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“World Food Day is marked on 16 October every year, and although we live in a world of abundant resources globally, 41 million people are currently at risk of starvation, and around half of them children. This is happening in a context where 811 million people worldwide go to bed hungry each night and hunger increased globally by 25% in 2020,” reflects WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca.
Behind the situation is a set of converging crises, including conflict, the impacts of climate change, and COVID-19’s devastating economic impacts, adding to the deep injustices the pandemic has revealed and exacerbated.
“We believe famine in today’s world should be entirely preventable. This is a time when our prayers and our action are dearly needed,” Sauca observes.
“All creation belongs to our Lord, and the very life we have, the surroundings we live in and the food that we receive and have access to is a divine gift (Psalm 24: 1) – a gift that reminds us that God is with us, continually accompanying us, contributing both to our physical and spiritual sustenance, and assisting us to reflect the love and grace of God. It is a gift that we are called to share unconditionally,” Sauca continues.
“Let us gather in our different communities around the globe to reflect on all that the Lord has provided, and how we might share it so that no woman, man or child need go hungry,” Sauca concludes.
The weekend of prayer is set to take place on 16-17 October, coinciding with World Food Day on 16 October. A variety of resources ranging from liturgical material and fact sheets to social media assets for sharing across networks have been made available to aid communities in both prayer and action.
Event: Weekend of Prayer and Action against Hunger
Shared resource page: Weekend of Prayer and Action against Hunger
