Unprecedented famine conditions not seen in the last 40 years are gripping parts of Africa. Back-to-back droughts, COVID-19, and the effects of the Ukraine war have created dire conditions for the eastern region. Fadumo Abdi Aliyow has just buried her two sons on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia. She lays a thorny branch on their graves to protect their bodies from wild animals. Both died from starvation. “I wanted to die before them so they could bury me, but both of them died before me,” Aliyow said. Somalia and its neighbours in the Horn of Africa, including Ethiopia and Kenya, are facing unprecedented drought conditions. “We’ve had four failed rains,” said Alex Marianelli with the World Food Program (WFP). “The drought that we are currently seeing in the Horn of Africa is the worst drought in over 40 years.”
On average, one person dies every 48 seconds from hunger in the Horn of Africa. “Because of the drought, many water sources have dried up,” Wafaa Saeed Abdelatef, a UNICEF representative warned. “Many wells have also dried up.” With crops failing, the United Nations says some 22 million people are at risk of starvation, many of them farmers who only grow enough food to feed their own families. “People will be forced to flee to look for food,” warned Rein Paulsen with the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization. “People will have to try and find a way to survive and obviously this entails very perilous journeys for people who are already marginalized.” Many in the region who rely on livestock for livelihood have seen massive numbers of their animals wiped out.
“For example, in northern Kenya, we’ve lost about 1.5 million herds of livestock,” Joseph Kamara with World Vision Kenya, said. “Similarly, in southern Ethiopia, we’ve lost about two million. In Somalia, we’ve even stopped counting.” In Somalia alone, around eight million people, or half the population, are experiencing crisis hunger levels. One-in-three children face chronic malnutrition. “I have been shocked to my core these past few days by the level of pain and suffering we see so many Somalis enduring. Famine is at the door,” said Martin Griffiths, the United Nations’ humanitarian chief. Anne Kasombo oversees CBN’s offices in Kenya. In partnership with Operation Blessing, they’ve been distributing food and other aid supplies to some of the hardest-hit regions of her country.
“It’s been quite devastating in some communities, especially in the arid areas, even when there’s rain, food is hard to come by because they’re not able to grow their food,” Kasombo said. Four consecutive droughts and African economies still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic have created these dire conditions. “The situation has been aggravated by the current conflict in Europe between Russia and Ukraine,” Kamara said. Before the war, Somalia imported 90 percent of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine while Ethiopia imported 42 percent. Kenya, which also imports oil, iron, steel, and fertilizers from Russia and Ukraine, imports 44 percent of its wheat from both countries. All that has come to a screeching halt since the war started. The result: skyrocketing prices for practically everything. “It has really affected us, especially on food prices,” Richard, a resident of Nairobi, said. “It has also affected the cost of fuel.”
“When the fuel prices go up, the production cost is high, so everything is affected,” Allis, another resident of Nairobi, said. A new survey just out found that most of Kenya are forced to dip into their savings or take out loans to meet the rising cost of living. “It’s been a buildup: From COVID, to inflation, to drought, to war in Ukraine,” Kasombo said. “So just before one situation gets better, another one crops up so the impact has been quite deep and long. It’s devastating. It’s been tough on families.” In late August, the first ship carrying grain from Ukraine docked on the Horn of Africa offloading some 23,000 tons of wheat. “That’s enough wheat to feed 1.5 million people for about a month,” Marianelli of WFP said. Food experts say that’s a drop in the bucket considering the immediate crisis facing millions across the Horn of Africa.
Jesus warned us as recorded in all three gospels Matthew Mark and Luke of the signs that would precede His second coming particularly the increasing persecution that Christians will endure so we can be prepared.
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:9-14
Source: Angela Rodriguez, Contributing Writer for Intercessors for America
When the Covid crisis began, supply chain problems popped up around the globe, leading to outbreaks of fear-based irrational behaviour. The supply chain issues have intensified since the war in Ukraine. When you walk into a supermarket, you notice your favorite cereal is missing. You also start to notice that the milk or other item you bought in 2021 is now costing you almost a dollar more. Many of us notice 30% or more increases in our favorite food items, well above the published inflation rate.
