Vatican urges building schools in Horn of Africa following emergency

(October 07, 2011) While the Catholic Church continues to mobilize efforts to bring emergency help to people in the Horn of Africa, the Vatican’s Pontifical Council ‘Cor Unum’ that coordinates the Catholic Church’s charity and development operations worldwide, on Friday appealed for the construction of schools a long-time solution to the problems in the region brought to its knees by drought, famine and conflict. “Where there is a school, where there is education, there is a possible future, there will be work tomorrow, families will be formed,” said Cardinal Robert Sarah the president of the Pontifical Council, appealing especially to Christians to commit themselves to help build schools. The cardinal, together with Mons. Giorgio Bertin, Apostolic Administrator of Mogadishu, Somalia, a representative of the Anglican Church and representatives of Catholic charities addressed a press conference in the Vatican on Friday, after a meeting on the humanitarian catastrophe in the east African region. Cardinal Sarah said that once the current emergency is overcome they must engage in formation and education. Pope Benedict on Wednesday appealed for a quick response to meet the humanitarian disaster unfolding in the Horn of Africa where some 800,000 children are facing death and 30.000 have died already. Cardinal Sarah urged Christians not to forget their severely tried brothers in the region, noting that the Holy Father himself has provided some $400,000 as immediate help.