Giving hope to a world of need

Pope Benedict XVIth's reiterated appeal for aid to the Horn of Africa where millions are facing famine, drought and violence once again highlights the need for the "international community to continue its commitment," to reach out to the suffering people.

With the logo "Giving hope to a world of need", since 1958 CRS (Catholic Relief Services) with funding from the U.S. Bishops’ Conference, the Caritas Internationalis network, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of International Affairs, and donations from concerned Catholics and others of goodwill - has helped fight the effects of recurrent drought in Ethiopia.

In the throes of this year’s terrible drought in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopians remember keenly the devastating drought and famine in 1984 and the more recent one in 2000. The numerous pastoralist communities in Ethiopia know that lack of access to water will kill their livestock and destroy the very fabric of their culture.

However aid workers in the country reveal that some 95 percent of the wells drilled in the past are still operational and are still, if insufficiently, serving many communities.

Linda Bordoni spoke to Lane Bunkers, for the past four years the country representative for the CRS programme in Ehiopia.

He explains how, working side by side with the government and local partners, CRS helps Ethiopians cope in the face of emergencies and build the foundations needed to ultimately improve their resilience in the face of changing rain patterns and rising food costs….

Listen to the full interview...