Update and prayers for Pakistan and West Africa
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An emergency response update and prayers from Christian Aid...
Dear Friends
As you have doubtless seen in the media, Pakistan is experiencing the worst flooding on record. Roads, bridges, homes and crops have been washed away. Well over a thousand people have died and millions more have had their lives and livelihoods torn apart.
As I write, severe rains continue to hamper relief efforts and there is every indication that the situation will get significantly worse. Waterborne diseases such as cholera are a real danger with the very young and very old being the worst affected.
Christian Aid is raising money that will be channelled through our partners in the ACT (Action of Churches Together Alliance) to ensure the most effective response to situations like the one in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, away from the headlines, Christian Aid continues to support its partners as they respond to the acute food crisis in West Africa. In Niger, for example, drought and irregular harvests mean that 7.5 million people - over half the population - do not have adequate food and almost 20 per cent of under-fives are suffering from acute malnutrition.
We are committed to our partners in the Sahel region of West Africa to support them in this crisis and in the long term to work with local farmers to provide seeds and tools to improve harvests and the storage of food supplies.
The support and prayers of all our Churches in Ireland will be much appreciated. Below I have included some prayers which you may wish to use over coming weeks.
If you decide to have an appeal in your Church for either Pakistan or West Africa, please contact our office in Belfast (028 9064 8133) or Dublin (01 6110801) for posters and envelopes.
A Prayer for the People of Pakistan
Compassionate God, source of all comfort,We pray for the people of Pakistan whose lives have devastated by rain and flood.Bring them comfort, we pray.Protect the vulnerable.Strengthen the weak.Keep at bay the ravages of disease.Have mercy on all those working to rescue the stranded and to feed the hungry.And may our response to their suffering be generous and bring you praise.For we ask it in Jesus Name, Amen.
A Prayer for the People of West Africa
God of infinite compassion, We bring before you the starving people of West Africa, Acknowledging the absurdity of a world Where many eat and drink to excess And millions lack clean water. We confess that too often we accept this. Pour on us your water of life So that we may draw strength to stand alongside all who hunger and thirst; and we may see a world made new, where all are refreshed and all can thrive.
Amen