G8 summit in Germany. These leaders of wealthy nations have a lot of work to do in combating global poverty. Tough workIn 2007, some 5,000 children die every day from drinking dirty water and more than five million people living with HIV and AIDS still do not have access to medicines. Lives are being lost needlessly. Among other things, Tearfund wanted the G8 to address climate change, asking the G8 to limit the global average temperature increase to far below 2°C and to provide funds to help poor countries adapt to their changing climate. You can find out how the G8 did on this vital issue and on other poverty issues, such as water and sanitation and trade, on our website. We'll have a full policy analysis here by Friday evening. Please prayGive thanks that thousands of campaigners from across the country converged on London on Saturday 2 June to give Tony Blair a good send off to Germany. Pray that the leader ...

Children at risk

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 31 May 2007 09:23:00 GMT

This Saturday and Sunday, 2-3 June, is a worldwide weekend of prayer for children at risk, organised by the Viva network. Christians from around the world will be gathering together to pray for children who are poor, orphaned, exploited or neglected. Christian networkThe Viva Network is a global movement of Christians with 81 network initiatives in 48 countries, helping 1.2 million children. The network provides support and advice to Christian groups caring for children who are at risk, and also helps groups link up and collaborate with each other. Please prayPlease give thanks for the Viva Network, and pray for ongoing wisdom, creativity and energy as it supports those working with children at risk. Pray that good things will come of this weekend as Christians from around the world spend time learning about and praying for some of the most vulnerable children in our world. More infoVisit http://www.viva.org/ for more information about the weekend of prayer, including resources and details of events t ...

Lebanon

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:58:00 GMT

On 20 May, the Palestinian refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared in northern Lebanon came under attack from the Lebanese army. Their aim has been to root out a group of Islamists, called Fatah al-Islam, who have alleged links with Al-Qaeda. Heavy-handedMore than 100 people are reported to have been killed and many more injured. Casualty lists include civilians as well as soldiers and militants. Amnesty International and the UN have accused the army of using very heavy-handed tactics in their offensive, and are concerned about human rights infringements relating to military action in and around civilian homes. The heavy shelling has caused severe destruction to parts of the camp, and some 26,000 of its inhabitants have had to flee. Some of them have taken refuge in a neighbouring camp called Beddawi, while others have fled further south to other camps across Lebanon. Desperate conditionsThe standard of living in these camps was already low and they have now become overcrowded, with food and medicines in short su ...

Iraq

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 09:08:00 GMT

As violence, attack and counter attack continue to plague Iraq, the UN estimates that more than 2 million Iraqis have fled their homes but remain in the country, while a further 2.2 million have fled to neighbouring countries. Getting worseIt has been around four years since the US and its allies invaded Iraq. Shanty towns are growing, with limited access to social services or basic resources. There are shortages of electricity and clean drinking water across the country. Some families complain of having to go for up to three days at a time without electricity. Many residents, especially those living in Baghdad, have been on the streets, protesting about the poor living conditions. Rubbish often goes uncollected. Tearfund's workTearfund’s partner Jecrad continues to renovate schools in Iraq. Jecrad is currently renovating four dilapidated schools and five buildings belonging to the Education Ministry. The schools are used by more than 2,000 children. Please prayJecrad ask us to pray that God will bri ...

Myanmar

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 09:15:00 GMT

Myanmar’s detained democracy leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, will mark her 62nd birthday on 19 June. She is currently in her 12th year of house arrest, where she has spent 11 out of the last 18 years. Her current period of detention was due to expire last month, but was renewed for a further year days earlier. Military ruleAung San Suu Kyi has received more than 50 international awards for her efforts to secure democracy in Myanmar. She led her party, the National League for Democracy, to an overwhelming victory in elections in 1990, but the ruling military regime refused to accept the results and instead imprisoned the victors and intensified its grip on power. These elections were the first in 30 years. Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962 and the junta has absolute power. Please prayPlease pray for democracy to return to Myanmar, and remember Aung San Suu Kyi in your prayers. Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that she once told a foreign missionary that her favourite Bible verse was Joh ...

Niger

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:32:00 GMT

A rebel group from the Tuareg nomadic pastoralist community have been carrying out attacks in northern Niger since February. They fired at the airport in Agadez on Sunday. There were no casualties. Calls for talksEarlier this year the rebels attacked military posts and a uranium mine. Niger is one of the world's largest producers of uranium. There are calls from civil society leaders to negotiate a peace deal with the rebels. The Irish Red Cross had one of its vehicles stolen last month by men in military uniforms with Kalashnikovs. Last week the governor of Agadez said anyone travelling in the north needed to go with an armed escort. TheftThere has also been a series of car-jackings. A spokesman for the NMJ says they have been behind many of the car-thefts but not the Red Cross incident. The NMJ claims the government has neglected the northern region and treats Tuareg people like second class citizens. The Tuareg people are nomadic pastoralists and make a living through herding. Tearfund has no partner ...

Indonesia

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:33:00 GMT

People in Aceh, Indonesia, are still traumatised by a war that ended two years ago. According to a new report by the World Bank, 85 per cent of people interviewed still experience fear and insecurity. An estimated 15,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the war between the government and the Free Aceh Movement. A peace deal was signed in August 2005. Limited resources mean that mental health services in the region are inadequate for dealing with the problem. The peace deal came months after the tsunami, which killed some 221,000 people in Indonesia. Most of the aid money flowing into the country is for tsunami reconstruction, rather than for post-conflict recovery. Tearfund has a tsunami relief team based in Aceh. They are focussing on helping communities build up their resilience to any future disasters like earthquakes and floods. There are also plans to develop post-conflict counselling. Please pray for the DMT team as they focus on new projects in four districts in Aceh during 2007. Ask tha ...

World Trade Organisation

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:28:00 GMT

World trade organisation (WTO) talks between Brazil, India, the US and the EU broke down last week after failure to agree on cuts to tariffs and subsidies. Discussions collapsed because of the US and EU’s consistent refusal to make the necessary changes to stop the damage caused by their own agricultural subsidies and tariff regimes. At the same time they aggressively demand that developing countries open up their industrial markets. Doha failureThis is the latest collapse in a series of breakdowns and re-starts since the current round of WTO talks was kicked off in Doha in 2001. The ‘Doha Round’ of talks was launched because global trade rules and practices were failing poor countries. This round was said to be a development round – with the needs and interests of developing countries at its core. However, from their inception, the negotiations have been far from development-focused. The concerns and interests of developing countries have been increasingly sidelined and the voice of the poorest ignored. ...

