The Vatican fountains are unusually quiet at present. That’s because Pope Francis has had them turned off to show solidarity and conserve water during the drought affecting much of Italy. Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si denounces wasteful practices and highlights the importance of clean drinking water. The prolonged drought has hit two-thirds of farmland and has Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Drought’
Papua New Guinea food shortage leads parents to ‘sell children for rice’
Tuesday, April 19th, 2016A severe food shortage in Papua New Guinea has prompted parents in some isolated communities to sell their young daughters for food. Research by the Protestant United Church in the poverty-stricken Commonwealth nation found fathers in the remote highlands were giving away their daughters, who will be returned after the drought, for bags of rice. Read more
PNG facing food crisis after drought, frosts, floods
Friday, March 4th, 2016
In Papua New Guinea a long drought is over, but some two million people are affected by a lack of food and clean water. Typhoid and skin diseases are rife, malnutrition is on the rise, while, in remote areas, schools and medical centres have been shut down because there is no clean water. Drought and Read more
Drought: Near 3 million in PNG lack food and water
Friday, November 20th, 2015
AN estimated one-third of the population of Papua New Guinea is now suffering in from the country’s worst drought this century and experts predict El Nino’s influence will carry on until March next year. The Red Cross in Papua New Guinea says drought-resistant crops and food supplies are desperately needed in the drought-affected Highlands. The Read more
PNG drought heading to become humanitarian crisis
Friday, August 28th, 2015
Dry weather has gripped much of Papua New Guinea in recent months, while frosts in the last fortnight in the country’s highland regions have destroyed vital food supplies. A state of emergency has already been declared in Enga and Southern highlands. The El Niño typically linked to dryness and frosts are often an early symptom Read more
Water shortage after 4 month drought in Ha’apai
Tuesday, December 10th, 2013
A four-month drought in the central Tongan island group of Ha’apai is putting stress on drinking water supplies already diminished by saltwater intrusion. Some people – especially women and children mostly affected by the water shortage – from the more remote communities are needing to travel long distances to get water from churches and schools Read more
Caritas launches appeal for Sahel (West Africa) food crisis
Friday, March 16th, 2012
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has launched a Special Appeal and pledged NZ$50,000 towards averting severe hunger and deaths in the Sahel region of West Africa. ‘An estimated 13 million people are in grave danger,’ says Caritas Director Julianne Hickey. ‘This has been brought on by severe drought, poor harvests, and rising food prices – made Read more
Water Shortage – Uniting Church support for Tuvalu
Friday, October 14th, 2011
The Australian Uniting Church support for Tuvalu is being provided through partnership with Christian Church of Tuvalu and in close contact with church leaders in Tuvalu. The population of Tuvalu is 11,500. The Church of Tuvalu is by far the largest church, 97% of the population. Besides the small Catholic Church, less than 0.5%, there are Read more
Severe drought in the Pacific Islands
Friday, October 7th, 2011
A severe drought in the Pacific Islands has created a critical water shortage. The island groups of Tuvalu and Tokelau have declared emergencies, relying on bottled water and seeking more desalination machines. Parts of Samoa are starting to ration water. Six months of low rainfall have dried out the islands. Climate scientists say it’s part Read more
Caritas launches appeal to help drought-hit Ethiopians
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011Caritas is appealing for EUR 1,489,048 (US $2,149,143 million) to help Ethiopia during its most severe drought in 60 years. Four and a half million people in the country are in need of immediate food aid. Crops have failed, livestock have died, and water sources both for drinking and irrigation have dried up.