This Week

This Week

So many awful things happened this week.

On Monday a devastating mudslide in Sierra Leone washed away homes and killed hundreds of people. They are in desperate need of help for the clean up and recovery operations.

On Tuesday at a religious celebration on the Portuguese island of Madeira a 200 year oak tree fell killing more than a dozen people and injuring more than 50 others.

On Wednesday it was reported that the number of refugees from South Sudan who have fled to Uganda have now exceeded 1 million.

Earlier this year a UN official said the world was facing one of its worst humanitarian crises since the end of World World II because of the numbers, about 20 million people, facing starvation. He urged an immediate injection of funds for Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and northeast Nigeria plus safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid “to avert a catastrophe”.

Over Wednesday night and Thursday terror attacks in Alcanar, Barcelona and Cambrils claimed the lives of 14 people and injured many more. The first attack was an explosion and a number of butane gas canisters were later discovered suggesting that the police had managed to foil a much larger attack from happening. The subsequent attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils took the form of the now sickeningly familiar tactic of driving into crowds of people. Truly awful.

On Friday in the Finnish city of Turku two people died and eight were injured in a brutal knife attack. Authorities are treating it as a terrorist attack.

I thought I had some observation to make when I started writing this – but rereading those news items I can’t remember what it was. It obviously wasn’t important.

To all those affected I just want to say I’m sorry for your loss, I’m sorry for the horrible things that have happened to you. I pray that you receive all the support and care you need, and that events and life will conspire to send many blessings your way. And if you don’t like any talk like that – I’m just sending positive thoughts your way.

this week
A tribute to the victims of the attacks in Catalonia, Heather Heyer’s memorial service, refugees from South Sudan, people helping each other across a river after the mudslide in Sierra Leone, a woman holding a sign in Catalan which says ‘Not in my name’.

I was going to make a collage of different images from each of the news items above but after doing a google image search of “Yemen devastation caused by war” and then looking at images from right after the attacks in Barcelona – they were too upsetting. Instead I went with some of the more positive images of the week – I’m not sure if the photo of the South Sudanese family sitting in front of the UNHCR truck was taken this week.

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Do the image search for “Yemen devastation caused by war” it’s very upsetting but we need to pay attention to what is going on there. The country has been utterly devastated. If you can please donate to any of the aid agencies working there like The Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders, and if your country is involved in the war there please ask your representatives why – Yemen needs to be rebuilt not bombed.

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I’m sorry this post is so all over the place. I usually tell myself to not post anything when I read about something terrible that’s happened – and this shows why. I just want to pass on my condolences. That’s it. I’m sorry.