Humanitarian action must move beyond simply saving lives in war and disaster and begin protecting the ecological conditions that sustain them, according to Dr Hugo Slim ahead of this year’s Annual Trócaire Lent Lecture.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Dr Slim, Director of the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice at Blackfriars Hall, Oxford, said the world faces “a major earth emergency brought on by the climate emergency”, with rising heat, floods and biodiversity loss reshaping the conditions for human survival.
“It’s not enough just to save human beings,” he said. “You have to save humans and nature together.”
Drawing on decades of experience in conflict zones including Sudan, Ethiopia and the Middle East, Dr Slim warned that war can dominate political and moral attention while deeper environmental pressures intensify.
“War always distracts the short-term political view,” he said, calling for what he describes as a renewed sense of “the earth community of all life” as the basis for global politics.
His comments come as Trócaire launched its annual Trócaire Box Appeal for Lent, warning that the climate crisis is having a devastating and disproportionate impact on women and girls.
Trócaire CEO Seán Farrell said climate change threatens livelihoods, health and security worldwide and is deepening gender inequality.
“The climate crisis is not ‘gender neutral’. Women and girls bear the brunt of its impacts,” Mr Farrell said. He noted that in some regions women produce up to 80% of food yet own less than 20% of agricultural land, limiting their ability to implement resilient farming practices.
In Rwanda, the focus of this year’s appeal, floods are destroying homes and crops, leaving many women struggling to support their families. Trócaire highlighted the story of Uwamahoro, 28, who supports three generations of her family as changing weather patterns make farming increasingly precarious.
“When these resources become scarce due to the changing climate, women must work harder and travel farther,” Mr Farrell said.
Dr Slim’s lecture, titled ‘Care for creation amidst the cries of war: working for peace in the earth community’, will take place on March 3 at 7pm and will also be livestreamed. Registration is free but required.