Mauritania

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 10:46:00 GMT

After living in exile in Senegal and Mali for 18 years, tens of thousands of black Mauritanians have started the official process of returning home. However, many of them are concerned that they may be discriminated against. CompensationA spokesperson for the refugees has said that the returnees will need reparations for jobs and property and has demanded that a truth and reconciliation commission be set up. Between 1989 and 1991, more than 60,000 black Mauritanians were forced from their country during ethnic violence. An estimated 26,000 have yet to return. Mauritania had been under autocratic rule since independence with France in 1960 until a military coup in 2005. Sidi Ould Sheikh Adballahi was democratically elected president in March this year. Last month, Mauritania made its first official request to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) for assistance in repatriating the refugees. Please prayTearfund works with a Christian organisation which is carrying out community development work in Mauritania. Pl ...

New ministers

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:13:00 GMT

This is a key time for our government, with a new prime minister and new ministers taking up positions in Gordon Brown’s cabinet. It is an ideal opportunity to pray for our leaders, and to encourage them in their new roles. Climate changeThe next few months will be vital for climate change. The next UN climate change summit takes place in Bali in December, and the UK government’s Climate Change Bill is currently passing through Parliament. As Hilary Benn starts his new role as Secretary of State for the Environment, we want to encourage him to put climate change at the top of the agenda.Please pray that he will ensure that the UK's Climate Change Bill includes a target to reduce emissions by 80 per cent (on 1990 levels) by 2050, and that he will take a strong lead at the UN summit in December. TradeDouglas Alexander was appointed as the Secretary of State for International Development. Mr Alexander’s department has been given more responsibility for trade issues. Tearfund wants action on trade agreements t ...

Global flooding

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:33:00 GMT

As flood waters recede in the UK, countries in Asia and Africa continue to be badly affected by torrential rainfall and storms. Risk to farmersChina’s death-toll continues to rise: almost 700 people have died because of floods, landslides and lightning. China’s floods have affected some 119 million people, with farmers bearing the brunt. Meanwhile there is a shortage of drinking water in the south because of drought. This weekend 17 people from four different provinces were killed in fierce storms. Bangladesh, India and Nepal continue to be battered by heavy monsoon rains. Almost half of Bangladesh is under water. According to official reports, approximately 1,000 people have been killed in the region this year because of torrential rain. The rainy season here is traditionally from June to September. Tearfund partner the Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) is providing food and temporary shelters to affected communities in Bihar state, India. They are also distributing water disinfection tablets, hygien ...

Monsoon season 2007

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 14:08:00 GMT

This year’s Asia monsoon season has been described as the worst in 25 years. More than 770 people have been killed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, with more rain forecast for this week. Homes have been destroyed, villagers marooned and valuabe rice fields ruined. Tearfund's workTearfund’s partners Eficor and the Discipleship Centre (DC) have been able to respond immediately with money from Tearfund. Eficor is providing emergency relief to some 6,000 families in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Orrisa. They are distributing food rations for three weeks as well as items such as cooking pots and sleeping mats to these families, with the help of their partner agencies and local churches. DC is carrying out flood relief in Orissa. They are distributing food and hygiene kits to almost 2,000 families. DC has also planned health camps to treat patients affected by flood-related diseases and to teach people how to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases. Risk reductionReducing the impact o ...

Haiti

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:07:00 GMT

Peacekeeping troops in Haiti will stay there for another year, according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. UN presence Since 2004, relative stability has been maintained by UN troops in Haiti – a country in which more than nine million people live on 50 US cents a day, and male life expectancy stands at 51. Haiti is 154th in the United Nations poverty indicator (177 being the poorest). Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has also suffered gang wars, fuelling violence and kidnappings. More than 250,000 children are thought to be in slave labour in Haiti. According to Unicef, this number has grown as poverty in rural areas has increased. Trafficking of child slaves to the neighbouring Dominican Republic is also growing. Partners lobbying for change Tearfund’s partners in Haiti are lobbying the government to meet the UN’s Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty in the country. Supported by Tearfund and Micah Challenge Haiti, the Protestant Education Federation and Evangelical Alliance have made su ...

Floods in South Asia

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:14:00 GMT

More than 400 people have died and 35 million people have been displaced in floods devastating large parts of India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Reports estimate more than 13 million in India, 6.9 million in Bangladesh and over 750,000 people in Nepal are affected. Tearfund partners are responding where they can. India In Bihar, northern India, where seven million people have been displaced and more than 700,000 houses destroyed, Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) is supplying shelter and water. Temporary clinics are combating water diseases and more volunteer staff arrived this week. Tearfund partner Eficor is also providing shelter and food in Bihar state as well as in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa - all subject to water contamination and food shortages. The Discipleship Centre (DC) in Orissa is providing dry rations, sanitary kits, tarpaulins, crop seed and animal fodder to those whose land has been destroyed. In Assam state, north east India, more than a million people have been hit by the floods. Tearfund ...

Sierra Leone

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:03:00 GMT

Sierra Leone has gone to the polls for the second time since emerging from ten years of civil war in 2001. There was a high turnout and the elections have been called ‘free and fair’ by international observers. UN peacekeepers only left the country two years ago and the UN organised the previous elections, held in 2002. Possible run-offBallot papers are still being counted and final results are expected in the next two weeks. Early results suggest that a run-off may be required to choose the new president. The winning candidate would need to win more than 55 per cent of the vote to avoid a run-off. Progress and challengesThe new president will face huge challenges. Six years after the war ended, some 60 per cent of the population is unemployed and most people survive on less than a dollar a day. Life expectancy is just 40 years and most people lack access to even basic healthcare. Progress has been made since the war ended, however. According to a report by the International Crisis Group, more children ...

