Story number 1 for 23 May 2002

(Congo)–Our newscast begins today in the Congo where thousands of civilians have been either displaced by civil war, or trapped in the war zone without food or medical supplies. The result is a humanitarian crisis of growing proportion. We spoke with Michael Satin, working with Food for the Hungry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “In addition to malnutrition and starvation, the high prevalence of disease that used to be relatively under control, like malaria and cholera, are now at epidemic proportions. There are times when the public and most certainly the major donor countries, and church groups, and Christian associations all over the world have rallied together and been able to respond. But, the effort has not been sustained.” Satin says their work is more than a handout-it’s ministry; one that needs support. “We would pray that people would sit down in their churches and talk about it and turn to God in prayer, so that not only do we reach our goals and our objectives in a physical sense, but we’re also able to communicate with people on a spiritual level.”