… or your Judaism, your Christianity, your Buddhism, your Suffism, your Islam, your Paganism, your New-Agism, your humanism, your atheism…

unless you do something about this.

What appears to be the worst human catastrophe in our lifetimes is occurring now and we each have the ability to do something about it.

Twelve million people are facing a hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa, and they are in desperate need of help. The United Nations declared a famine in parts of southern Somalia, calling for a widespread international response to end the suffering.

Thousands of Somalis have been fleeing the country each week in search of food, water and shelter — many of them walking for days in the sweltering sun toward refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia.

Nearly half a million children are at risk of dying from malnutrition and disease. Relief organizations are calling on the international community to join together to end the crisis, and they’re working to gain entrance into areas with limited humanitarian access. 

Over 29,000 children under the age of 5 have died in just the past few weeks and 640,000 are severely malnourished which suggests the death toll will rise even more.

There are ways you can help.

This link provides MANY ways we can make a difference.

In addition, if you want to give serious $, consider doing so through UMCOR. Unlike most big name charities, 100% of every dollar that is donated to UMCOR goes solely to direct aide on the ground (administrative expenses are covered through other sources).

Parts of Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia are facing one of the worst droughts in 60 years, and more than 12 million people are desperately in need of food, clean water and basic sanitation.

Despite the urgency of the situation, most world leaders are responding too slowly. Immediate aid is essential. Yet at the same time we must not let them drop the ball on long term solutions as has too often happened in the past.

Here’s a Petition to consider signing to urge world leaders to act.

If you do nothing else, here’s a really simple, and free, way to make a small difference.  Click on this link once each day to provide 1.1 cups of food to needy people in that region. Seriously, if we can log onto our computer to check our email once a day, we can do this.

The true test of spiritual practice is how we respond in situations that warrant compassion – and action.

May we all pass with flying colors.

Roger is a yogi, a progressive Christian, and the author of Kissing Fish: christianity for people who don’t like christianity

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see also this fine article by Elephant contributor Amanda Ramcharitar