Central African Republic: Food Crisis Worsens

The United Nations World Food Programme issues appeal for help

The United Nations World Food Programme(WFP) issued an international appeal for more funds to help combat the food crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR).

"The humanitarian situation in CAR is serious, and getting worse as a result of the violence and conflict spilling over from Darfur," said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran.

"We need to increase our operations to cover the food needs of 230,000 people in this growing emergency."

The WFP is doubling its budget and then some to be able to respond to this emergency. The total cost of the assistance that is required will exceed $50 million. "In CAR alone, the newly expanded operation is budgeted at $44 million, but donor contributions to date amount to $14 million". It is situation like this one, situations that happen far too often, that lead me, to pay attention to and do some online volunteer work with, several African communities. I have said this before we live in a global village and need to start thinking and acting as though we are. We do not need a New World Order or a One World Government, but we do need to start helping those who through no fault of their own need our assistance. The United Nations is far from perfect but for now it is all there is, perhaps we need to work together to improve what we have rather than simply stating our displeasure. Now I know that we cannot keep tossing money at problems and food aid shipments can go astray. There are other ways to help but when the need is immediate we do not have the luxury of waiting for those other ways to work. The situation needs to be stabilized and then appropriate infrastructure may be put in place that helps the crisis from reoccurring.