President appeals for help to tackle food crisis in southern Africa

The President of the Methodist Conference has written to allMethodist ministers in Britain, urging the Methodist people tosupport relief efforts in southern Africa. UK agencies, includingthe Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF), have voicedsignificant concern that millions of people are at risk ofstarvation in the southern African region. MRDF's efforts are partof what may be the largest mobilisation of development agencies formore than a decade to tackle a major threat of famine.

The full text of the letter from  the President of theMethodist Conference follows:

Dear colleague,

You may well have seen shocking pictures of hunger in Africarecently on TV. The crisis in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia is theworst to hit the region for over 50 years. Millions of people'slives are at risk and there is a desperate need to respondquickly.

I am writing to you to appeal to your people to support theMethodist Relief and Development Fund's 'Southern African Appeal'.Please will you display the enclosed poster as prominently aspossible, and discuss with your lay colleagues how best you mightpromote the appeal?

I have enclosed some further background information on thecrisis. If you would like to have further copies of the poster, toknow more or to find out how the appeal is going, pleasecall KevinFrayat MRDF (020 7467 5142) and he will be pleased to helpyou.

It is likely that the Disaster Emergency Committee will launchan appeal in the near future. This is in no sense in competition -all gifts from people of goodwill are welcome, through whateverchannels. But I am taking this opportunity to appeal to theMethodist people to make their own particular contribution. Pleaseencourage your people to do whatever they can.

Thank you for whatever you are able to do.

With every good wish,
Christina Le Moignan,
President of the Methodist Conference