Adra, Caritas, CBM, ChildFund New Zealand, Hagar, Hope St, International Needs, Orphans Aid International, The Salvation Army, Save the Children, Tearfund, VSA and World Vision - are calling on New Zealanders to help "resource their global neighbours" to help deal with the mounting disaster.

The pandemic is compounding an already acute situation and threatening to unravel decades of progress towards the reduction of extreme poverty, the aid groups say.

With fractured food markets and rising unemployment, hunger levels and the numbers facing starvation are rise.

On Tuesday the United Nations issued a report which estimates between 778 million and 828 million people globally may go hungry this year.

While it is hard to predict, a preliminary assessment suggests that COVID-19 may add between 83 and 132 million people to the total number of undernourished in the world.

"Without swift action, we will very likely see a rapid return to historic levels of poverty," says Ian McInnes, Council for International Development chairman and Tearfund chief executive."

Caritas Aotearoa says their relationships with their partners on the ground allow them to help respond to their unique needs in the context of their communities.

Right now, they are focused on prevention, preparedness and response through:

• Consistent messaging, including debunking myths, understanding the risk of infection and how the virus spreads
• Raising awareness on personal hygiene and shared spaces
• Designing activities to help convey messages throughout communities
• Gathering resources such as food, water and beds
• Distributing life-saving supplies such as soap and hand sanitiser

Click here to watch the Caritas Aotearoa presentation

Click here to donate to Caritas Aotearoa

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• caritas.org.nz
• Image: screenshot caritas.org.nz

The Appeal will run until December.

The goal is to raise $4 million to provide people with economic, social and emotional support during these times of severe hardship, says SVDP National President Marlena Hoeft-Marwick.

"Many of our services have been funded through our Op Shops which had to close during April and May, resulting in a loss of income of about $1.5 million."

"At the same time, the demands for our services have increased by around 400% and are continuing to increase."

"The National Recovery Appeal is essential to ensure that we can meet the increasing demand for assistance."

An SVDP National Recovery Appeal website has been developed and supporters are encouraged to donate online at: donate.svdp.org.nz.

People can also donate by cheque and bankcard.

Donations will be used to provide people with the essentials such as food parcels, clothing, household goods and services, as well as social and emotional support.

"Funds will be distributed to Vinnies Centres throughout New Zealand so support can be provided locally," says Marlena.

"Our job is to ease the pressure on individuals and families with practical help."

The National Recovery Appeal has the endorsement of Cardinal John Dew, Archbishop of Wellington.

"Covid-19 is creating new layers of poverty and need in our community, and it is vital the St Vincent de Paul Society is able to do the work it has done for decades and to add to it as new needs emerge."

"I commend the St Vincent de Paul Society for taking proactive steps to ensure that it can continue to help those in need as we all grapple with the needs of our new environment."

St Vincent de Paul is a registered charity and all donations over $5 are tax-deductible.

Donate

• donate.svdp.org.nz
• national@svdp.org.nz

Source

• svdp.org.nz
• Image: .facebook.com

These crimes include sexual abuse of minors, wrongful use of the sacrament of penance, heresy, apostasy and the attempted ordination of women.

An edict approved by Francis establishes a new seven-member "college" inside the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

This will hear clerical appeals of cases involving delicta graviora, the Vatican term for serious sins against the sacraments.

The edict states that Francis decided to create the new commission "due to the number of appeals and the need to ensure a more rapid examination of the same".

The college will consist of seven cardinals or bishops who can come from within or outside the CDF and will be chosen by the Pope.

Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi said the group would tackle a "backlog" of appeals from clergy against whom allegations of abuse had been made.

He said that ordinary members of the congregation only meet once a month.

With four to five new appeals a month, each with a lot of paperwork, there is "a huge number" of cases was waiting to be heard.

Fr Lombardi said the backlog of cases is at risk of absorbing all the time of the CDF.

This month, a Vatican tribunal cleared US priest Msgr Richard Loomis of abuse charges, restoring him to ministry after a 10 year suspension.

The edict approved by Francis also outlines a special procedure for any bishop accused of grave crimes.

He "shall have his case examined by the whole body of members of the Congregation - the Ordinary Session - which may also examine other specific cases upon papal request, and/or examine cases referred to it by the newly created college".

The edict updates a 2001 motu proprio by Pope John Paul II specifying which church crimes the CDF reserves for judgment.

Last December, Pope Francis established a separate pontifical commission for the protection of minors.

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• The Tablet
• Catholic World News
• Image: Catholic News Agency

Gaza has experienced an upsurge in violence and an increasing number of civilian casualties in recent weeks.

Seven members of the NGO Disaster Relief Forum (NDRF) have launched or are about to launch appeals to raise funds that will help their partner organisations in Gaza.

They are Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, Christian World Service (CWS), Oxfam New Zealand, Save the Children New Zealand, UNICEF New Zealand and World Vision New Zealand.

TEAR Fund also launched an appeal on July 30.

These organisations are working with their partner organisations to provide food and aid for displaced families, medical treatment, water, sanitation and hygiene, cash grants, protection, education and psychosocial counselling for children.

New Zealander Alex Snary, national director of World Vision's work in Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza, recently visited children in Gaza during a brief cease-fire.

"Even after the immediate needs of food and shelter are met, the psychological suffering of the children and grieving for those who were killed will continue for months to come", he said.

Trish Murray from CWS was in Gaza in May.

She said children who were still suffering from the 2012 attacks are now being re-traumatised.

"Vital infrastructure has been destroyed. The people need food, water, medical treatment and shelter," she said.

"But more than anything they need the military offensive to end and real steps towards building a just peace."

The organisations going to appeal are all members of the NGO Disaster Relief Forum, a network of New Zealand charities that respond to disasters and humanitarian crises internationally.

You can find more information about what each of these organisations are doing by going to the NDRF website or directly to the agencies concerned.

For more information on the crisis, or to donate to an appeal, visit the NDRF website: www.ndrf.org.nz

Source:

• scoop.co.nz
• Image: ABN News