With the spiraling rate of wars and violence in various parts of the world an alarming phenomenon has emerged, namely hunger. It continues to lash people everywhere while coating the world with thick layer of despair, hopelessness, malnutrition, and disease. Hunger is the outcome of wars, for whenever a war breaks out hunger looms in the horizon which negatively reflects on every walk of life. With the spread of hunger, other waves of violence erupt in various societies with people seeking a way of survival.
Actually, conflicts erupting globally force families from their homes, destroy economies, ruin infrastructure, and make food nearly impossible to find or afford. Press reports indicate that gargantuan hunger is enrooted in both Gaza Strip and the Sudan, in light of the underway wars that wreak havoc on all aspects of life there.
His Holiness Pope Francis has earlier warned that overcoming hunger is one of humanity’s great challenges. In a message he had earlier sent to the Director General of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, he said, we must adopt “innovative solutions” to transform the way we produce and consume food “for the well-being of people and of the planet.” He also pointed to a paradox with regard to food access, noting that while more than three billion people do not have access to a nutritious diet, almost two billion are overweight due to poor diets and a sedentary life style. He highlighted four areas in particular where urgent action is needed, namely in the field, at sea, at the table, and in reducing food loss and waste.
It is important in this regard to refer to climate change which adversely affects food production. In his Apostolic Exhortation “Laudate Deum”, the Holy Father writes: “With the passage of time, I have realized that our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point. In addition to this possibility, it is indubitable that the impact of climate change will increasingly prejudice the lives and families of many persons.”
A tectonic plan is needed to eliminate starvation
An urgent panacea is needed to rectify the current food insecurity and ensure future sufficiency. In this regard, it is important to consider a two-fold option to provide the panacea to this choric problem. The first one is represented in resorting to global peace, whereby with prevailing peace countries gear up efforts towards ameliorating the economic conditions by diverting large portions of their budgets towards productive projects which ultimately snowball into launching projects in the field of agriculture and industry, whose product would be economic growth and food self-sufficiency.
Another important factor is that countries that rely thoroughly on the import of food from foreign courtiers ought to rely on themselves in the first place by trying to attain a certain point of food sufficiency because there are no guarantees that the flow of food would continue as has always been the case with the prevailing disruptions caused by weather conditions and wars among others.
The Catholic Church addresses hunger, food deficiencies in various parts of the word
The Catholic Church has all the times been working with organizations around the world to help the poor and the vulnerable people overcome emergencies, and earn a living through agriculture and access affordable healthcare.
With the global food crisis is connected to many complex problems like poverty, inequality, conflict, and climate change, the Catholic Relief Services (CSR) works with more than 570 partners that address the local realities by strengthening farmers, communities, infrastructure and systems to ensure everyone has sustainable access to safe, affordable and nutritious food. “The CRS Helping Hands” has earlier celebrated 10 million meals packaged with “Rise Against Hunger” since the partnership began in 2011. Since then, over 90,000 Catholic volunteers have participated in 450 events to package 10,308,192 meals — a true testimony to the power of partnership.
As for Caritas Jordan it has all the time undertaken steps that reflects the firm commitment to humanitarian work, to achieving a mission in support of those in need, as well as to providing assistance in difficult circumstances. Caritas Jordan and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) have earlier signed an agreement which provides for cooperation and an understanding to jointly transfer urgently needed aid to the people in the Gaza Strip who face challenges resulting from the wars, at a time when they urgently need to receive aid such as food, water, medicine, and other basic supplies. This humanitarian work is carried out by the JHCO with the support from the Catholic Relief Services. For its part, Caritas Jordan will provide needed support which includes in-kind relief materials and humanitarian aid which will be delivered through the charitable organization.
These are just few examples of the gargantuan efforts conducted by the Catholic Church to alleviate the suffering of the hungry and the homeless, It is also necessary in this respect to remember the famous miracle conducted by Lord Jesus Christ and recorded in the Holy Bible that has become known as the “feeding the 5,000” people, where He multiplied loaves of bread and fish many times over to feed a huge crowd of hungry people. This miracle prompts reciting the “Our Father Prayer” on daily bases which states in part “Give us this day our daily bread.”
It is important in this regard to recite Our Father prayer in full so as to instill peace and seek the Lord Jesus’ mercy to feed the hungry and console the suffering.
“Our Father, Thou art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Amen
By Munir Bayouk | en.abouna.org
