James Morris Quotations

We have put financial systems in place to help ensure people do not starve if donations are not immediately forthcoming. But these internal loans cannot be repeated if the international community does not step in to replenish funds.

Since our last appeal in December, we have received very little, against the growing needs.

I wish the problems of this region could be easily solved, but the reality is that many millions of people will face extreme difficulties even if there are better harvests this year.

For too many ordinary people, political progress must now be matched by substantial humanitarian assistance.

He taught me that that's what you do. If you live there, you take care of the community.

I think the issues are difficult. There has been a lot of movement of people among countries, a lot of conflict for a long time; and the food security issues are a challenge.

We need six, seven, eight times as much help as we have already had for the next 12 months. If there's a break in the pipeline, the shock and the lack of water for those millions of people who are now seriously at risk will mean we will start to see large numbers of casualties very, very quickly.

We have clearly heard their message: Don't abandon us at this crucial time and risk a return to the bloody nightmare that we lived through for so many years.

We still have needs of $63 million to buy some additional food to complete our work to June.

We committed to the president and the Burundian people our unconditional support.

There is a change in the world's weather pattern that disproportionately affects Africa.

The reason we are here is linked to the fact that the international community cares about countries going through post-conflict periods and trying to establish democracy and democratic institutions.

The good news is that the rains have been better this year. We will not see widespread famine.

We will urgently need more help in the next 10 days because it takes time to buy, ship and distribute food. It is not something you can do overnight.

And with forecasters suggesting that the April rains will also be poor, the number of families needing assistance could grow in the coming months. Without adequate emergency food aid, we fear for the worst.

Ethiopia, the whole Horn of Africa is a very vulnerable part of the world.

The world has not appreciated in the last 60 days how serious this situation is... we are now in a crisis. We are in a life-saving mode.

Other humanitarian agencies in southern Somalia face the enormous challenge of reaching drought victims in remote and insecure areas. We urge leaders and rival militia to set aside their differences and guarantee safe passage (of food aid) to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

Debt relief means very little to a starving child who needs food now

This is a measure we should simply never have to take. Our donors were really supportive in 2005 -- they cannot be less so in 2006.

This is a measure we should simply never have to take.

Food must come first. We cannot put families who have lost their homes and loved ones to violence on a 1,000-calorie-a-day diet.

It's still early but if current predictions prove correct, then Malawi may have more food at its disposal this year than in previous years.

The truth of it is, I'm excited about this. We need this growth.

They will die off the beaten track that the world is not focussed on. And it is a very tough challenge for us to raise the resources.

If you help a little girl go to school for five years in Malawi everything about her life changes for the better. She's a better mum, she's a better citizen, a better teacher, a better farmer.

These are places that need help, and these are places whose leaders have taken ownership of the problems and the international community's investment will be productive. We intend to be vigorous advocates, asking the international community to do more.

These kids have every need in the world and the unfairness of it is just beyond description.

The humanitarian emergency insurance contract might, in the future, offer us a way of insuring against these massive losses before they spell destitution for millions of families.

Amid increasing pressure on us to respond to crises, we urge the international community to remember that we can only provide as much assistance as we ourselves receive ? whether in cash or food. We have to appeal for every cent that we spend on the hungry poor.