Ethiopia's northern regions have been hit by a drought that is estimated to be more terrible than that of 1984, which led to the deaths of over one million people. The United Nations and Save the Children are appealing for funds to save lives and ensure that Ethiopia's current developmental momentum remains on track. But how could this happen again? Thirty years ago a global humanitarian appeal raised many millions, and foreign NGOs established a host of infrastructure projects designed to prevent such a disaster recurring. Donor fatigue? The harsh truth is that Ethiopia is competing for international funds against the likes of war-torn Syria and Yemen, and a migrant crisis. In addition, the cogs of the bureaucratic donor system are not renowned for turning quickly. 400,000 children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition and ten million more need food aid.

The parched landscape of Free State in South Africa has whirlwinds tossing huge spirals of dust into the sky. Usually January brings tremendous thunderstorms, with up to 90mm of rain falling on this traditional farming heartland of the country. But South Africa is experiencing the worst drought in recorded history. Small-scale farmers, who are mostly black, are worst affected; unable to plant crops, many are forced to kill or sell their livestock at below market value prices. Increased food prices, a stagnating economy and 25% unemployment have created a scenario for social unrest. Some commercial farmers fear that the country could see widespread social disturbances. They are concerned that the drought could precipitate land occupations similar to those in neighbouring Zimbabwe. Members of the ANC Youth League recently travelled to Zimbabwe to research Zimbabwe’s land reform programme. Four thousand white-owned farms have been occupied since the land grabs began in Zimbabwe fifteen years ago.

The UN special envoy on Syria, Staffan de Mistura, hopes to start peace talks in Geneva today between the government and opposition groups. The sides will not talk directly to each other to begin with, but negotiators will move between them. Priorities are to agree a general cease-fire, stop the IS threat, and clear the way for humanitarian aid. On Monday, the day the talks were originally scheduled to start, Mr de Mistura said, ‘We want to ensure that when and if we start, it will be on the right foot. It will be uphill.’ Turkey's foreign minister said that any participation of Kurdish forces in these peace talks would be dangerous and spell the end of the UN-led initiative. Meanwhile US vice-president Joe Biden said that the United States and Turkey are prepared for a military solution against IS in Syria if the Syrian government and rebels fail to reach a political settlement. See

_{For fourteen years North Korea has been the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian. Believers face arrest, torture, imprisonment and death for daring to think there is a higher authority than Kim Jong-un. Many follow Jesus in secret. Parents don't even tell their children about their faith, for fear they will be revealed. Thousands of Christians are trapped in horrific labour camps, prison camps, and isolated closed villages. Most will stay there until they die. Despite the risks North Koreans are still choosing to follow Christ. A social stratification system called 'Songbun', similar to the Indian caste system, divides people into three classes: the loyal, the wavering and the hostile. These are further divided into 51 subclasses. Christians are part of the 'hostile' class, with Protestant Christians being number 37 and Catholic Christians number 39. Food and basics are often scarce, so pray for protection for those who smuggle food, medicine and Christian material into the country.}

Pope Francis met the Iranian president on Tuesday, joining in discussions touching on the nuclear accord and Iran's role in the region. Before these discussions, the two men met privately for forty minutes. The Vatican described the talks as ‘cordial’, with good Iranian-Vatican relations. After the meeting President Rouhani asked the Pope to pray for him. The Vatican meeting was a key part of an Iranian effort to take a more prominent place on the world stage after a nuclear deal with Western powers. The Vatican said that Iran was also urged to help fight arms trafficking. Rouhani's visit to the Holy See saw the first meeting between a pope and an Iranian president since 1999. He is on a four-day European visit to boost Iran's image abroad as well as to rehabilitate economic ties with a continent that had been a big trade partner before sanctions.

An alert from the Integrated Food Classification (IPC) states that in some areas of South Sudan the situation has reached ‘catastrophic’ and ‘emergency’ levels. Over a third of the population are experiencing severe levels of hunger, and many are eating wild foods and drinking unsafe water to survive. In Unity State, one of the three areas worst affected, Christian Aid is supplying fast-maturing vegetable seeds, fishing nets and water purification tablets. To prevent the spread of disease, they are also distributing hygiene kits which include soap, sanitary products, jerry cans for transporting and storing water, and mosquito nets. Unless the response can be scaled up, livelihoods and lives will be lost. Further catastrophe can be averted. Christian Aid and other NGOs urgently need more funding to respond to this humanitarian crisis.

Although the Episcopal Church in the USA allows its clergy to perform same-sex marriages, Chief Justice Roy Moore has ordered the reaffirming of the marriage law in Alabama with an administrative order saying, ‘Alabama probate judges have a ministerial duty not to issue any marriage license contrary to the Alabama Sanctity of Marriage Amendment. Confusion and uncertainty exist among the probate judges of this State. Many judges are issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples; others are issuing marriage licenses only to couples of the opposite gender or have ceased issuing all marriage licenses.’ Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel said, ‘In Alabama and across America, state judiciaries and legislatures are standing up against the federal judiciary or anyone else who wants to come up with the view that somehow the Constitution now births some newfound notion of same-sex marriage. The opinion of five lawyers on the US Supreme Court regarding same-sex marriage is lawless and without legal or historical support.’

We rejoice that Pastor Saeed Abedini, an Iranian believer from a Muslim background, has been released from prison. He has US citizenship and had been imprisoned since September 2012, accused of undermining national security, due to his involvement with house fellowships. During his imprisonment he had serious health issues, suffered physical and verbal abuse, and received death threats on account of his faith in Christ. Saeed was released as part of a prisoner exchange between the US and Iran that also saw the release of three other Iranian-Americans: Jason Rezaian, Amir Hekmati and Nosratollah Khosravi. Saeed’s wife, Naghmeh, expressed her joy and surprise at the news of his release and thanked everyone around the world who had been interceding for Saeed and his family (1.1 million people joined the ‘Save Saeed’ campaign). Iranian Christians request our continuing prayer that Saeed and his family will know God's strength in the necessary adjustments, and that other Christians detained in Iranian prisons will be encouraged and released soon.

If we ever needed to pray for the cooperation of European countries in peace, freedom and solidarity, it is now. Through the Greek crisis the Alliance held together. Is the refugee situation to break it? With incalculable consequences? Germany, a former destroyer of Europe, has become the guarantor of the construction of Europe in peace and unity. Many believe that God is saying that the future spiritual life of Europe will come from Germany. It was in Germany in 2006 that the prayer movement ‘European Union of Prayer’ (www.euofprayer.eu) was born. Every six months this group meets in the home country of the EU President and prays there for that country, for Europe, and for Israel. But there is more to the vision: it is to be a continuous prayer blanket over the continent. Thank God that this has started! Christians of Europe have on their hearts to give fifteen minutes or more each week to pray for the European nations. They receive a fourteen-day prayer letter to launch them, and by praying they weave a thread into the canopy of prayer over our continent.

German police arrested more than 200 people last Tuesday after masked right-wing supporters went on a rampage at an anti-Islamisation rally of roughly 2,000 in the eastern city of Leipzig. The extremists, who are known to police as hooligans, went on the rampage during a march by supporters of the anti-migrant Pegida (Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West) movement. The ‘peaceful’ demonstration was a protest against German chancellor Angela Merkel’s open door policy for refugees. German police said that as anti-Muslim supporters marched peacefully in the city centre, a separate group of 211 people walked through the largely left-wing Connewitz district before setting off fireworks, erecting barricades, and vandalising property. The top floor of one building caught fire. See also article 3 in this week’s British Isles section.