Report: Global targets for better nutrition are not only stalled, but worsening


Chris Herlinger |

New York – For humanitarian agencies like CWS, the news that the spike in world food prices is worsening the outlook for improved nutrition globally is neither pleasant nor surprising. A new report says that progress toward better nutrition and food security is stalled – and getting worse. Jos Verbeek, the lead economist at the World Bank and chief author …

Updated CWS emergency appeal: Severe storms and tornadoes


April 20, 2012

Appeal Number 627-T Update (April 20, 2012) Appeal Goal: $110,000 Situation: Spring storms and tornadoes continue to cause significant destruction throughout the United States. In recent weeks we’ve seen devastating tornadoes in Texas with significant damage in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Communities most severely impacted were: Arlington, Forney, Lancaster and Dallas. Last weekend’s tornadoes impacted states in the Midwest including …

A Summit, and a Moment to Spotlight the Problem of Childhood Hunger


This is a cross-posting of a blog called standupfighthunger.tumblr.com written by our Deputy Director, Head of Programs, Maurice A. Bloem. New York – The announcement by Mayor Rahm Emanuel that Chicago will host a May 21 summit on the issue of child malnutrition in the U.S. and throughout the world is good news. If no other reason than to put …

Workshop to focus on helping Harrisburg recover from tornado


April 18, 2012

Rev. Bryan Crousore, an emergency response specialist with Church World Service, will conduct a free workshop on “Long-Term Recovery from Disasters” for clergy and community members who are helping people affected by the Feb. 29 tornado in Harrisburg, IL. The workshop will take place on May 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Zion United Church of Christ, 930 …

CWS’s Herlinger wins DeRose-Hinkhouse writing awards


April 16, 2012

Philadelphia, Pa. – Church World Service writer Chris Herlinger has won two top awards from the Religion Communicators Council for his reporting from Haiti. Herlinger won Best of Class in the categories, writing for publication and specialized writing, in this year’s De Rose-Hinkhouse Awards, announced Thursday, April 12, at the council’s April 12-14 convention, held this year in Philadelphia, Pa. …

CWS Emergency Situation Report: Sahel (Africa) Food Crisis


April 13, 2012

Situation: A deepening food crisis is affecting an estimated 12 million people concentrated primarily in the West African region of the Sahel, with the fear that famine is imminent. The governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Chad and Niger have already declared states of emergency and called for international assistance. The United Nations says that a shortfall of more than …

CWS, interfaith coalition to Congress: Save Farm Bill food aid funding, reform U.S. policies


April 12, 2012

Editors: See full text of letter as sent to members of the Senate: www.churchworldservice.org/farmbill Washington, D.C. — As U.S. lawmakers are set to resume deliberations of the 2012 Farm Bill, global humanitarian agency Church World Service and other members of a leading interfaith coalition called on lawmakers in Washington on Wednesday to fundamentally change U.S. food aid policies to lower …

CWS hails USAID Nairobi forum, donor pledges to avert future Horn of Africa crises


April 10, 2012

NEW YORK/NAIROBI — The head of global humanitarian agency Church World Service is hailing fresh commitments announced by USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah and African development leaders aimed at developing greater drought and famine resilience to prevent future crises in the Horn of Africa. CWS applauded also the U.S. announcement last week that it will provide an additional nearly U.S. …

Micronutrient supplements helping overcome child malnutrition, but more needed for long-term food security


March 30, 2012

KINANGO DISTRICT, Kenya — In the dry and poor east Kenya district of Kinango, humanitarian worker Sammy Mutua watched and listened as mothers recounted how their small children, suffering from malnutrition, had been listless and had little appetite, but now were eating heartily after only one month of daily multi-micronutrient powder supplements (MNPs) sprinkled in their porridge. Mutua, staff member …