Quote of the Day

“There is no question that Somalis, especially mothers and young children, are dying daily from starvation. On his tour, Stiller stopped by one tent in an overcrowded camp. A man had just delivered a rolled-up mat containing the corpse of a small child. ‘I looked outside the tent,’ said Stiller. ‘Here was a woman with her head on her knees, weeping. I thought, This is normal, until the man said, “Sir, this is the third son she’s lost this week.”’

“Christians should not hesitate to feed the starving and care for the sick, homeless, and needy, no matter the cause of their suffering. After being chased out of Somalia in 2010, faith-based aid agencies have a critical role in border-area relief efforts. The Dadaab camp, for instance, is home to 400,000 refugees in Kenya just across the Somali border. There is a shortfall of $900 million in the estimated $3 billion of total aid needed in Somalia and the region.

“But famine cannot be defeated by food aid alone. Brought on by war and other complex underlying causes, famine calls for Christians to develop a comprehensive response. The tyranny of urgently needed, short-term famine relief should not lessen our commitment to a big-picture agenda.”