While the supply chain issues are multi-faceted, there are some specific reasons for the problems at hand. Ukraine and Russia are both major exporters of wheat, corn, and sunflower products, but that is just the tip of the harvest sickle. Back in mid-May, economist James Rickards posted an article where he laid out the reasons why we could see more food supply issues in the near future. He wrote, “In the Northern Hemisphere, the planting season for 2022 is well underway. Crops were planted in March and April. Based on that, you can already form estimates of output for next September and October during the harvest season. Plantings have been far below normal in 2022, either due to lack of fertilizer or much higher costs for fertilizer where farmers simply chose to plant less. This predictable shortage is added to the fact that Russian output is sanctioned, and Ukrainian output is non-existent because it’s at war.”
Rickards explains that Russia and Ukraine account for 29% of the global wheat exports and 19% of corn. But he stresses that this doesn’t mean they grow 29% of the wheat in the world–they grow 29% of the exports. There are some countries, such as Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia, and other African and Middle Eastern nations, that receive a large percentage of their grain supply from Ukraine, Russia, or both. Rickards says the situation could become dire because many of the Ukrainian exports have shut down. To make matters worse, the planting season is almost over. Rickards concludes, “And you’re not going to get any grain in October if you didn’t plant it in April or May.” Projecting ahead to October–December of 2022, this means that the countries that rely the most on importing grain will not be able to get the amount they need.
According to Rickards, “The combined population of countries that get between 70%-100% of their imports from Russia or Ukraine is 700 million people. That’s 10% of the population… you’re looking at a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions, probably the worst since the Black Death of the 14th century.” The fertilizer issue is perhaps the biggest nail in the coffin when it comes to the price of future supplies of food. With some farmers paying two to three times last year’s price, it’s inevitable that the consumer will absorb much of this cost. Farmers in North Carolina (USA) say they are feeling the impact of inflation and that increased input costs are not sustainable. One farmer said that fertilizer cost is “up three to four times what it was a year ago.” The farmer also added that “a 275-gallon tote of generic Roundup, which is a weed killer, a year ago was $1400; now it’s over $10,000…everything has risen out of sight.”
Add in higher prices at the pump and you get a recipe for rampant inflation. In places like the United Kingdom, farmers can’t afford to plant crops for the next season because of skyrocketing fuel and fertilizer costs. Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey declared that food prices are rising at the fastest rate in 30 years, causing “a huge income shock.” He described food price increases as “apocalyptic.” He warns that the UK may see a double-digit inflation rate by the end of the year.
In response to the shortages, the United States wants its companies to “ramp up” their purchases of Russian fertilizer, especially as inflation continues to increase. According to a Bloomberg report, “The challenge the US faces is that it must balance putting more pressure on Moscow, while also limiting repercussions for the global economy and the world’s food supply, which relies on a wide range of products from Russia.” At this point, however, over 25 million tons of grain, sunflower oil, and other goods are stuck in Ukraine.
While the grain supply is one concern, another issue is the outbreak of diseases among animal populations. In the United States, a bacterial outbreak occurred in two hatcheries in California, which could lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of fish. Additionally, the American poultry industry is getting slammed by what’s being dubbed the bird flu. An egg factory in Iowa slaughtered over 5 million chickens because of the virus in March 2022. Earlier that month 50,000 turkeys were euthanized at a different facility. Other states such as Nebraska, Maryland, and South Dakota have experienced outbreaks as well. Adding fuel to the fire, there’s also been a mysterious outbreak of fires in major food processing facilities across the country. One such facility, known as Azure Standard, was destroyed overnight, affecting liquid products such as honey, oil, and vinegar. A week before this, a fire erupted at Taylor Farms, where the main processing facility was destroyed. Known as a “major player” in the food supply chain for both Canada and the U.S., this loss did not go unnoticed.
