Last week, Development and Peace sponsored a series of premieres of the new Salt and Light documentary A New Leaf, which features the response of Development and Peace to the food crisis in the Sahel region of West Africa, in five Canadian cities across the country.
Guy Des Aulniers, Program Officer for Emergency Relief
Development and Peace is funding the Kambioos WASH (Water Sanitation & Hygiene) project with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) at the border of Somalia in Kenya. Kambioos is one of the refugee camps in the Dadaab refugee complex – the biggest refugee camp in the world. There has been a rash of security incidences over the past few days and we received this update from CRS:
This Sunday marks World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. It was on June 17th 1992 that the UN adopted the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). It is a day to remember the dangererous impacts of desertification and drought in the world. For the 18 million people currrently threatened by food shortages in West Africa, the dangers associated with desertification are all too real.
It was almost a year ago that a drought in the Horn of Africa put millions of people at risk of hunger. In response, Development and Peace launched an appeal that raised over $7 million for relief efforts. This June marks the end of the first phase...
Guy Des Aulniers, Program Officer for Emergency Relief
Following the 2011 drought, Caritas Kenya launched an emergency appeal for 14 of the country's 25 dioceses. Over the past four days, I have visited projects in three of those dioceses.
Guy Des Aulniers, Program Officer for Emergency Relief
"The media have prevented humanitarian organizations from being strategic." The judgment is harsh. It is from Overtoun Omgezulu, regional emergency relief coordinator for the Horn of Africa at Trocaire. He saw the media parade through the region during the summer of 2011. Media pressure forced the organizations to spend money quickly so as to justify the use of the funds sent in. Otherwise, they were afraid that they would face accusations by the public.
Guy Des Aulniers, Program Officer for Emergency Relief
I knew Nairobi for having passed through it, many times, when I was heading for Rwanda or Burundi. I always stayed downtown, just for a night, before taking off again. I’ve been in town for just 24 hours but this time the situation is different. I’m staying outside the city, in the Westlands district, 15 minutes from downtown at the All Africa Council of Churches. It's an upscale neighbourhood, far away from the monster downtown traffic jams. What do I mean by monster? At rush hour—meaning anytime between 8 AM and 7 PM—a 15-minute trip can take two hours!
Guy Des Aulniers, Program Officer for Emergency Relief
By the time you read this, I'll already be in Kenya. This mission is a follow-up to our activities in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa. Last November, we visited Ethiopia. At the time, I was traveling with Kelly Di Domenico, Communications Officer, and Danielle Gobeil, Deputy Director of the International Programs Department. Sad to say, this time I'll be traveling alone.