Northern Kenya

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 14:21:00 GMT

Farming communities in northern Kenya are once again experiencing the first signs of drought. The main rainy season is meant to last from April until June, but this year the Marsabit area, where Tearfund is working, saw no more than three days of rain. The harvest was due in July but there has been almost total crop failure across the region. Recurring disasterMany cattle died in the drought that hit the region last year. Tearfund partners and other agencies helped to restock herds, but now these animals are having to walk long distances in search of water and grazing land. The UN World Food Programme, in conjunction with the Kenyan Red Cross, will be distributing emergency food aid until the end of September. Food and water shortages are common in northern Kenya, and there is long-term malnutrition. This ongoing crisis requires long-term solutions, as well as distributions of food. Tearfund’s partner the Christian Services of Mount Kenya East (CSMKE) is working with communities in Marsabit, helping them ...

Peru earthquake

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:16:00 GMT

Emergency aid is beginning to reach survivors of a powerful earthquake which destroyed large areas of Peru last Wednesday. Reaching those who live in remote rural communities is providing many challenges as the main access routes have been damaged. HomelessThe earthquake measured 8.0 on the Richter scale and killed at least 650 people in coastal towns south of the capital Lima. More than 1,500 people have been injured and 34,000 houses destroyed, according to the latest official information. Many were killed when their houses, built of heavy mud bricks, collapsed. The area has experienced many aftershocks. A church in Pisco, one of the cities worst affected by the quake, was destroyed, killing some 150 people who were attending a funeral service. AftermathThere is now a fear that disease will spread. Some 85,000 people have been made homeless and others are afraid to return to their houses because of the aftershocks. Hundreds of people are sleeping out in the open in cold weather. Aid agencies estimat ...

Continuing conflict in Darfur

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:40:00 GMT

Further reports of the Sudanese government providing weapons to rebels in Darfur continue to surface. As a result of the conflict and lack of peaceful solution in the region, estimates indicate that over 500,000 people there are still not able to access aid. Strengthened peacekeeping presence In July, the UN Security Council agreed to strengthen the African Union-United Nations (AU-UN) peacekeeping force in Darfur. However they lack the mandate to disarm groups. This month it was agreed that the AU-UN troops be increased from 7,000 to 26,000. It is hoped that this will stabilise conditions enabling aid to reach people caught up in conflict. There are also hopes that it will provide room for discussions for a lasting peaceful solution in the region. Tearfund's work For over three years, Tearfund’s relief teams have been working in refugee camps in Darfur, and through our partner Cord in neighbouring Chad. The relief team also work with surrounding communities providing clean water and sanitation, help ...

Talks postponed in Phillipines

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:59:00 GMT

Talks between the government and the Philippines’ largest Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), have been delayed this month. It is hoped that dialogue will start in September and bring an end to recent ambush attacks on government troops. Internal conflict The MILF want a Muslim state in the south of the country. More than 50 soldiers have been killed in fighting with members of both the MILF, the Moro National Liberation Front and Abu Sayyaf rebels (a more radical group), in the past two months. The government is taking a particular stance against Abbu Sayyaf on the island of Mindanao in the south of the country. Mining proposals threaten Mindoro communties On Philippine island Mindoro, 600-year-old communities are at threat of being removed from their homes if proposals for mining sites go ahead. The British multinational-backed mines would leave the lands vulnerable to flash flooding with uplands stripped and waste polluting waterways. Please pray As Tearfund partner ...

UK

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 09:04:00 GMT

Over the past year many young people – including Rhys Jones who was murdered last week in Liverpool – have been shot in the UK.

Our work

Tearfund works with the Diocese of Liverpool encouraging local churches in places of high deprivation to get involved with their communities and enable them to provide for vulnerable young people.

Please pray

Our partner Own It in Newcastle is enabling young people to achieve their dreams through work placements while Exeter-based partner Riverside is providing alternative pastimes to young people in areas of rising crime. Pray that as our partners work with young people the chances of them being drawn into gangs, substance misuse and violence will decrease.

Aftermath of the earthquake in Mexico

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 09:23:00 GMT

Isolated Mayan communities have lost crops and homes as Hurricane Dean tore inland after forcing thousands into shelters on the Gulf coast of Mexico. Destruction Torrential rains and winds of up to 100 mph battered the coast before weakening and heading inland into Mexico. But despite winds calming, storms destroyed harvest and damaged houses in many isolated Mayan jungle areas. Our partners in the region Tearfund partner AMEXTRA is looking at ways to support local churches in their response to help communities in the Gulf of Mexico. Previously working with the Mayan population when thousands of homes were destroyed by tropical storms in 2006, AMEXTRA enabled communities to recover their crops, homes and livelihoods. Please pray Please pray for Mayan communities living in isolated villages who have been badly affected by the winds. Pray that blocked roads caused by the storms will not stop help getting to those who need it. Pray also for communities hit by the hurricane on the Gulf coast and ask th ...

Continuing aid to Peru

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 09:30:00 GMT

Two weeks after the earthquake that hit large parts of the country, many people in rural areas of Peru are still without food, water and temporary shelters despite government and international community aid donations. Continuing response Tearfund partner Peace and Hope is working with the Peruvian Evangelical Alliance and local churches in the worst hit provinces, Pisco and Cañete, to provide for the many people desperate for aid. Emergency provision More than 1,500 people need food aid and local churches have set up six feeding canteens in Pisco providing daily meals. Rural communities are being given technical support to help them with their temporary shelters. Damaged water tanks vital to communities for drinking water and agriculture are being repaired. Temporary shelters are also being provided in urban areas of the province where it is estimated that more than 42 families have lost everything to the earthquake. Peace and Hope are also training church members to provide emotional support to thos ...

Partners prepare for Hurricane Felix in Honduras and Nicaragua

website.editor@tearfund.org — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 16:19:00 GMT

Partners working with communities in Honduras and Nicaragua are preparing for the full force of Hurricane Felix, a storm expected to hit by Tuesday. Reports estimate that the hurricane is likely to be a ‘category 5’ storm as it hits Honduras – meaning that winds are likely to hit at least 270km per hour and cause rising waters of up to eighteen feet high. The storm is also predicted to hit the northern most parts of Nicaragua on the Atlantic coast. Vulnerable homes Temporary houses or those without secure construction are particularly at risk. Many communities that our partners work with in Honduras and Nicaragua live in houses with weak structures near shorelines leaving them more vulnerable to storms. The hurricane is also likely to cause severe rainfall over both countries – leaving people vulnerable to flash floods and mudslides as well as water-bourne diseases. Our partners in Honduras and Nicaragua MOPAWI is one of Tearfund’s partner in Honduras and is based on the Atlantic coast of the country w ...