Another fire occurred in March at the Maricopa Food Pantry in Arizona, resulting in the loss of 50,000 pounds of food. If that weren’t enough, in Minnesota, thousands of chickens died in a devastating blaze. Additional fires have flared up in Texas, Indiana, New Hampshire, Oregon and more. As these incidents and shortages play out, one can’t help but wonder what the globalists are saying, or more appropriately, what’s their role in all of this? It’s no surprise that one world organization like the United Nations is talking about food shortages. David Beasley, the current head of the UN’s world food program, is predicting a “perfect storm” of global agricultural collapse. The biggest problem this year is food prices, but he warns that next year, it will morph into a food availability problem as supplies run dry. In 2023 there will be a food shortage problem.”
Record low water levels in parts of China have put pressure on the nation’s hydropower generators
In China, the power crisis in the world’s second-biggest economy came at a time when supply chains were already strained by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, China’s strict lockdowns, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It threatens supplies of everything from metals such as aluminum to automotive parts, as well as food commodities.
Ye Tan, an economist and founder of the consulting group Ye Tan Finance, told DW that the current crisis has also hit the agriculture sector hard. She said the provinces affected were the “food basket” of China — accounting for over 20% of the national agricultural output.
Poor autumn harvests in China will have a huge impact on the global market for agricultural commodities, causing already high prices to surge further, she said. The investment bank Goldman Sachs issued a similar warning, saying rice harvests would be at the greatest risk should the severe weather continue. China’s Agriculture Ministry also said over the weekend that high temperatures and unusually low rains since July have posed “a severe challenge” to fall grain production, Bloomberg reported.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) talked about food shortages at their annual meeting in Davos which was held May 22-26, 2022. Ahead of the meeting, World Economic Forum Founder Klaus Schwab said, “The return of war, epidemics, and the climate crisis, all those disruptive forces have derailed the global recovery. Those issues must be confronted in Davos, and the global food crisis in particular needs our immediate attention.” An article that is part of the Davos agenda lays out the food crisis initiatives. It begins by saying that the food system has been knocked off its axis and “stabilizing the global food system requires collaboration and partnerships among key players in agriculture. Climate resilience must be built into agriculture, including carbon-smart solutions and biological alternatives to artificial fertilizers.”
In this case, is it a stretch to ponder the idea that the globalists have their climate-friendly solution for world hunger already in hand? After all, they claim to be sustainable food supply experts who must act swiftly to save the world. At the 2022 meeting, they parroted all the answers and so did their stakeholders and partners. Speaking of the WEF and its supporters, the Rockefeller Foundation had a lot to say about the global food crisis in their guide titled Reset the Table: Transforming the U.S. Food System.
The objective is clearly stated on page 3: “One of the consistent needs we’ve heard expressed by those seeking to transform the food system is a SHARED NARRATIVE to motivate the needed changes in the system. We articulated a narrative and a message framework focused on the long-term transformation needed in the food system.” Further investigation of this guide reveals some common themes which are: racial justice, equity, fairness, sustainability, and shared prosperity. Additionally, while the consumption of healthier food is suggested, emphasis is placed on the use of government programs and subsidies, which are outlined in the guide.
The guide suggests immediate actions that need to be taken to produce “equitable prosperity throughout the supply chain” such as “Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) must set and enforce mandatory guidelines to keep workers and the food supply safe,” as well as “provide credit, loan servicing and debt relief for farmers and ranchers.” This whole narrative the globalists are creating is likely part of a greater plan–one which will have many strings attached, such as global ID’s and carbon footprint trackers. As J. Michael Evans of the Alibaba group declared at the World Economic Forum’s 2022 annual meeting: “We are developing through technology the ability for consumers to measure their own carbon footprint. What does that mean? That is where they are traveling, how they are traveling, WHAT THEY ARE EATING, what they are consuming on the platform.”
Other hints of this same agenda come from the World Bank Group. They, along with the United Nations, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Secure Identity Alliance, Mastercard, the World Food Program and others have big plans for their universal ID program that is built upon sustainable goals. The World Banks states, “The alliance will therefore also work together to help countries build stronger food systems and gradually transition to a sustainable agricultural production base.” Hmm, here are a few questions for the Rockefeller Foundation, Alibaba, and the World Bank.
