With
three consecutive years of unsuccessful crops, dwindling resources in
southern Madagascar have resulted in food insecurity and malnutrition
among children. Village chief Valiotaky stated, “When we plant trees,
we don't have rain and nothing grows.” By contrast, the country’s
northern regions have been inundated with cyclones three times a year.
United
Nations World Food Program Deputy Country Director Silvia Caruso said,
“Environmental degradation and climate change are building on each
other. The results are dramatic in Madagascar.”
Mother in Madagascar (Malagasy Language):I
had seeds and planted sweet potatoes. But because there was no rain,
they dried up. I noticed my daughter was getting thinner but there was
no food and when she got even thinner, I took her to the health center.
Our
prayers go to the people of Madagascar for Heaven’s protection and the
blessings of more comfortable living conditions. Let us quickly turn to
compassionate lifestyles that honor and cherish all beings for the
restoration of our shared planetary home. Ever concerned for humanity’s
welfare, Supreme Master Ching Hai addressedthe perilous situation
facing Africa during a May 2009 videoconference in Togo.
Supreme Master Ching Hai :
There are water crises from Sierra Leone to South Africa. Zimbabwe,
Somalia, Mauritius, Mozambique, and Sudan – just to name a few – are
experiencing worsened droughts that make it difficult to plant crops,
thus adding to food shortages and prices rising. Add to this,
desertification and deforestation that further degrade the land.
Increased temperatures mean erratic rainfall If you’re a farmer, you
already can feel that the climate is in trouble.
There are more frequent droughts, heat waves, floods, storms, frosts, freezes, and locusts than before.
If the world becomes vegan as a group, we can remedy the disasters that affect us globally.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: This is something all citizens of the world can do. Be vegan. Be a world-saver.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/23/madagascar-drought