Hurricane Felix update - Honduras and Nicaragua

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:26:00 GMT

Devastating Hurricane Felix has destroyed thousands of homes and killed thirty eight people in Nicaragua. More than 80 are also feared missing. The hurricane has forced thousands in Honduras to flee from coastal areas as torrential rains hit the country. In Nicaragua roofs from homes and shelters were lifted off, and street lights and cables lay strewn on the ground in coastal areas inhabited predominantly by the Miskito community. Many in the area are from poor communities and it is likely that most will have lost their houses in the storms. After initially hitting Nicaragua, the hurricane reduced to a tropical storm, and wind speeds reduced to 53kmph. Moving to Honduras heavy rains soaked many parts of the country increasing the threat of flooding and mudslides. The government there has evacuated 30,000 people and many Miskito people living in the coastal areas have been evacuated by boat. The area is sparsely populated but is dotted with lagoons and rivers at risk of overflowing and flooding. Many of ...

Democratic Republic of Congo

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:45:00 GMT

Thousands of people in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have fled their homes as rebel chief General Laurent Nkunda has declared a state of war and attacked government troops. Fighting between government forces and General Nkunda’s soldiers has already caused the displacement of more than 200,000 people during the past few months. There are also many reports of killings, attacks and rapes against the population as a result of the fighting.General Nkunda claims government forces are supporting the rebel group the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The general claims they continue to attack Tutsis in the DRC. The FDLR is made up of former Rwandan soldiers and Hutu militias and took part in the Rwandan genocide against Tutsis in 1994. This week there are talks between DRC and Rwandan officials to try and calm the situation and find a resolution. There were hopes a few weeks ago that some steps had been made towards the establishment of peace in DRC after a pro ...

Pakistan

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:58:00 GMT

At least 24 people were killed and more than 66 people injured following two bombs exploding in the city of Rawalpindi this week, home of Pakistan’s military headquarters. Militant attacks have increased in the country since the storming of Pakistan’s Red Mosque in July when 100 people were killed.Tensions are also increasing in the run-up to Pakistan’s forthcoming elections. Ruling president General Pervez Musharraf’s popularity and authority has waned in recent months and last week there were proposals by exiled former prime minister Benazir Bhutto to enter into a power sharing deal. This did not materialise. Another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, is also planning his return to Pakistan from exile. Widespread poverty is still prevalent in Pakistan despite economic growth – up to 38 per cent of children are considered malnourished, with health issues such as tuberculosis remaining a significant national problem. Tearfund partners are actively working alongside the church and rural communities i ...

Mali

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:07:00 GMT

At least 35 soldiers have been kidnapped and 11 people killed by newly laid mines in Mali, West Africa, over the past week. Reports say that the government has accused the Touareg ethnic group Ibrahima Bahanga of being responsible for the mines that have killed ten civilians and one soldier. Malian army convoys have also been attacked. All of the incidents have happened north of the Sahel state near the borders with Libya and Niger. The Bahanga was responsible for the rebellion by the nomadic Touareg community in the 1990s caused by disputes over land, cultural and linguistic rights. Tearfund is part of a programme looking at communities’ chronic vulnerabilities to lack of food often made worse by annual droughts. The use of mines has not occurred in Mali since the 1960s when the country gained independence from France and the renewed use of them sets a violent precedent in the country.Tearfund partner TNT, a local church NGO based in Timbuktu, focuses on work with Toureg and other local populations i ...

Central Asia

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:14:00 GMT

A country in Central Asia has introduced a draft law dramatically restricting religious freedom, including the freedom of Christian communities. Conscious of risks to communities and partners there, Tearfund is not naming the country. The bill demands that only nationals from the country can register and lead religious organisations. It also states that groups must have a minimum number of members to be recognised as a religious group. Members must also disclose identity and income details. More than 85 per cent of the country’s population comprises of Sunni Muslims, five per cent are Shi’a Muslim and ten per cent are from other religions. There are fears that the bill will be used to restrict all religious groups, large and small, from practising freely, if they fail to meet minimum membership requirements. Tearfund has a number of partner organisations in this country working with disadvantaged children, in education and in employment-generating projects. Others also work with communities in starti ...

Zimbabwe water crisis

website.editor@tearfund.org — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:01:00 GMT

Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo, is facing severe water shortages leading to people accessing dangerous supplies to survive. The city, which has a population of more than 700,000, has been struggling with virtually no water for the past month. It is predicted that the fourth of five dams supplying the city will run out completely this month and Tearfund’s partners in the region fear that people from poor communities will suffer the most.Forced to drink unclean waterMany are already having to source unclean water sources that could lead to a spread of diseases such as cholera if the situation continues. Thousands are being forced to use the ground around their homes as toilets, adding to the risk of disease spreading. The lack of water is the result of disputes between national and local government on water supply, vandalism and recent drought in the region. There have been reports in the Zimbabwean media that the government would not be intervening in the crisis and letters calling for action over ...

Floods in Asia and West Africa

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:36:00 GMT

Floods have hit many parts of the world this summer, often affecting poor communities most. In August an estimated 35 million people in India, Bangladesh and Nepal were hit by powerful rains and flooding. There has also been devastating flooding across West Africa. An estimated 130,000 people have been affected across the region. IndiaIn India more than 3.5 million people are now thought to have been made homeless from the rains battering the country since June. Soldiers in the country have air-dropped food and continue to rescue the marooned. In Assam state around 10 million people are now thought to have been affected and more than 2,000 villages were completely submerged by the flood waters. Flood water from swelling rivers also inundated areas and 13 out of 27 districts have rivers flowing above the dangerous levels. Tearfund partner NEICORD is working with over 2,000 families in the region supporting them with food aid and shelter. It is estimated that over three million are living in temporary shelters ...

