Thanks to Development and Peace - Caritas Canada donors, $3.8 million to be put towards relief efforts in Africa and Yemen

MONTREAL, July 17, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Development and Peace ? Caritas Canada would like to express its profound gratitude to Canadians across the country for their rapid and generous response to the Government of Canada's Famine Relief Fund to raise monies for the severe food crisis in northeast Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

"We are deeply thankful for our donors and the Government of Canada for their help in providing life-saving relief to tens of thousands of men, women and children who are in imminent peril in Africa and Yemen," says Serge Langlois, Executive Director, Development and Peace.

In addition, Development and Peace ? Caritas Canada would like to thank the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and the members of the various Canada's faith communities for their united Interfaith Appeal on June 7^th, 2017, to Canadians to Pray, Give or Speak Out in response to this food humanitarian crisis. "This joint appeal of all faith communities was a unified cry from the heart, with one voice and one message to protect the human dignity of the most vulnerable in these countries," adds Langlois.

Over the course of the Fund between March 17^th and June 30^th, 2017, Canadians rallied to donate $2.5 Million to Development and Peace, of which 1.3 M is eligible for matching funds from the Government of Canada's Famine Relief. Thus, thanks to Development and Peace donors, a total of $3.8 million will be put towards relief efforts in Africa and Yemen.

Donations made directly to Development and Peace are currently being sent to its on-the-ground partners Caritas South Soudan, Caritas Nigeria, Trocaire in Somalia and CAFOD in Yemen to supplement the emergency aid, such as food, water, sanitation services and medical care, which they have been delivering since last February.

In February 2017, the United Nations declared there were 20 million people, including 1.4 million children, at risk of death in these countries. The Government of Canada's Famine Relief Fund, launched on May 29, matches every eligible donation made by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities between March 17 and June 30, 2017. While the Government of Canada Famine Relief Fund has closed, unfortunately, the crisis persists; Development and Peace encourages Canadians to continue to give generously, according to their means, by electronic donation on the website of the organization www.devp.org, by mail or by phone on 1 888 664-3387.

About Development and Peace

Development and Peace is one of the most important international development organizations in Canada. It was founded in 1967 by the Canadian Catholic Bishops as a means of inspiring Canadians to act in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in the Global South suffering from the injustice of poverty. Over the past 50 years, Development and Peace has invested $600 million in more than 15,000 projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

Development and Peace is a strong and diverse movement that brings together Canadians from all over the country working for justice to enable that the poorest people to live with respect and dignity. Development and Peace is also Caritas Canada, official member of the Caritas Internationalis confederation, an international network of more than 160 Catholic development organizations.

SOURCE Development and Peace