Just to let you know....
The world responded with unprecedented generosity to December's tsunami disaster, which killed at least 200,000 people — one-third of them children. That generosity will be critical as tens of millions of people in South Asia begin the hard work of rebuilding their lives.
But every day, far from the glare of television cameras and international sympathy, children suffer and die. Their parents grieve as much as those in the tsunami zone.
Worldwide, more than 29,000 children under 5 die every day; most of those deaths could have been prevented with clean water, immunizations, basic nutrition and simple health care. In India alone, nearly 6,000 children die each day, mostly of preventable causes. That's twice the number of Indian children that were killed by the tsunami.
There are ripples of suffering that, together, form a tsunami of grief. Each week, more than 40,000 children lose a parent to AIDS. Nearly 6,000 children die every day from water-related diseases. And on any given day, more than 300,000 child soldiers — some as young as eight — are exploited in armed conflicts; many were abducted from families who still wait for their return.
The world's response to the Asia tsunami will help aid agencies care for orphans; feed and immunize children; supply safe, clean water; get children back to school; and protect them from exploitation.
God calls us to do the same for children everywhere even if their suffering is invisible to the glare of television cameras. We are thankful for those who responded so generously to the tsunami, yet more can be done worldwide to save a child's life. For the cost of a new pair of jeans, we can immunize a child against six lethal diseases or protect a family against malaria. For the cost of one meal at a fine restaurant, we can provide drought-resistant seeds that will protect a family from famine.
While we work to prevent additional deaths of tsunami survivors, we were helpless to prevent children from being dragged out to sea. But we are not helpless against the daily tragedies of poverty, AIDS, war, hunger and disease that result in suffering too immeasurable to comprehend.
To Jesus and to World Vision, every child is precious; every death is a needless tragedy.
Sincerely,
Rich Stearns
President
But every day, far from the glare of television cameras and international sympathy, children suffer and die. Their parents grieve as much as those in the tsunami zone.
Worldwide, more than 29,000 children under 5 die every day; most of those deaths could have been prevented with clean water, immunizations, basic nutrition and simple health care. In India alone, nearly 6,000 children die each day, mostly of preventable causes. That's twice the number of Indian children that were killed by the tsunami.
There are ripples of suffering that, together, form a tsunami of grief. Each week, more than 40,000 children lose a parent to AIDS. Nearly 6,000 children die every day from water-related diseases. And on any given day, more than 300,000 child soldiers — some as young as eight — are exploited in armed conflicts; many were abducted from families who still wait for their return.
The world's response to the Asia tsunami will help aid agencies care for orphans; feed and immunize children; supply safe, clean water; get children back to school; and protect them from exploitation.
God calls us to do the same for children everywhere even if their suffering is invisible to the glare of television cameras. We are thankful for those who responded so generously to the tsunami, yet more can be done worldwide to save a child's life. For the cost of a new pair of jeans, we can immunize a child against six lethal diseases or protect a family against malaria. For the cost of one meal at a fine restaurant, we can provide drought-resistant seeds that will protect a family from famine.
While we work to prevent additional deaths of tsunami survivors, we were helpless to prevent children from being dragged out to sea. But we are not helpless against the daily tragedies of poverty, AIDS, war, hunger and disease that result in suffering too immeasurable to comprehend.
To Jesus and to World Vision, every child is precious; every death is a needless tragedy.
Sincerely,
Rich Stearns
President
posted by becka at 11:54 PM
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