Impending food shortages in Nicaragua

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 08:55:00 GMT

There are fears that the damage Hurricane Felix caused to much of the infrastructure of Nicaragua will lead to many poor communities becoming unable to access food.Many communities living on the coastal areas that the hurricane hit are already vulnerable to not having enough food. Many survive on fishing but much of the equipment used by these communities has been damaged in the storms. There are also fears that the damage inflicted on houses, schools and water supplies and sanitation systems is leaving many still vulnerable to illness.Tearfund partner AMC (Christian Medical Action) was involved in evacuating communities in Nicaragua and is responding to immediate needs including food provision as well as shelter and house repairs. They will be involved with the rehabilitation process as communities start to recover and repair infrastructure. A national emergency committee has been set up in Nicaragua in response to the hurricane and friends of Tearfund, the Evangelical Alliance of Nicaragua, have been worki ...

Chad and Darfur

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:07:00 GMT

The United Nations (UN) has called for food aid for the thousands in camps in Eastern Chad near the border with Darfur. The World Food Organisation is calling for the additional aid so that it can provide food for displaced people in Chad and for the Sudanese refugees from Darfur in the camps.Proposals by the European Union to join forces with a UN–African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur will, it is hoped, protect Darfur refugees in Chad. It is also anticipated the force will provide room for discussions at peace talks in October and a lasting peaceful solution in the region. More than 380,000 refugees and displaced people from the conflict are sheltering in the eastern part of Chad. Most of them are fleeing the civil conflict in Darfur, but over 150,000 are from Chad itself. Local people are being forced from their homes as the ethnic conflict in Darfur spills over the border into the country. Reports of internal conflicts between the Chadian president’s ethnic group and supporters of the Minister of Def ...

Food rationing in crisis in Iraq

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:15:00 GMT

Charities and NGOs working with poor communities in Iraq are calling for emergency food aid as the breakdown of rationing systems became critical this week. Food shortages resulting from the looting of vehicles carrying food, together with outdated provisions and delays in delivery, are contributing to the malfunctioning of the system. More than 8 million in the country are dependent on the rations. Rationing was introduced when trade sanctions were put on Iraq by the UN after its invasion of Kuwait over 16 years ago. Severe reductions in rations are also being blamed on rising unemployment and price rises of over 70 per cent in the country. At least two million Iraqis are living on less than a dollar a day and more than 28 per cent of children are considered malnourished.With the Islamic month of Ramadan starting this week, many are put at further risk as fasting starts. As Muslims celebrate the month by going without food and drink from dawn until dusk, and then eat at the end of the day, dependence on f ...

Chad and Darfur

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:40:00 GMT

The United Nations (UN) has called for food aid for the thousands in camps in Eastern Chad near the border with Darfur. The World Food Organisation is calling for the additional aid so that it can provide food for displaced people in Chad and for the Sudanese refugees from Darfur in the camps. Proposals by the European Union to join forces with a UN–African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur will, it is hoped, protect Darfur refugees in Chad. It is also anticipated the force will provide room for discussions at peace talks in October and a lasting peaceful solution in the region. More than 380,000 refugees and displaced people from the conflict are sheltering in the eastern part of Chad. Most of them are fleeing the civil conflict in Darfur, but over 150,000 are from Chad itself. Local people are being forced from their homes as the ethnic conflict in Darfur spills over the border into the country. Reports of internal conflicts between the Chadian president’s ethnic group and supporters of the Minister ...

Sumatra hit by earthquake

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:33:00 GMT

The death toll from the severe earthquake that hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra rose to more than 23 last week with reports of nearly 100 people injured. There have been more than 40 aftershocks since the initial quake and there are fears of more to come. The quake also triggered increased activity in three volcanoes in the area, but all have since calmed down. The worst hit areas were on the western coast in the provinces of Bengkulu and West Sumatra, where up to 22,000 houses collapsed or were seriously damaged. Although many communities fled very quickly as the quake hit, people are still scared to return to their homes. Aid is thought to have reached people in isolated areas of the island although many are still in need of food, shelter and medical help. The electricity supply was also affected in many places. Sumatra was hit by the tsunami that caused widespread devastation in December 2004 where more than 240,000 people died after waves destroyed much of Aceh province.Indonesia sits on sever ...

Sri Lanka violence continues

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:39:00 GMT

Human rights groups have called for there to be a United Nations presence in Sri Lanka to stop human rights abuses. The abuses have increased since peace processes broke down in 2006. The calls are for the UN to have a neutral office that will record and investigate kidnappings, disappearances and other violence. However there are reports that the Government is denying any such violence and is trying to prevent this happening. It is thought that there have been more than 550 illegal executions in the north and eastern parts of Sri Lanka during the conflict and as many as 350 disappearances in the past six months. The civil war in Sri Lanka is between the predominately Sinhalese government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE want a separate Tamil state in the north and east of the island, where the majority of the Tamil community live. There is also a breakaway faction of the LTTE, called the Karuna group after its leader, who is reported to be working with the government in their ...

Miracles in Sierra Leone

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:44:00 GMT

As we reported last week Sierra Leone has just emerged from successful elections. Opposition leader Ernest Bai Koroma of All People's Congress (APC) party has won 54.6 per cent of votes defeating Solomon Berewa of the governing Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), who had 45.4 per cent. With its history of violent civil war, tensions during the election and claims of ballot fraud, as well as threats from the SLPP that they would contest the results in court, there were real fears that both the run up to the elections and announcement of results would see violence breaking out. However, there were no reports of serious conflict as a result of the elections - a real answer to prayer. Tearfund partner EFSL recently organised a thanksgiving service at the national stadium to celebrate and give thanks for the peaceful proceedings. Aiah Foday-Khabenje from the Evangelical Fellowship of Sierra Leone, one of Tearfunds partners in the country said: 'The event was in acknowledgement of God's role in our national a ...

Afghanistan

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:49:00 GMT

Violence is continuing to increase in Afghanistan. During the past 19 months the conflict has killed more than 7,000 people. The impact that the killings have is increasingly making the lives of poor communities even more difficult. Since the conflict started in 2001, reports suggest that more than six million people have fled the country and there are estimates that 1,000 children die a day because of preventable diseases. Please pray for Tearfund’s team working in Afghanistan with poor communities to enable them to respond to various disasters. The teams are working on improving water and sanitation systems in Kandahar as well as increasing knowledge in the community around health and hygiene issues. The projects have a strong focus on reducing risks in a disaster. Communities look at which disasters that they regularly face (such as drought) and how they can become less vulnerable. Pray also for the work going on in the eastern part of the country where the team is using radio programmes to raise a ...

