Concern Worldwide Christmas Appeal to raise humanitarian aid in Derry at weekend

Concern volunteers will be in attendance at the Millennium Forum from 10am until 5.00pm to collect contributions on both days.

Concern Worldwide is a charity that has worked since the 1960s in the poorest parts of the world. In recent years Concern has responded to a number of crises: earthquakes in Haiti, Afghanistan and Syria, floods in Mozambique and drought in Somalia and Zambia.

Currently aid agencies are unable to enter Gaza but along with the other agencies Concern has a presence in Lebanon and is helping with the situation.

Mick Conway, on behalf of the Derry Concern Group, said: “We are aware of these disastrous situations through the media. Very quickly media attention fades and moves on to another topic.

"The problems caused by these disasters do not go away. Local people must try to survive often with very limited resources. Bubbling away, ignored by the media, is the ongoing tragedy of hunger.

"A recent United Nations report estimates that there are over twenty countries across the globe suffering from the lack of food. Starvation affects children more than any other group leading to individual stunted growth and development. The suffering of these individuals leads to a long-term drag on society as a whole.”

Mr. Conway said food security in the Sahel region of Africa gets very little attention in the media yet a swathe of countries from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean suffer from similar problems.

"There has been decades of drought caused by global warming. In a cruel irony, they make almost no contribution to this problem but suffer most form its consequences.

"The situation is made far worse by poor government and all out war. Chad, a very poor country itself, is hosting 600,000 refugees from the disastrous civil war in neighbouring Sudan,” he said.

He pointed to the situation in Somalia where local Concern worker Miriam Abdikarim Mohammed is among those carrying out humanitarian relief.

“She is an intelligent, forceful woman whose perfect English makes communication very easy. When asked directly if she found the contributions from Concern helpful she replied that she had worked with Concern for over 20 years.

"Miriam organizes women’s groups helping them with their confidence and education. Concern supports her in what appeared to be a credit union. If women could save a quarter of a dollar from each dollar, they received, they could use it for emergencies.

"They were also encouraged by Miriam to develop small businesses. Her work was the same as the good work done by credit unions in Derry and all over Ireland.

"In circumstances we would find hard to imagine, she was looks forward optimistically to improving the lives of the women with whom she works. Those donating to this appeal can be confident Miriam’s story is repeated in the many places where Concern works,” said Mr. Conway.

People can contribute to the work of Concern by supporting the Christmas appeal at the Millennium Forum at the weekend. Contributions can also be made at the Concern Bookshop in Ferryquay Street.

"The people of Derry and Donegal have contributed magnificently to our appeals in the past. We hope this will continue in our latest appeal,” said Mr. Conway.

20 photographs of the 2023 annual Scalp walk for Concern