US aid cuts to Central America may backfire, fueling migration north – charities
Thomson Reuters Foundation A decision by the US Government to cut aid to three Central American nations is “counterproductive”, likely to backfire and fuel rather than stem the flow of migrants north fleeing gang violence and dire poverty, charities said this week. The US State Department said on Saturday it would carry out President Donald […]
Church leaders pray for Ethiopian Airlines crash victims as they grieve for clergy
Nairobi, KenyaRNS Amid shock and grief after the Ethiopian Airline crash, leaders from the world’s faith traditions gathered in Nairobi for a United Nations event, united in prayer on Monday for the 157 victims of the air disaster, among them a Roman Catholic nun and a Catholic and a Lutheran priest. Some 5,000 delegates to […]
Tens of thousands “left to starve” as Mali conflict escalates
Thomson Reuters Foundation Tens of thousands of people who have fled fighting in Mali since September are going hungry because funding has run out as the conflict has escalated, aid agencies said on Wednesday. The West African country has been a battleground of Islamist militants, ethnic militias and international troops since a rebel uprising was […]
US Catholics affirm seeking asylum is not a crime as Central American caravan draws closer to US border
Three prominent US Catholics have issued a statement affirming that “seeking asylum is not a crime” as a caravan of thousands of Central American migrants heads across Mexico to the US border. In a statement issued this week, Bishop Joe S Vásquez, chairman of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ committee on migration, Sean Callahan, president […]