Floods in Africa

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:13:00 GMT

Floods devastating huge areas of Sub Saharan Africa have killed more than 250 people and affected over 1.5 million. Floods have hit 17 countries stretching from west to southern Africa. Tearfund is working with local partners throughout these regions looking at the best course of action in response to the immense damage. Flooding has affected the water supplies while houses which were already weak have been destroyed in the very heavy rain. Livestock and possessions have been lost. Partners in some regions are providing food, shelter and mosquito nets to protect against malaria - and working to tackle the lack of food exasperated by the floods. In Uganda there are reports of at least 300,000 people affected and the United Nations has launched a $60m food aid appeal for the country. The devastation is also compounded by the need to provide food for refugees and people displaced by the conflict there. Estimates show up to 1.7 million people in need of food. North eastern parts of the country have lost the ma ...

Myanmar

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:44:00 GMT

Thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns - met with heavy security and beatings after government forces cracked down on one of Myanmar's largest anti-military protest for nearly two decades this week. Marching through Yangon, Myanmar's main city, the protestors were protesting against the country's military regime. Reports suggest that live ammunition, tear gas and batons were used on protestors. It's believed up to eight people were killed and more than 100 monks have been arrested. Tearfund's Davidson Solanki, who has worked with partners in the country for the last two years, called for a peaceful resolution. 'The situation has been deteriorating. We are asking Christians to pray for dialogue between the government and protestors, leading to a peaceful resolution and cessation of blood shed,' he said. Monks in the country have been regularly protesting for the last two months as fuel prices in the country doubled hitting deeply impoverished people particularly hard. Myanmar is one of the poorest country ...

Somalia

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:47:00 GMT

Somalia's government has appealed for urgent aid and assistance for the hundreds of thousands of people caught up in drought, floods and displacement and ongoing conflict in the country. The most vulnerable communities are in the southern and central regions of Somalia, where harsh drought and damaging floods are affecting people. Previous floods in 2006 were followed by a severe drought which made conditions even worse for people. Backed by Ethiopian troops, Somalia's interim government is battling insurgents after ousting Islamists from the capital Mogadishu. Hundreds of thousands have fled the fighting, while delivery of aid is hampered by ongoing violence, offshore pirates and closed borders. In August this year, the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation Food Security Assessment Unit (FSAU) reported that the numbers of people in need of humanitarian aid had increased by 50 per cent. Numbers of people in desperate need have now reached 1.5 million. As well as this there are acute shortages of medical ...

Zimbabwe

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:49:00 GMT

There are fears of a massive cholera outbreak as rates of dysentery and diarrhoea continue to rise in Zimbabwe's second largest city Bulawayo. Almost three week's ago, Tearfund reported breaking news of communities there having to drink dirty water and use the ground outside their houses as toilets. Tearfund also warned of the disastrous outbreaks of disease amongst people. Severe lack of water in Bulawayo, which has a population of 1.5 million, is already seeing rising cases of people suffering from water-bourne diseases and cholera outbreak is likely as water supplies dwindle and controlling diseases becomes more difficult. Water shortages started in the city almost 5 months ago and communities have to queue for five hours at a time for clean water. But now as water supplies are becoming unbearably limited, the council in Bulawayo is reported to be restricting supplies so that residents only have access to water every 11 days from the beginning of next month. The deepening crisis in the country was fu ...

Ukraine

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:33:00 GMT

The ruling president Viktor Yushchenko called this week for an investigation into delays in vote counting from parliamentary elections that took place last weekend. Initial results showed that Prime Minister Victor Yanukovych has a narrow lead against President Yushchenko. However, the combined number of votes of both the prime minister and Yulia Tymoshenko, the opposition leader, is larger. Both Ms Tymoshenko and Mr Yushchenko have been in coalition power since 2004 after pro-democracy street protests, but coalition infighting between them has meant that this election is the third in the last three years. Please pray as the country elects its leaders. Ask that the process would become smoother and that the government formed would be stable. Ask that the needs of poor communities in the Ukraine would be paramount to those who take on leadership. Pray also for the church in the Ukraine, that its members and leaders would reflect God’s love and compassion, and they would be a blessing to communities around ...

Russia

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:11:00 GMT

This week President Putin announced his intentions to enter parliamentary polls in December for the election of the future prime minister. Under constitutional rules Mr Putin cannot continue as president for more than two terms. Reports indicate that his admission shows a desire to continue to retain power within government. During the Putin government poor communities have benefited to some extent as the economy has stabilised and employment rates have increased. However, there are gaps in care and prevention for those vulnerable to HIV and poverty rates are at more than 17 per cent. There are also continuing concerns over human rights and religious freedom in the country. Russia has the largest HIV epidemic in Europe, accounting for two-thirds of the cases in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In 2005, there were an estimated 940,000 people in Russia living with HIV and figures are increasing. Tearfund works with four partners in HIV prevention programmes. Partner Radio TEOS broadcasts across Russia w ...

Myanmar

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 14:16:00 GMT

After last week’s crackdown on protesting students and monks, UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari visited Myanmar and held talks with the military government this week. It is thought that 400 students and 1,000 monks were arrested last week after the increasing demonstrations. Many monks were detained during night-time raids at monasteries. Protests have ceased for the moment and soldiers are still maintaining a heavy presence in the main towns. During his four-day visit, Mr Gambari met twice with Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar, who continues to be held under house arrest by the government. Japan, which funds emergency health projects and training in Myanmar, has cut aid this week in protest at the government’s opening fire at protestors, and at the shooting dead of a Japanese journalist. However, as other countries start to reduce aid too in protest against the military regime, the World Food Programme (WFP) has appealed for funding to provide for the quarter of a millio ...

