Pope's visit to Africa can help to end hunger.
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According to the World Food Program (WFP), the Pope's trip to Africa is "meaningful" for millions of people who suffer from hunger. This week's visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan highlights the Congolese food emergency that requires US$627,3 million in aid this year. However, the UN cut back on support due to lack of funds.
Great potential
Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, was the first stop, where the first mass held by Pope Francis was attended, according to the authorities, by more than 1 million people. For the director of WFP in the country, Peter Musoko, this is proof that the Pope will draw attention to the situation of millions of victims of hunger.
The African nation has great potential to produce food and employ young people. Even so, more than 26 million people face severe hunger in the country. The UN agency launched a US$627,3 million appeal for an immediate response.
According to the WFP, the DRC and South Sudan are among the most fragile countries in the world. Both face the devastating effects of clashes and peacebuilding. The environment of unrest projected famine “at alarming and sometimes catastrophic levels”.
Four years of floods
Pope Francis is to meet with people displaced by conflicts and natural disasters. In South Sudan, hundreds of thousands of families are suffering from the effects of four consecutive years of floods. South Sudan is one of the countries at the forefront of the climate crisis.
There, two-thirds of South Sudanese's 12 million people are hungry. But because of a lack of funds and the global crisis, WFP has had to reduce the number of food rations even among the most hungry.
According to WFP South Sudan Director Mary-Ellen McGroarty, conflict and food insecurity are closely linked. Her hope is that Pope Francis' visit will give a "much needed" boost to the peace process.
Potential
The head of the UN agency in the country, highlighted that needs continue to outstrip resources and peace is a critical prerequisite for preventing hunger, building future food security and unlocking the full national potential.
For WFP, the pope's visit is extremely meaningful for many in the Catholic-majority nation, where the church is actively involved in building peace and reconciliation in regions where clashes occur.
Conclusion
Despite its vast mineral reserves, the DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world, with nearly two-thirds of its population, according to the World Bank, living on less than $2,15 a day.
In recent months, the east of the DRC has been the scene of a resurgence of violence, especially on the border with Rwanda, an area with a subsoil rich in coltan, essential for the electronic equipment industry, where there are more than 100 active armed groups, namely the March 23 Movement (M23) which occupied parts of the eastern territory of North Kivu province.
It is expected that in his last speech, in the presence of representatives of charitable institutions, the Pope will appeal for international aid, before, on Friday, he travels to Juba, capital of South Sudan, where he will make an appeal for peace in that country. in conflict.
Mais Afrika hopes that its voice will be heard and that this will put an end to this hunger and misery, not only in these two countries, but also in the rest of Africa.
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