Anglican bishops urge UK Government not to ignore East Africa hunger crisis

Dried up river bed. Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Source: Christian Aid

More than 40 Anglican bishops from South Sudan and Kenya have united in appealing to the UK Government to "urgently get more funding to the front line of the hunger crisis in East Africa, and to mobilise the international community to collectively step up."

After the worst drought in 40 years, millions across East Africa are facing the threat of famine and dying. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates 18.4m people across Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia are missing meals.

In an open letter, 44 bishops from South Sudan and Kenya say they fear "early warnings were not heeded" and claimed, "existing commitments to strengthen resilience have not been backed up by funding that is so desperately needed."

Yitna Tekaligne, Country Director for Christian Aid Ethiopia, explains "millions are taking desperate measures to survive in the face of failed harvests, livestock deaths, water shortages and extreme hunger."

He added: "The severe conditions are being made worse by the climate crisis, Covid and now Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused global food prices to rocket. A tough situation has now turned into a dire crisis."

The intervention, coinciding with World Humanitarian Day 2022, follows a vigil led by the Archbishop of Canterbury with Anglican bishops from around the world at the church's Lambeth Conference in the UK.

Speaking after the vigil, Archbishop Justin Welby said: "The crisis in East Africa has been building for at least two years and is now devastating the people of the area and threatening worse. He added: "I appeal to our governments and to the people of this country, please step forward to enable food to be purchased."

The Most Revd Dr Justin Badi Arama, Primate of South Sudan, is a signatory to the open letter. He said: "People are dying from starvation. Millions are hungry with three in four now facing severe food insecurity. We need the international community to act now to help prevent widespread famine, the UK Government can help by leading from the front."

Working through local partners, Christian Aid is responding in Ethiopia and Kenya. The charity is helping over 300,000 people by repairing wells, handing out water purification kits, providing cash support and trucking water to drought affected communities as well as providing fodder and medicine to keep valuable livestock alive.

One of many people Christian Aid is supporting is Adoko Hatoro Engang. He is 76 and living in an internally displaced person camp in South Omo with his family. Recurrent drought and flooding, due to the climate crisis and the overflowing river, has destroyed his farmland and depleted his livestock. This is causing hunger for his family.

"I remember when I was young, the rains would follow the drought season, and flooding devastated everything", Adoko Hatoro Engang said. "If I am able, I eat once a day. We only share very small amounts of food we cook, using the money Christian Aid gave us."

Karimi Kinoti, who is based in Kenya and is Christian Aid's interim Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns Director, has welcomed the bishops' open letter. She said: "Ministers must speed up the delivery of funding that has already been promised, reverse cuts to international aid and ensure all humanitarian and development funding supports local actors who are best placed to respond quickly."

The text of the open letter follows below:

We are Anglican bishops from South Sudan and Kenya, two of the countries most affected by the hunger crisis in East Africa. We see every day how food shortages are devastating the lives of our communities. Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia are experiencing an unprecedented third severe drought in a decade, and South Sudan has suffered devastating floods. This, combined with soaring global food prices, the impact of the war in Ukraine, and protracted armed conflict in Ethiopia and South Sudan, is putting hundreds of thousands of lives at risk.

A few months ago, 21 million people in the Horn of Africa and South Sudan did not have enough to eat. That number is now 31 million and rising, with girls and women particularly badly affected. A staggering 75% of people in South Sudan are severely food insecure, the direst conditions since the birth of the nation. In Kenya, food insecurity has doubled in the past year as the world stood by. Families take desperate measures to survive, with over a million abandoning their homes in search of food, water and pasture for livestock. At least 7 million livestock have died in recent months, and children's health is damaged because they can't get enough milk.

Another famine is on the horizon, but it is not inevitable.

We call on the UK government to urgently get more funding to the front line of the hunger crisis in East Africa, and to mobilise the international community to collectively step up. Early warnings were not heeded. Existing commitments to strengthen resilience have not been backed up by funding that is so desperately needed. This must change. Every day, more lives are lost, and more are at risk.

We commend the UK government's rapid and generous response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. This should not, however, be a reason to divert humanitarian resources away from regions also in dire need, such as ours. St Paul wrote that we are all part of one body, we are interdependent. For the sake of the whole body, sisters and brothers, we need your help.

Faithfully,

(South Sudan)

Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama, Primate of South Sudan; Most Rev Joseph Garang Atem, Malakal/Upper Nile; Most Rev Ogeno Charles Opoka, Archbishop & Bishop of Torit; Most Rev Moses Deng Bol, Wau Diocese; Rt RevdJoseph Yual Yol, Bishop of Akobo; Rt Rev Isaac Nyariel Aleth, Bishop of Aluakluak; Rt Rev Thomas Tut Gany, Bishop of Ayod; Rt Rev John Jal Deng, Bishop of Bentiu; Rt Rev Isaac Ephraim, Bishop of Ezo; Rt Rev Abraham Ngor Mangong, Bishop of Gogrial;Rt Rev Jackson Aripa, Assistant Bishop of Juba; Rt Rev Emmanuel Modi, Bishop of Kajo-Kej; Rt RevJoseph Aba Nicanor, Bishop of Liwolo; Rt Rev Peter Gatbel Kunen Lual, Bishop of Maiwut; Rt Rev Bismark M.Avokaya Azumu, Bishop of Mundri; Rt Rev Samuel Lomude, Bishop of Mundu Area; Rt Rev Peter Garang Akuei, Bishop of Nyamlel-Aweil West; Rt Rev Paul Paul Tokmach Lual, Bishop of Nyang ; Rt Rev Tandema Obed Andrew, Bishop of Olo; Rt Revd David Kiir Mayath, Bishop of Panrieng;Rt Rev Seme Nigo Abinda, Bishop of Panyana; Rt Rev Mamer Manot, Bishop of Wanyjok-Aweil East; Rt Rev Gabriel Kuol Garang, Bishop of Wernyol; Most Rev Dr Samuel Enosa Peni, Archbishop of Western Equatoria Internal Province and Bishop of Yambio.

(Kenya)

Rt Rev Musa Kamuren, Bishop of Baringo; Rt Rev Prof David Kodia, Bishop of Bondo; Rt Rev Rose Okeno, Bishop of Butere; Rt Rev Gedion Muneni Nzoka, Bishop of Kitui; Rt Rev Charles Kaskan Asilutwa, Bishop of Maseno North; Rt Rev John Godia, Bishop of Maseno West Rt Revd Alphonce Mwaro Baya, Bishop of Mombasa Rt Rev Joseph Wandera, Bishop of Mumias; Rt Rev Stephen Kabora, Bishop of Nyahururu; Rt Rev Joseph Kibucwa, Bishop of Kirinyaga; Rt Rev Cleti Ogeto, Bishop of Kisu Area Rt Rev Joshua Owiti, Bishop of Maseno East; Rt Rev David M Nkaabu, Bishop of Meru; Rt Rev Timothy Gichere, Bishop of Mount Kenya Central;
Rt Rev Julius Karanu, Bishop of Muranga South; Rt Rev Robert Magina Barasa, Bishop of Nambale; Rt Rev Joel Waweru, Bishop of Nairobi; The Rt Rev Simon Edward Onyango, Bishop of Southern Nyanza; Rt Revd John Orina Omangi, Bishop of Kisii, Southern Nyanza Diocese; Rt RevJulius Njuguna Wanyoike, Bishop of Thika.