ABC of OCC - N





Kenya 2007 - photo: David Lund

N is for need. On 12th December 1990 the first convoy of vehicles left Wrexham Guildhall under the name Operation Christmas Child. This was after the need of children in Romania was transmitted into our comfortable homes after the revolution. At a recent Celebration Service to mark this anniversary one of the speakers Steve Robinson said "It is not right that we have to deliver gifts to children or that there are people suffering all over the world." it would be a wonderful and fair world indeed if there was were no needy people and Humanitarian Aid did not have to exist. But need there is.

In the world today over 22,000 children die every day - that is 1 child dying every 4 seconds or 15 children dying every minute.

UNICEF tell us that
• 2.5 billion people lack access to improved sanitation
• 1 billion children are deprived of one or more services essential to survival and development
• 148 million under 5s in developing regions are underweight for their age
• 101 million children are not attending primary school, with more girls than boys missing out
• 8 million children worldwide died before their 5th birthday in 2009
• 2 million children under 15 are living with HIV

Solving these issues is seemingly an impossible task, but we have to keep trying. Samaritan's Purse work all over the world delivering aid, helping bring safe clean water and seeing to the needs of the poor. Shoeboxes in themselves don't save lives or feed the hungry, but they do bring hope, which can change lives. While the need of people is still there, there will always be a need for charities like Samaritan's Purse.