Aid charity appeals for Derry support to help children break free from hunger

An aid charity is appealing to the people of Derry for support to help children living in some of the world’s poorest places break free from hunger.

Concern Worldwide says in some countries, conflict, instability and climate change are reducing people’s ability to grow or buy enough nutritious food, often with devastating results.

This autumn, it has launched its “Free from Hunger” appeal to help make sure that mums and children living in places like the Central African Republic – the world’s hungriest country - get the food and support they need to survive and grow up strong.

All donations made to the appeal before 24 December will be matched pound for pound by the UK Government.
More than a million people have been forced from their homes in the Central African Republic because of conflict.
Over half the population have been severely affected – they have lost their livelihoods and have abandoned their homes and land.

Crop production has fallen and food prices have increased, making it extremely difficult for people to get access to nutritious food.Alpha Gamene’s 17-month-old daughter, Nicoles, is one of those born into difficult circumstances and a seemingly precarious future.

Alpha fled for her life while she was pregnant after an armed group entered her village and killed her husband.
When she returned home after giving birth, Concern health workers at the local clinic discovered that her daughter was severely malnourished.

They gave her ready-to-use therapeutic food – and since then, little Nicoles has put on more than half a kilo.
Alpha said: “I’ve seen an improvement in her health. I appreciate the support I get from the health centre for my child, otherwise things would be different – and she might have died.”

As well as providing emergency food to mums and babies, Concern supports a number of health clinics with medicine and training, and works with community members to ensure that the critical signs of malnutrition are spotted early on, making it easier to treat.

Concern also helps people produce their own food by providing seeds, tools and farming skills training.To support Concern’s Free from Hunger appeal and have your donation doubled bythe UK Government, visit: concern.org.uk/free