Holy See

Gesture aims to encourage governments to support FAO's emergency response

21 July 2017, Rome - In an unprecedented move, Pope Francis has symbolically donated €25,000 to FAO's efforts supporting people facing food insecurity and famine in East Africa.

Pope Francis said the funds are "a symbolic contribution to an FAO programme that provides seeds to rural families in areas affected by the combined effects of conflicts and drought."

The Vatican announced a donation from Pope Francis to Caritas for its work in South Sudan, along with support to two other Catholic groups working in the country.

South Sudan has been declared free of famine, but almost 2 million people are on the brink of starvation and an estimated 6 million people will face extreme food insecurity in the coming weeks, according to reports by the government and the United Nations.

LESVOS, Greece, April 16 (UNHCR) – The UN Refugee Agency welcomes the Pope's demonstration of solidarity with the world's refugees today on his visit to the Greek island of Lesvos and by offering a home to three Syrian families.

Pope Francis travelled back to Rome from Lesvos on Saturday (April 16) with 12 Syrians, including three women, three men and six children aged from four to 14 years of age. Two families are from the capital, Damascus, and one from the city of Deir ez-Zor.

The Most Reverend Paul-André Durocher, Archbishop of Gatineau and President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, has announced a joint emergency campaign with the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace to raise funds for the victims of the earthquake in Nepal. In addition, the Government of Canada has announced it will match any contributions to assist Nepal which are collected by May 25, 2015.

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