Trócaire supporter Marty Morrissey, Kurdish born hurler and author, Zak Moradi, and Trinity camogie players, Yvonne Stack (left) and Aoife Nelligan as they kick-off Trócaire’s annual Lenten appeal today at Croke Park. Photo Mark Stedman.
Uachtarán CLG, Larry McCarthy, was joined in Croke Park on Wednesday by GAA ambassadors and the CEO of Trócaire, Caoimhe de Barra, to help the charity launch their Lenten Box appeal 2024.
Trócaire was selected as one of the GAA’s official charities for 2023 due to their globally impactful work in supporting locally-led humanitarian responses to save lives.
“Last year the GAA wanted to respond to the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey," said McCarthy. "Trócaire was selected as one of our charity partners due to their ability to translate the Association’s donation of €20,000 into meaningful aid for those impacted in that region.
“Their annual Lenten Appeal 2024 will focus on the global climate crises and as one of the Irish government’s designated champions for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the GAA was delighted to support its launch in Croke Park."
Former Leitrim hurler and proud Kurd, Zak Moradi, GAA personality and broadcaster Marty Morrissey, a long-time supporter of Trócaire’s work, and Trinity College camogie players, Yvonne Stack and Aoife Nelligan, attended to lend their support to Trócaire’s Lenten Appeal 2024.
As the world’s most vulnerable continue to pay the price for the global climate crisis, Trócaire Lenten appeal 2024 highlights that it is the next generation who will inherit the climate crisis. The devastating impacts of climate change are no longer predictions; they are reality. Over 3.6 billion people live in areas highly susceptible to climate change. 2023 provided a stark picture of climate breakdown, from devastating wildfires in Greece, Hawaii and Canada, to a crippling food crisis due to drought in the Horn of Africa, and vicious storms, such as Cyclone Freddy that ripped through communities in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
This year Trócaire’s Lenten campaign is focusing on the people of Malawi who are suffering from repeated droughts, flooding and cyclones and while they try to recover from each devastating event they are then hit again and again, in turn suffering displacement and food shortages. This year, Trócaire is leading efforts to ensure that help reaches those experiencing the worst impacts of climate change. In Malawi 2.3 million people have limited access to food and more than 3.8 million (20% of population) face critical food insecurity in Malawi.
Caoimhe de Barra, Trocaire CEO, said: “It is deeply unjust that those who have done least to cause the climate crisis, and who have the least capacity to adapt, are suffering most severely from its impacts. In particular, marginalised groups such as women and indigenous peoples must not continue to pay the price for global climate inaction. We want to see a sustainable world, where people and the planet flourish and climate action is rooted in the principles of justice, human rights and gender equality, equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities, polluter pays principle and a just transition.”
For over 50 years Trόcaire has changed the lives of tens of millions of people around the world. Its annual Lenten Appeal sees the iconic Trócaire Box displayed in hundreds of thousands of schools, Churches, and homes all over the country in the build up to Easter.
Last year Trócaire improved the lives of 1.58 million people in 24 of the most fragile countries in the world.
To find out more or donate visit trocaire.org or phone 1800 408 408.