Will this universal ID be mandatory in order to receive the benefits of these food systems? Will our trackable carbon footprint affect what and how much we can eat? If we defy the approved narrative, will we be locked out of the program? How will food wealth be shared from one nation to another in order to provide “equity”?
“Also, it (False Prophet) causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.” Revelation 13:16-18
The truth is that food can be used as a weapon. So, what do we do about it? Of course, we must take this issue to our Great Provider, Jesus Christ, who is very aware of the true narrative surrounding this issue. No matter what happens, we must remember that God is more than able to provide for all our needs. Like the story of Elijah and the ravens, God can use the most unique ways to sustain us. The ravens brought Elijah bread and meat twice a day. In our times of need, God will not fail us.
Prayer Point: Lord Jesus, please intervene for the nations of the world who may be on the brink of a food crisis. Like Joseph, who supplied grain during a famine, please provide security and sustenance to everyone in need. Above all, keep our eyes fixed on you.
Three of the end times signs given by Jesus before He returns to rescue the saints and to pour out His wrath on an unrepentant world are:
Wars and rumours of wars – Russia, China, North Korea
Famines – The ECONOMIST report in this post
Pestilences – Covid 19 is just the beginning
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, andthere will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Matthew 24:7-8
“When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and withfamine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.” Revelation 6:8
The following report is from THE ECONOMIST on May 20th 2022.
By invading Ukraine, Vladimir Putin will destroy the lives of people far from the battlefield — and on a scale, that even he may regret. The war is battering a global food system weakened by Covid-19, climate change, and an energy shock. Ukraine’s exports of grain and oilseeds have mostly stopped and Russia’s are threatened. Together, the two countries supply 12 percent of traded calories. Wheat prices, up 53 per cent since the start of the year, jumped a further 6 six per cent on May 16th, after India said it would suspend exports because of an alarming heatwave.
The widely accepted idea of a cost-of-living crisis does not begin to capture the gravity of what may lie ahead. António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, warned on May 18th that the coming months threaten “the spectre of a global food shortage” that could last for years. The high cost of staple foods has already raised the number of people who cannot be sure of getting enough to eat by 440m, to 1.6bn. Nearly 250m are on the brink of famine. If, as is likely, the war drags on and supplies from Russia and Ukraine are limited, hundreds of millions more people could fall into poverty. Political unrest will spread, children will be stunted and people will starve.
Mr Putin must not use food as a weapon. Shortages are not the inevitable outcome of war. World leaders should see hunger as a global problem urgently requiring a global solution
Russia and Ukraine supply 28 per cent of globally traded wheat, 29 per cent of barley, 15 per cent of maize, and 75 per cent of the sunflower oil. Russia and Ukraine contribute about half the cereals imported by Lebanon and Tunisia; for Libya and Egypt, the figure is two-thirds. Ukraine’s food exports provide the calories to feed 400m people. The war is disrupting these supplies because Ukraine has mined its waters to deter an assault, and Russia is blockading the port of Odesa.
Even before the invasion, the World Food Programme had warned that 2022 would be a terrible year. China, the largest wheat producer, has said that, after rains delayed planting last year, this crop may be its worst ever. Now, in addition to the extreme temperatures in India, the world’s second-largest producer, a lack of rain threatens to sap yields in other breadbaskets, from America’s wheat belt to the Beauce region of France. The Horn of Africa is being ravaged by its worst drought in four decades. Welcome to the era of climate change.
All this will have a grievous effect on the poor. Households in emerging economies spend 25 per cent of their budgets on food — and in sub-Saharan Africa as much as 40 per cent. In Egypt bread provides 30 per cent of all calories. In many importing countries, governments cannot afford subsidies to increase the help to the poor, especially if they also import energy — another market in turmoil.
Nearly 7000 children below the age of five and 2000 pregnant women were treated by World Vision for acute malnutrition in Sudan ( 5 months of 2021) and the problem is worse in 2022.
The crisis threatens to get worse. Ukraine had already shipped much of last summer’s crop before the war. Russia is still managing to sell its grain, despite added costs and risks for shippers. However, those Ukrainian silos that are undamaged by the fighting are full of corn and barley. Farmers have nowhere to store their next harvest, due to start in late June, which may therefore rot. And they lack the fuel and labour to plant the one after that. Russia, for its part, may lack some supplies of the seeds and pesticides it usually buys from the European Union.
