EDITOR – I write to thank your readers for the extraordinary kindness they have shown during the past year for those whose lives have been devastated by war and disaster, through their support for the work of Christian Aid Ireland.
In recent years, conflict and the climate crisis have jostled for top position as the main cause of poverty around the world, and although there’s been a harsh drought in southern Africa, flooding in South Sudan and extreme weather elsewhere, 2024 will be remembered for the horrific levels of death, destruction and misery caused by war, especially in Gaza and Lebanon.
Thanks to the generosity of the public, Christian Aid’s partners have reached over 800,000 people in Gaza by providing medical care – including polio vaccinations – as well as food, water and blankets to people living in shelters after fleeing their homes to escape airstrikes. This support has been delivered despite the vast majority of our partner staff being displaced themselves, and I’ve been moved by their heroism.
Meanwhile, civil war in Sudan has driven millions of people into poverty, including those who have fled across the border into South Sudan, creating the world’s largest humanitarian crisis in what was already the world’s poorest country. Thankfully, aid agencies including Christian Aid are helping some of the most vulnerable to survive and thrive.
This vital work is only possible because of the donations we receive. I’m hugely grateful to your readers for the sacrifices they make to bring hope to communities living in unimaginable conditions of poverty and crisis.
Rosamond Bennett
Chief executive,
Christian Aid Ireland,
Dublin 2.
Civil war in Sudan has driven millions of people into poverty. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Real question is - who is not with us on Israel
EDITOR – I refer to your columnist Colm Tobin’s article headed ‘Simon and Michael D get caught in a war of words with Israel’ and take issue with his assertion that Ireland’s endorsement of South Africa’s petition to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide ‘again sees Ireland well outside the international consensus’.
Rather than seeing Ireland as an outlier in world opinion, Colm should have asked the question: Who is not backing South Africa’s ICJ case?
The exceptions to the world consensus are arms suppliers such as the United States which predictably voiced its opposition to the genocide case as it continues to supply Israel with the bombs and munitions to murder over 45,000 Palestinians while calling for a ceasefire.
The United Kingdom, another arms supplier to Israel, has refused to support the case and has rightly been accused of double standards after it previously submitted detailed legal documents to the ICJ to support claims that Myanmar committed genocide against the Rohingya community with far less loss of life involved.
Israel’s remaining Western allies within the European Union, have mostly maintained silence on the ICJ case while 88 countries of the world have welcomed the petition to the International Court of Justice by South Africa.
13 countries have also, like Ireland, specifically signed up to the ICJ charge of genocide.
Amnesty International and Airwars have both provided witnessed evidence to support their findings of Israel being guilty of genocide.
I would add that the editorial refusal to condemn Israel’s motives for attacking Gaza after the 7th October Hamas offensive ignores the reality that Israel has been attacking, illegally occupying and blockading Gaza for 17 years.
Just in 2014 the Israeli assault killed thousands of Gazans, including 551 children. There are no motives which justify such Israeli methods.
Bob Storey,
Raheen,
Skibbereen.
We expect too much these days
EDITOR – ‘There are people with nothing in the fridge at the end of the week.’
I had to laugh when I saw this headline on the front page of the Life section recently.
When I was very young (I was born in 1937) I lived in Jesmond (which was the classy area of Newcastle upon Tyne in England.
We had no washing machine (just a tub in the garage which had a handle which you rotated right and left and we also had no fridge (just a larder room off the kitchen, which had no window, to keep it cool), no central heating (just an open fire in the living room), and no car (my father, who was a bank clerk, went to work on a bicycle), and we (my parents and my two younger sisters) were all very happy, and I didn’t consider myself deprived.
People in Ireland have come to expect too much now.
During my working life I lived overseas for 30+ years (in Iran, Saudi and Bahrain), where many of the locals did not even have shoes – they went barefoot.
Mike Hogg,
Cooldurragha,
Union Hall.
Charity says thanks to generous Irish
EDITOR - As the world continues to face severe challenges, especially in the countries in which Concern works, including Sudan, Syria and Ukraine, we take great hope from the support we get in Ireland, which remains a beacon of generosity and kindness.
The assistance we get from the Irish public has been driving our mission to end extreme poverty since we formed in 1968 in response to famine in the breakaway province of Biafra in Nigeria. Nobody should have to live in fear that they won’t have a home to sleep in, or enough food to feed their children.
To all of you who have supported our work – from the church-gate-collectors, business contributors and community groups, to the bake-sale organisers and school fundraisers – thank you.
Your time and efforts have enabled us to support families caught up in humanitarian crises in our 25 countries of operation. We hope for a more peaceful world as we wish you and yours a Happy New Year.
Dominic Crowley,
Concern Worldwide,
Dublin 2.
