Derry charity Children In Crossfire launch Skipathon - 1,000 skips in one day challenge

The sponsored ‘skipathon’ will take place on Saturday June 13, and director of Children in Crossfire, Richard Moore is encouraging people to take part.

He said: “Children in Crossfire support many thousands of vulnerable children and families in Ethiopia and Tanzania. It’s horrifying to think of the impact of COVID-19 in those communities and countries, given the depth of poverty that already exists and the lack of adequate healthcare provision.

“In addition, a dreadful locust plague – the worst in more than 70 years – is decimating crops across east Africa. It is now clear that a great many of the people we support are facing a humanitarian disaster.

“Children in Crossfire will do all we can to help people stay safe and healthy through this emergency. We need to provide additional PPE, medical resources and equipment for St Luke’s Hospital in Ethiopia, to help the team there treat patients with COVID-19. This is on top of our long-term support for the hospital’s life-saving therapeutic feeding unit, which will be more essential than ever when crops fail and food shortages kick in. St Luke’s serves a catchment area of more than 1,000,000 people; which underlines the scale of the pressure they will be under. We will also be delivering emergency feeding programmes in Addis Ababa, as we have done during famines in the past. The Addis Hiwot community in particular – with whom we have been working for many years – will need us again. We are determined to support them through this extremely difficult time.

“To ensure we can do all this work, we are asking the public to take part in our sponsored ‘skipathon’. By doing so you will be helping us and our partners to save people’s lives through these terrible times. Please do register now and take part on Saturday June 13.”

Anyone wishing to sign up can join the Facebook group by searching ‘Children in Crossfire 1,000 Skips in One Day Challenge’, call Shauna O’Neill on 028 7127 8947 or 07597 747940; or e-mail [email protected]