In spite of soaring grain prices, farmers elsewhere in the world may not make up the shortfall. One reason is that prices are volatile. Worse, profit margins are shrinking, because of the surging prices of fertiliser and energy. These are farmers’ main costs and both markets are disrupted by sanctions and the scramble for natural gas. If farmers cut back on fertiliser, global yields will be lower at just the wrong time.
The response by worried politicians could make a bad situation worse. Since the war started, 23 countries from Kazakhstan to Kuwait have declared severe restrictions on food exports that cover 10 per cent of globally traded calories. More than one-fifth of all fertiliser exports are restricted. If trade stops, famine will ensue.
Jesus warns us that at the time of His second coming to earth the world will be like it was during the time Noah lived.
“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:37-39
What was it like in Noah’s day? It was much like it is becoming today as God’s values and God’s Word are being trashed. It is leading up to the prophesied time when God will once again pour out His wrath upon the earth with the Trumpet and Bowl judgements.
“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” Genesis 6:11-13
In Revelation 6, when Jesus opens the sixth seal around the scroll containing the Trumpet and Bowl judgements He reveals He is about to release the wrath of God on the earth. It is at the trumpet blast when the seventh seal is opened that the Saints are raptured to meet Jesus in the sky and only then are the trumpet and bowl judgements released consecutively.
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” Revelation 6:12-17
We know that at the fifth seal the Saints have not been raised from the dead or raptured because John sees the souls of the martyred under the altar asking God how long will it be before He judges the wicked.
“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”Revelation 6:9-10
Moreover, it is shortly after the seventh seal has been opened with a trumpet blast that John now sees resurrected and raptured saints clothed in white robes from every tribe and nation standing before the throne praising God the Father and the Son.
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”Revelation 7:9-10
The timing of the rapture is important: God allows the Saints to be tested when Satan is allowed to persecute the Saints during the time of tribulation but God does not pour out His wrath upon the Saints with the Trumpet and Bowl judgements.
A perfect storm of several problems is decimating the world food supply. It’s been called the biggest food crisis since World War Two. The World Food Program estimates that 285 million people face starvation. The head of the World Food Program, former South Carolina Governor David Beasley, says the world food supply already faced a catastrophe before the war in Ukraine. “We’re so short of funds already, and now with Ukraine, we’ve got 50% rations for people in Yemen. I’ve just cut 50% rations for eight million people. Niger, 50% rations, Chad 50% rations. And 50% don’t have anything, those who are in extreme need.”
Famine threatens 1.4 million children U.N. warns
The war in Ukraine is only the latest of many problems to hit the world food supply. Food costs were already high from soaring inflation and fuel costs. Fertilizer prices were 40 percent higher than before the invasion of Ukraine, which, along with high fuel prices, makes it too expensive for some farmers to plant crops this year. Beasley said.
In the U.S., Americans have seen food costs rise 10 percent over last year, the steepest increase in 40 years, which experts say will lead to an increase in malnutrition among America’s poor. In the developing world, however, it’s become a matter of life and death. War in Ukraine Takes One-Third of the World’s Wheat Off the Table. Russia and Ukraine together produce almost one-third of the world’s wheat. But Ukrainian farmers have been sidelined and Russian exports have been sanctioned. Beasley says.
Rev. Eugene Cho, president, and CEO of Bread For the World says the U.S. needs to do more to fight global hunger, asking Congress to approve $3.8 billion in supplemental emergency funding. Cho said, “Let’s just talk about Afghanistan, 98% of the population does not have enough food to eat. One million children under the age of five could die from malnutrition by the end of this year. In Yemen, eight million people are in dire need of food.”
Even Africa’s wealthiest nation faces a food crisis, according to Nigerian Agri-investor Imal Silva, who told us a majority of Nigerians are facing malnutrition. “Those that are most affected are the majority in the lower and middle class of society. Those that were living below a particular level of income would feel the pinch and that’s quite a large majority,” Silva said. Beasley warns that the world’s food crisis could spiral into a political crisis. “You’ve got catastrophe coming to catastrophe,” Beasley said. “So don’t be surprised if you don’t see destabilization in several nations over the next six to nine months.”
