Just yesterday our United Nations humanitarian leader disclosed how hunger is being used as a subjugation tactic in the Syrian conflicts. “Current levels of access leave civilians starving and without medical care,” declares Stephen O’Brien, who points out the deliberate theft of food and medical supplies from what few relief convoys are permitted into cities under siege like Aleppo and Madaya. Compounding aid efforts are repeated military attacks on relief workers, including 60 people were killed today in Aleppo in when an MSF hospital was targeted.
Indeed, hunger and illness impair resistance against aggression. But what about the power of hope? This year’s Exploring Medical Missions Conference theme is The Evidence Behind Medical Missions. My keynote address will celebrate the courageous and merciful actions of individuals like Lani Ackerman in Nepal, John Zhangpeng in China, and Howard Searle in India. I’ll also recognize today’s bold acts of compassion by Heart To Heart International, Medical Missions Foundation, and Kansas City’s own Hope Family Care Center.
Best of all, this event is your opportunity to step into a role in ending the hunger games being played out around the globe. The evidence behind medical missions could actually include you.