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Displaced by the armed offensive of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and their brutal purge of Yazidis and Christians, along with Sufi, Shiite and Sunni Muslims, from northern Iraq, members of these communities have begun to speak out about their experiences, their longing for security, and their hopes for the future.

Even as hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militant attacks find refuge in the towns of the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, agencies assisting these internally displaced persons warn of a huge unmet humanitarian need exacerbated by the looming onset of winter.

On 28 September, the Tuvalu government declared Tuvalu to be in a state of emergency due to water shortage - the result of a five-month drought in the Pacific Island nation.

In comments to staff of the World Council of Churches (WCC) on 18 August, the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed alarm at the “blocking and hindering of the food supply in famine-struck Somalia, with the effect that more and more people are dying. This interference with humanitarian aid is inhumane and must be strongly condemned.”

Escalating violence against civilians in Sudan’s disputed South Kordofan State is leading to major humanitarian catastrophe with an estimated 300,000 people besieged, cut off from relief aid, and unable to escape fighting, according to a number of aid agencies and witnesses in the region.

As recovery efforts in Japan proceed, the full impact of the earthquake and tsunami two weeks ago continues to be felt by some of the World Council of Churches (WCC) member churches there.

By Fredrick Nzwili (*)

A multi-faith meeting on the eve of the 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna has heard calls for faith communities to keep commitments they have made to promote universal access to HIV treatment, care, support and prevention.

By Maria Halava (*)

In an effort to express solidarity and learn of the churches’ work in providing support and relief to victims of the Haiti earthquake, the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), is visiting Haiti accompanied by an ecumenical delegation of six church leaders from different parts of the world.

The Church of Greece is getting ready to assist the Greek people to face the consequences of tough economic measures taken by the government, a church official attending an ecumenical gathering in Geneva has said.

The ACT Alliance, bringing together over 100 church-backed relief and development organizations worldwide, has been formally launched on 24 March with celebrations in Geneva and around the world.

By Juan Michel (*)