When the disciples asked Jesus when He would return to earth to put things right, He gave them many signs and warnings. Famines and pestilences (Covid and its many variants) were among these signs.
“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3
“Then He said to them, Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and pestilences.“Luke 21:10-11
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Matthew 24:6-8
Wars and rumours of wars are just one of the early end times signs that Jesus spoke of when asked by the disciples about His second coming and the end of the world.
Russia has been massing some 100,000 troops plus logistics to support them in what looks like an impending invasion of Ukraine. In response, President Biden is sending 3,000 American soldiers to Poland and Romania, which border Ukraine.
New satellite images show battle groups and a vehicle park in Yelnya, Russia, on January 19, 2022. SATELLITE IMAGE 2021 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES
What would be the consequence if those Americans are fired upon? What if Russia moves on the Baltic Republics (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), also the home of a large Russian minority with grievances? They are members of NATO, in which an attack on one member nation is considered an attack on them all. If the Russians move on Estonia, all of the European members and the United States would be obliged by treaty to go to war with Russia. Most of the NATO nations have little military capabilities these days, trusting the United States to bear all of the costs involved.
China and Russia, once rivals have made formal alliances with each other. Not only that, both countries have made formal alliances with Iran, drawing the explosive Middle East into the global political alignments. In fact, these three countries are already being called “a new Axis.” (See, for example, this analysis: As America Sleeps, a Dangerous Axis Develops.)
China’s threats against Taiwan keep intensifying. Its much-expanded navy, its cutting-edge military technology, and its saber-rattling incursions of intimidation into the waters of other Asian countries are of concern. The Chinese ambassador has explicitly threatened “military conflict” with the U.S. if they support Taiwan in its continued claims of independence.
President Biden and the Pentagon turned what should have been an orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan into a humiliating rout. A military that can’t even pull off a successful retreat will seem unlikely to be able to stage a successful attack. The spectacle of the vaunted American military running away from the barely-equipped Taliban and even leaving behind some of their own people has surely emboldened their adversaries. They even abandoned hundreds of billions of dollars of military equipment and disgracefully turned their backs on their friends and allies. This could be seen in the ridicule that came from Russia and China, which called the U.S. a “paper tiger.”
As well as wars and rumours of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in many countries are other end times signs occurring now. Covid is the most notable. Apostate churches, false prophets and teachers, and lawlessness are also significant signs.
“And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that you are not alarmed: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death: and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one that endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:6:14
Whilst tribulation is ahead, the indwelling Holy Spirit will guide our steps to lead many to Jesus and bring glory to God. Look up your redemption is approaching.
“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:28
Over 7 million people across six East African countries are at the cusp of starvation as communities have faced existential threats from violence, flooding, the pandemic and locust infestation, the evangelical humanitarian organization World Vision has warned.
According to the charity, which operates in nearly 100 countries, thousands of children could face death or long-term health consequences if the international community does not respond quickly to East Africa’s worsening crisis.
“The situation is very severe in East Africa, and particularly Ethiopia. Over 2 million people are in need of food assistance,” Debebe Dawit of World Vision told The Christian Post in a Thursday interview. “Among conflict, COVID-19, flooding, locust infestation, all these are adding [an] additional burden to the community.”
Before the pandemic began, several countries in East Africa faced a widespread desert locust infestation that impacted hundreds of thousands of hectares and damaged croplands and pastures. Later in 2020, large-scale floods destroyed crops that were ready to harvest, which impacted the food supply for 4 million people in the region.
Matters have also been complicated by military conflicts — most recently the Tigray conflict — and the rise of Islamic extremism. Witnesses who spoke with The Associated Press have detailed killings, looting and other abuses committed by Eritrean soldiers in Tigray, a predominantly-Christian northernmost region of the East African country.
To address the starvation and poverty crisis in East Africa, World Vision launched a multi-country emergency response for Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. The goal is to reach 2.4 million people, which includes 490,000 children.
