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fh at work around the world
See where our current relief and development efforts are taking place
FH has worked in 45 developing countries over the course of 35 years. Here are the areas we are currently most active in.
Peru
Food for the Hungry relief workers on the scene are responding to the earthquake that shook Peru this past Wednesday evening. The 8.0 magnitude quake hit near Lima, the capital, and caused the greatest damage in the communities of Ica, Nazca and Pisco to the south.
Rosaura Mensones, FH Lima country director, gives a first-hand account of the damage in these poor communities, “Many are shocked and scared. 80% of the homes in Ica alone are destroyed. In these communities hit the hardest, there are more than 16,000 families in need.”
Bangladesh
Heavy monsoon rains, rising water levels of almost all major rivers, and the breach of several flood protection embankments and levees have left half of Bangladesh submerged – with nearly 7 million people either marooned or displaced. People have taken shelter among roads and embankments, with food and drinking water scarce. Diarrhea, cholera, snakebite and skin diseases are prevalent. The flooding in Bangladesh is part of the larger South Asia Flood, which has left 20 million people displaced across India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Northern Uganda (Africa)
For nearly 20 years the Lord’s Resistance Army, engaged in a futile civil war, has devastated Northern Uganda. The LRA abducts children as young as seven years old and forces them to fight as child soldiers. Since 2000 the LRA has abducted more than 20,000 children. Today, over 80% of the LRA is composed of children. This is no army. These are children. And yet they have become fighters.
Food for the Hungry is working faithfully to love these children and their families whose lives have been torn apart by the conflict. FH is involved in water and sanitation programs (latrine and hand pump construction, and hygiene education), intensive agricultural development (tool and seed distributions, and agricultural training), child development programs (child sponsorship) and a holistic recovery center for formerly abducted girl soldiers who now have children in Kitgum (the New Life Center). The complex nature of the emergency requires a long-term commitment, and we are hopeful that God’s mercy and grace will work deeply in the lives of the Ugandans.
Philippines (Asia)
When rains and strong winds come in the Philippines, entire communities are leveled. On Sept. 29th, 2006, the super Typhoon Milenyo (Xangsane) struck the Philippines. Over four million people were affected by the storm, including nearly 200 dead, 500 injured and nearly 50 still missing. 500,000 homes were damaged or destroyed across the nation, leaving already vulnerable people homeless and destitute.
Identifying housing as the most pressing need, Food for the Hungry Philippines is completely re-building four homes and providing reconstruction materials for 50 additional homes. Food for the Hungry has been working in the Philippines for over 20 years, and is blessed to watch a compassionate, qualified and dedicated Philippino staff love their own people well. Many broken lives have been restored in some of the poorest communities in the Philippines thanks to Food for the Hungry’s programs, one of them being the Child Development Program, or child sponsorship.
Darfur, Sudan (Africa)
In 2003, conflict erupted in Darfur between local rebel groups and the Sudanese government. Since then the conflict has grown, escalating the scale of indiscriminate killing, looting, rape, and widely displacing civilians throughout Darfur, and into neighboring Chad. The resulting humanitarian emergency has affected an estimated 3.8 million people, including nearly 1.8 million internally displaced people (IDP) in Darfur. A recent peace agreement between the government and one rebel faction offers some hope for long-term peace, but other groups remain unengaged in the peace process. Currently, humanitarian challenges and insecurity remain despite the newly signed peace deal.
Food for the Hungry is a member of the Darfur Relief Collaboration (DRC), a coalition of humanitarian aid organizations operating in Darfur. The DRC also includes World Relief, World Concern, Northwest Medical Teams, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, and MAP International. In 2004, the Darfur Relief Collaboration began operations in Darfur and is responsible for the well-being of 90,000 people. Our approach in Darfur focuses on empowering and equipping Darfuri people to recover from this crisis through the following interventions: health (provision of medical supplies to clinics), hygiene (education), water and sanitation (wells, taps, hand-pumps, and latrines), food security/livelihoods (seeds and tools distributions, deworming, fuel efficient stoves, and training of animal health workers), and nutrition (supplementary feeding centers and training of nutritional monitors).
Chad (Africa)
While many have focused on neighboring Darfur, the large country of Chad is also suffering greatly. The rebel fighting from Sudan has crossed borders and hit Eastern Chad, displacing hundreds of thousands and sending them to internally displaced people (IDP) camps. However, these camps are already overflowing from the influx of refugees from Sudan. Overcrowding and a lack of clean water are just some of the problems within the IDP and refugee camps. Most families coming to IDP camps have been attacked and displaced three or four times before landing in the area around Goz Beida where FH is primarily working. Most often, the only possessions they bring are the clothes they are wearing.
Food for the Hungry, working in combination with other agencies as a part of the Global Relief Alliance, is attempting to combat the extreme poverty of the refugee and IDP camps near Goz Beida. Water accessibility and maintenance, along with food security are among the top priorities in Chad. Currently FH staff is combating malnutrition and encouraging subsistence farming and agriculture.
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