Election results and renewed fighting in Pakistan

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:13:00 GMT

Pakistan saw President General Pervez Musharraf winning a 98 per cent victory in elections this week. There were also reports this week of more than 50 militants and 20 soldiers killed in fighting in the north-west of the country. The country also remembered the colossal earthquake that left 78,000 dead and over 3.5 million people homeless two years ago this week. Although General Musharraf won a comfortable majority in the parliament and provincial elections, he still has to await a Supreme Court ruling in the matter. The hearing will consider whether, as head of the Pakistani army, Mr Musharraf can legally put himself forward as a candidate for presidency. The court will not reach a decision until 17 October and, if they find it illegal, President Musharraf has promised to hand over his military responsibilities. Ahead of the general election in Pakistan to be held in January, there is also a possible power-sharing deal between Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto, a former prime minister in Pakistan who has b ...

Malnutrition and disease in Myanmar

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:18:00 GMT

Malaysia this week joined the growing number of international communities in their condemnation of the government in Myanmar. Military rulers have imposed conditions on talks with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, which many see as a further infringement on human rights. Reports from Myanmar at the end of last week are claiming severe famine in the country. In one area of 80 villages where 312 children were born, more than 112 died in the space of two months, allegedly due to malnutrition and lack of food. Research also shows that one in ten children dies before their tenth birthday and other reports from within Myanmar suggest that more than 3,000 children have died from the worst dengue epidemic (a fever disease carried by mosquitoes) to hit the country in a decade. Communities in Myanmar are under constant pressure to find food with conditions made worse by lack of employment opportunities, meaning that money is scarce. An estimated 75 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. Wh ...

Renewed fighting in Darfur

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:08:00 GMT

Renewed fighting has hit Darfur and areas on the Chadian border. At the beginning of this week there were confirmed reports of fighting in Muhajiriya, the only town owned by Darfur rebels to have signed the 2006 peace agreement. The violence is in danger of undermining UN peace talks due in Libya in three weeks’ time. Groups within the country have reported growing numbers of troops massing near Tine town, near the Chadian border. More than 100 people were killed in Haskanita in south-east Darfur, according to one source. Haskanita was razed to the ground forcing most of the 7,000 civilians living there to flee into the bush, where they face danger of not being able to access any water. The attack came days after ten African Union peacekeeping troops were killed in their base in the town. This week, after the attack on Haskanita, the UN has sent a second observer into the town to assess the situation. Ethiopia has also pledged to send 5,000 troops as part of the planned UN–African Union peacekeepi ...

Emergency funds for Burkina Faso

website.editor@tearfund.org — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:10:00 GMT

Government figures released this week showed that more than 46 people died and 95,000 were displaced in the floods that devastated the country a few weeks ago. Of the 13 regions in the country, 11 have been inundated with flood waters, causing the destruction of houses, livestock, and agricultural lands. Because of the severity of flooding it has been difficult for some agencies to assess the situation adequately but, through our local partners within the country, Tearfund had already been able to work with communities since August as mounting rains began. Over 17 countries in Africa were hit by the floods that came with colossal force a few weeks ago. Using additional disaster funds of £100k Tearfund has been able to focus its response on the worst hit and vulnerable countries – Burkina Faso and Uganda. Burkina Faso was so badly affected that it was initially inaccessible and as a result did not receive enough aid. Tearfund has also focused the funds on Uganda, also badly hit by the flooding and recove ...

Nepal elections are postponed

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:37:00 GMT

Nepal’s interim government will not debate and vote on the motion brought by Maoists to abolish the monarchy until the end of this month. Assembly elections, due for next month, have also been postponed and experts say the peace agreement that was signed in November last year has been left in tatters. The Maoists are also demanding that the election process is changed to a proportional representation system. They are unlikely to gain significant numbers of seats under existing first-past-the-post rules. There are also reports that since September violence between the Pahade [hill] and Madhesi [plains] communities have led to at least 18 deaths and more than 5,000 displaced people requiring humanitarian assistance. The peace agreement was widely believed to be the solution and end to Nepal’s 10-year civil war that had claimed more than 13,000 lives. The Maoists have 83 out of 329 seats in parliament and have threatened to bring down the government through street protests and strikes if they do not agre ...

Myanmar - China condems violence

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:40:00 GMT

China finally joined international condemnation of the government in Myanmar (Burma) and its handling of recent protests and dialogue with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In a statement from the United Nations Security Council, which includes China as one of its permanent members, the UN called for the freeing of all protestors and political prisoners and for genuine dialogue with opposition representatives. This week UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari has visited Myanmar for a second time and held talks with the government there. In a country with a population of 47 million, there are reports of more than 70,000 child soldiers forced to fight. There is also widespread trafficking of women and children through other countries bordering Myanmar such as Thailand and China. Please pray that the continuing condemnation of the government and the UN visit this week will have changed the minds of those ruling Myanmar. Ask that those with power will listen to world concerns and start an open dialogue wit ...

Sudan parties pull out of national unity government

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:43:00 GMT

Ministers from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), who are part the North-South peace agreement in Sudan and represent the south of the country, have suspended their participation in the national unity government. The SPLM withdrew their ministers from the joint administration with the National Congress Party (NCP) after months of tensions between the two main governing groups. The SPLM has claimed that the NCP was not honouring the peace agreement made two years ago to bring about equal power sharing between the two parties in the north and south of Sudan. The agreement was to facilitate a step towards peace in Sudan ending a 21-year civil war between the government and rebels. South Sudanese Vice-President Riek Machar is also trying to set up a meeting between the Sudanese President, Omar Al-Bashir, and the regional president of southern Sudan, Salva Kiir, in an attempt to resolve the crisis before it escalates further. Tearfund’s Disaster Management team and partner FAR continue to wor ...

Democratic Republic of Congo - displaced without food

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:48:00 GMT

Continued fighting in the province of North Kivu, DRC, has heightened fears that more than 150,000 displaced people reliant on aid will not be able to access provisions. After intensified fighting at the weekend, rebel leader General Laurent Nkunda, who has fought the government since 2004, failed to meet a government deadline to reintegrate his forces into the national army. In response, President Joseph Kabila has vowed he will stamp out all rebels and militia including Gen Nkunda’s forces and thousands of government soldiers have massed in Goma, Rutshuru and Masisi areas. General Nkunda claims government forces are supporting other militia group the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), made up mainly of Rwandan Hutu militias who took part in the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis in 1994. The general claims the (FDLR) continues to attack Tutsis in the DRC, and he is there to protect the Tutsi’s. Estimates show that fighting between the government and Gen Nkunda’s forces has caused ...