“One of the critical elements in this one is when famine or drought is happening, we always act after the fact. … Usually, we respond after people have died,” Dawit shared. “We need to be proactive in responding and providing funding to avoid the [deterioration] of the situation. The key thing here is people are dying before the famine of the drought is declared. So that needs to be looked at, and we need to act immediately and prevent further suffering.”
As many of you would be aware the Kenya House Church Movement which LEN supports has requested aid for the House Church Group in Tanzania. They encountered widespread famine in Nyamuzi on their recent visit. Check out my recent post KHC Missions Trip. If you would like to help click on the Donations icon on my LEN Home Page.
Over 7 million people across six East African countries are at the cusp of starvation as communities have faced existential threats from violence, flooding, the pandemic and locust infestation, the evangelical humanitarian organization World Vision has warned. Jesus also warned us that ecological disasters will be one of the signs the Father gives us prior to Jesus second coming to earth.
“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them … There will be great earthquakes,and in various places famines and pestilences.” Matthew 24:3-7
According to the charity, which operates in nearly 100 countries, thousands of children could face death or long-term health consequences if the international community does not respond quickly to East Africa’s worsening crisis.
Debebe Dawit, program manager for World Vision’s humanitarian emergency affairs team, recently visited Ethiopia and saw firsthand the effects of poverty in the East African country. He said the situation is “severe.”
“The situation is very severe in East Africa, and particularly Ethiopia. Over 2 million people are in need of food assistance,” Dawit told The Christian Post in a Thursday interview. “Among conflict, COVID-19, flooding, locust infestation, all these are adding [an] additional burden to the community.”
Kenya – The desert locusts have swarmed in Kenya from Somalia and Ethiopia, destroying farmlands. Ravenous swarms threaten entire East Africa subregion. FAO scales up its emergency response with a massive, border-spanning campaign needed to combat locust upsurge in East Africa.
Before the pandemic began, several countries in East Africa faced a widespread desert locust infestation that impacted hundreds of thousands of hectares and damaged croplands and pastures.
Later in 2020, large-scale floods destroyed crops that were ready to harvest, which impacted the food supply for 4 million people in the region, World Vision reports.
Matters have also been complicated by military conflicts — most recently the Tigray conflict — and the rise of Islamic extremism.
In the face of unprecedented global demands for humanitarian funding, crises in East Africa are receiving limited international attention, despite urgent and life-threatening needs,” Joseph Kamara, World Vision’s regional humanitarian and emergency affairs director for East Africa, said in a statement. “We appeal to national governments, regional institutions, humanitarian actors and donors to urgently address the hunger crisis in East Africa and more forcefully communicate its breadth and severity.
The head of the World Food Program (WFP) believes that 2021 could see “famines of biblical proportions” as the economic struggles of COVID-19 may hamper global responses to food shortages caused by military conflicts, the rise of Islamic extremism and locust infestations.
In an interview with the Christian Post WFP Executive Director David Beasley expressed concern for the funding problems that could be in store for 2021. Despite receiving historic levels of funding and leading the food-assistance branch of the United Nations to a Nobel Peace Prize since he took the helm in April 2017, the 63-year-old Beasley warned the fiscal realities of the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a decrease in funding at a time when as many as 270 million could be pushed to the brink of starvation. “I think it could be much bigger depending on how you define biblical proportions,” Beasley said. “2021 is going to be catastrophic unless we receive extraordinary financial support. I made a comment in late 2019 that 2020 was going to be the worst humanitarian year since World War II. Then before 2020 hit, desert locusts came on top of that, and then COVID came into the scene.” “If we did not get the support we needed and certain international actions were not taken, there would be famines of biblical proportions, destabilization and migration,” he added. “The international community responded significantly in 2020. We were able to avert famine last year.” The director stressed that the problem for 2021 lies in the fact that government budgets for 2020 were largely set in 2019 based on strong economic indicators before the pandemic hit.
