"It's imperative Canadians get involved
now, instead of waiting until millions start dying of hunger," says
Miriam Wiebe, a Canadian nutritionist working in Malawi. "It takes
weeks to get food shipped and distributed and it must be done before the
rainy season in October isolates many rural areas. If people respond
now we can save millions of lives."
After years of insufficient harvests
due to a combination of droughts, floods, economic instabilities and political
events, the shortage of food in the southern African region has created
a serious famine situation.
The United Nations estimates 13 million people are at risk of starvation and could die by the end of the year if they do not receive food aid immediately. World Vision is partnering with the UN and has begun distributing emergency food aid to over 2 million people in dire need, but much more is needed to avert massive deaths.
In September, World Vision will begin distributing seeds and tools to help farmers prepare for the expected rainy season in October.
But in order to save lives World Vision needs the help of Canadians. A fundraising campaign is underway. The money raised will go towards providing immediate food aid, seeds and tools.