Zimbabwe - prayer and our appeal

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:54:00 GMT

Scarcity of food has become so critical in Zimbabwe that more than 4 million people could face starvation before the next harvest if the current situation continues. And Zimbabweans are not only facing a food crisis – there are water, electricity, fuel and foreign currency shortages too. Poverty, once concentrated in rural areas and manifesting itself in water-borne diseases and malnutrition, is now sharply increasing in major cities.In response to the emergency, Tearfund launched an appeal on Monday to increase the work that is already being done with our partners there. For some time partners have been feeding orphans, supplying clean water and helping families provide for themselves. Now, in the face of the escalating crisis, the work needs to expand so that lives can be saved. You can help with this appeal. Find more information on the crisis, prayer points on Tearfund’s work there and how to donate here. You can also call our Supporter Enquiries team on 0845 355 8355. Over 4,000 white-owned farm ...

Afghanistan conflict and food shortages

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:02:00 GMT

A leading aid agency has warned that large areas in the south, south east and east of Afghanistan are moving towards a humanitarian emergency. People already experiencing significant levels of poverty are being hit hard as continued insecurity and conflict threaten the regions they live in, hampering the provision of basic services. A further report has also highlighted that many communities in Ghor Province in central western Afghanistan are also experiencing scarcity of food, made worse by poor harvests this year. In this province alone, food production has decreased by up to 70 per cent. At the same time food prices have increased rapidly, meaning basic items such as rice are up by 127 per cent and oil by 157 per cent. Attacks on aid workers have also increased in the region with more than 41 aid convoys being attacked between January and August this year. As well as Tearfund’s Disaster Management team working in Kandahar (southern Afghanistan) on improving water and sanitation systems and healt ...

Zimbabwe deaths increase

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:23:00 GMT

There are reports from inside Zimbabwe that morgues are being filled beyond their capacity as deaths attributed to the current economic situation and AIDS in the country increase. Average life expectancy was rated at 36 in 2004 and figures are thought to have decreased further as the crisis in the country deepens. We launched our appeal to help the people of Zimbabwe last week. Thank you for your support and prayers. You can find out more about the appeal on our website or call Tearfund’s Supporter Enquiries team on 0845 355 8355. Tearfund’s partners in Zimbabwe are supplying clean water and helping families where they can with provisions and food, often when they themselves have very little. Our partner Zimbabwe Christian Alliance (ZCA) is working to support churches as they help their local communities. ZCA’s work is enabling churches to be the ‘conscience’ of society, reaching out to poor communities and advocating an end to the oppression so many are experiencing. You can listen to Promise Macenda, ...

Zimbabwe deaths increasing

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:31:00 GMT

Ivory Coast food shortages in rural areas

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:37:00 GMT

Nearly a quarter of all households in rural parts of the République de Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) are suffering from massive scarcity of food and malnutrition, a report has revealed. Figures released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations showed that between nine and 22 per cent of households, mostly in rural areas of the country, are experiencing acute or moderate levels of insecure food supplies. Many agencies working in the region have been warning that levels of malnutrition have been rising at an alarming rate. The report confirms that there are severe food shortages in northern Ivory Coast. Displacement as a result of the civil war in 2002 has meant that many communities have had to move from their homes, adding to scarcity of food as people have lost their livelihoods. The country was split into two in 2002 with the north controlled by the New Forces rebel group and the south ruled by the government. A peace deal was signed in March this year and there were hopes that ele ...

Pakistan bombings and displacement

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:40:00 GMT

A death toll of more than 139 people from the bombings last week in Pakistan’s capital Karachi was confirmed this week. Around 300 civilians were also badly injured in the blasts. In Waziristan, north western Pakistan, thousands have been displaced by fighting between the army and militants. Benazir Bhutto, a former exiled prime minister, had returned to Pakistan to stand as a candidate for forthcoming parliamentary elections and was the target of the bombings. She has said this week that she will not be deterred in her political campaign. She hopes to join forces with the current president General Musharaf after general elections in January next year and become prime minister in a power- sharing deal with the president. In Pakistan’s second largest town Mir Ali, North Waziristan (near the Afghanistan border), the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has reported that more than 80,000 people have been displaced by the fighting between the army and militants. It is thought that around 200 people, including ...

Afghanistan displacement and food shortages

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:10:00 GMT

Continuing work with flood affected communities

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:07:00 GMT

A few weeks ago we asked for your prayers for the communities in the 16 countries hit by the devastating floods in sub-Saharan Africa. Hundreds of people were killed, and thousands were displaced losing their homes and possessions during August and September. Tearfund has been working through its local partners in two of the worst-hit countries - in Uganda where more than 300,000 people were affected, and in Burkina Faso where 11 of its 13 regions were inundated by the flood waters. Initially providing food, shelter, blankets, and mosquito nets, teams are now tackling outbreaks of water-borne diseases in these countries. They are also working with local people to address longer-term needs by enabling them to put plans in place to protect themselves and aid recovery should another disaster hit in the future. Tearfund’s work has also increased in Ghana, where more than 750,000 people were affected and at least 4,500 homes destroyed. Tearfund partner Ghana Congress for Evangelism has been working with loc ...

Darfur peace talks hope

website.editor@tearfund.org — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:19:00 GMT

Darfur peace talks in Libya that have been dogged by many rebel factions refusing to attend saw a glimmer of renewed hope this week. The main rebel groups - The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) Unity who had boycotted the peace talks, have said that they would be willing to meet envoys from an African Union-UN mediation team. More than two thirds of communities in Darfur rely on aid to survive as a result of a conflict that has seen more than 200,000 people killed in the past four years. The African Union-UN mediation team had hoped to unite rebel factions together in time for the peace talks but were unable to do this for the opening of the talks last weekend. The SLA, who have the support of many in Darfur, want the UN to deploy and provide security to people there and had refused to attend the peace talks until this had happened. The deployment could take up to a year, however. Please continue to pray for our disaster management teams and Tearfund partner FAR as ...