Incredible scale of Kenya locust plague
A major driver of hunger in 2020 was a record infestation of crop-destroying locusts across several countries in East Africa and the Middle East. “New locust swarms are already forming and threatening to re-invade northern Kenya” while “breeding is also underway on both sides of the Red Sea, posing a new threat to Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, and Yemen.” “There is a lot of work to be done.” Beasley said of the WFP’s locust response. “The locust issue is not resolved and they are now on the move.”
Jesus Foretells “End Times” Wars, Famines and Persecution “Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences.”Luke 21:10-11
MILLIONS OF CHILDREN FORCED INTO LABOUR AS COVID 19 CREATES GLOBAL HUNGER CRISIS
“There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences.” Luke 21:11
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused at least 110 million children to go hungry and pushed 8 million others into child labour and begging, according to assessments in 24 countries across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia by evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization World Vision. Other international groups like the United Nations and World Food Programme have warned that the economic impact of the new coronavirus is bound to increase child hunger, violence and poverty at alarming levels, and those predictions were confirmed by World Vision’s assessments. “COVID-19 is already affecting parents and caregivers’ ability to meet the needs of their children,” says the World Vision report, titled “Out of Time: COVID-19 Aftershocks.”
Millions in India facing hunger due to Covid19
“Without urgent action, this will only get worse given that every second child, out of 2 billion children in the world, is living in poverty,” it adds. The report shows that a third of the 14,000 households in nine countries in Asia have already lost jobs or income since the coronavirus outbreak. “Sixty percent of these families depend on casual (daily) labour as a crucial source of income,” it says, adding that a quarter of all families surveyed did not have any food stocks on hand, and one third had only one week’s supply left. In Cambodia, 28% of households facing loss of jobs and income were sending children out to work, and in Bangladesh, 34% were sending children to beg, the assessment found. In urban slums in India, 40% of respondents reported a spike in domestic violence due to travel restrictions and a reduction in family income.
In Africa, 59% of respondents from communities World Visions works with reported spending less on healthy and nutritious food. In Latin America, refugees are severely affected by the loss of income, and one-third of children are going to bed hungry, the report says. “In Chile, 82% of the interviewees reported having serious problems obtaining food, and in Venezuela, 70% have no access to food, which means that children under age five are at high risk of being malnourished. The report also shows 28% of the children surveyed are at risk of eviction from their homes, with seven percent already having been evicted.” According to a projection by the United Nations, up to 66 million more children could fall into extreme poverty because of the pandemic, adding to the estimated 385 million children who were already living in extreme poverty as of last year.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused at least 110 million children to go hungry and pushed 8 million others into child labor and begging, according to assessments in 24 countries across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia by evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization World Vision.
Other international groups like the United Nations and World Food Programme have warned that the economic impact of the new coronavirus is bound to increase child hunger, violence and poverty at alarming levels, and those predictions were confirmed by World Vision’s assessments.
“COVID-19 is already affecting parents and caregivers’ ability to meet the needs of their children,” says the World Vision report, titled “Out of Time: COVID-19 Aftershocks.”
Child Hunger in Africa
“Without urgent action, this will only get worse given that every second child, out of 2 billion children in the world, is living in poverty,” it adds.
The report shows that a third of the 14,000 households in nine countries in Asia have already lost jobs or income since the coronavirus outbreak. “Sixty percent of these families depend on casual (daily) labor as a crucial source of income,” it says, adding that a quarter of all families surveyed did not have any food stocks on hand, and one third had only one week’s supply left.
In Cambodia, 28% of households facing loss of jobs and income were sending children out to work, and in Bangladesh, 34% were sending children to beg, the assessment found.
In urban slums in India, 40% of respondents reported a spike in domestic violence due to travel restrictions and a reduction in family income.
In Africa, 59% of respondents from communities World Visions works with reported spending less on healthy and nutritious food.
In Latin America, refugees are severely affected by the loss of income and one-third of children are going to bed hungry, the report says.
“In Chile, 82 percent of the interviewees report having serious problems obtaining food, and in Venezuela, 70 percent have no access to food, which means that children under age five are at high risk of being malnourished. The report also shows 28 percent of the children surveyed are at risk of eviction from their homes, with seven percent already having been evicted.”
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”Matthew 24:7-13
LIVING ETERNAL NOW 