The Voice of the suffering in Africa

Father André Poré is the parish priest of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus in Burkina Faso.  His parish has received many refugees from elsewhere in the country, including 2,000 people from Rollo Department, who were forced out by terrorists in May of 2023. During his visit to the international headquarters of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the priest from Ouahigouya – a diocese deeply affected by terrorism – described the refugees’ dire situation and the challenges faced by ...

Vital aid from a Catholic charity has reached flood victims in northern Nigeria, but a senior Christian leader warns that the scale of the human tragedy could be greater than initially feared.   Bishop John Bakeni, Auxiliary Bishop of Maiduguri, told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which is supporting his diocese’s relief efforts, that at least one million people have been affected by the flood.  He added, “The flood’s unprecedented scale has presented challenges beyond our previous experiences, as ...

At least 50,000 Christians have been directly affected by the flooding in Maiduguri in northern Nigeria, though the actual numbers could be far higher. ACN is committed to helping the local diocese and requesting donations and prayers from its benefactors.  The devastating floods in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri are the worst in at least three decades, according to Auxiliary Bishop John Bakeni of the local diocese. Although official numbers are still being determined, at least one million people ...

The Nigerian city of Maiduguri was recently hit by terrible flooding. Aid to the Church in Need is helping the local diocese with food, sanitation, medicine, and shelter.   The Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Maiduguri, in Nigeria, has issued an appeal for help in the wake of devastating floods affecting his city.  In a video message sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Auxiliary Bishop John Bakeni requests aid, explaining that “the city of Maiduguri has been engulfed ...

Maiduguri, Nigeria, known for having been the hub of Boko Haram, is now grappling with a devastating flood, which has engulfed significant parts of the city, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral Church. The catastrophic event is believed to be the result of damage to the Alau Dam, located a few miles from Maiduguri.  According to media reports, Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, faces its most severe flooding since 1994, leaving Borno residents on high alert, as countless houses are completely ...

In only a decade, Burkina Faso has become an epicenter of terrorist violence, with over 40 percent of the country’s land outside of government control. And in this situation, the Catholic Church provides material and spiritual support. Two Burkinabe priests from a diocese hard hit by extremists shared their experiences with ACN.   “The situation is dire,” said Father Bertin Namboho and Father Jean-Pierre Keita, the bursar of the Diocese of Nouna and parish priest of the village of Tansila, respectively. ...