Bell ringing in Austria: A sign against hunger on July 25th!

Bell ringing in Austria: A sign against hunger on July 25th!

On July 25, 2025 at 3 p.m. church bells will ring throughout Austria. This extraordinary bell ringing is part of the “Bell Ringing Against Hunger” campaign, which was initiated by Caritas Austria to draw attention to the urgent problem of global hunger. As 5min.at reports, the daily ringing of bells in Austria is deeply anchored in religious tradition, but the additional ringing on this day has a special meaning.

The President of Caritas Austria, Nora Tödtling-Musenbichler, emphasizes that the problem of hunger has become more urgent and tragic. 733 million people worldwide are currently affected by hunger, a number that dwarfs the acute crisis before and during the corona pandemic. According to ots.at, around 29 percent of the world's population does not have constant access to food, which has serious consequences for people's health and development.

Global impact of the hunger crisis

The climate crisis is making a decisive contribution to worsening the food situation, as between 3.3 and 3.6 billion people have to live in vulnerable environments. In Africa, food insecurity is alarmingly high, with 58 percent of the population affected - almost twice the global average. In Burundi, every second child suffers from malnutrition, which has devastating consequences for their growth. Caritas Austria is therefore planning the campaign to draw attention to these tragic conditions and at the same time calls for more climate justice for the global south, where the consequences of climate change are particularly acute.

In addition to the global figures, the UN's comprehensive report on world hunger is alarming. According to caritas.ch, 730 million people are currently suffering from hunger and almost a third of the world's population is affected by food insecurity. The main drivers of this crisis are the climate crisis, armed conflicts, wars and increasing global inequality. The emergency is particularly critical in countries such as Congo, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Help and support from Caritas

Caritas Austria is responding to the emergency with extensive offers of help, including food packages and clean drinking water in acute emergency situations. The organization also offers training for sustainable agriculture, rural development and supports particularly vulnerable groups in order to strengthen resilience against future crises. This is reflected in the ongoing efforts to address these challenges and find solutions together.

People in Austria are invited to actively contribute to fighting hunger. Donations are possible both online via the website www.caritas.at/hunger and to the Caritas donation account at Erste Bank (IBAN: AT23 2011 1000 0123 4560, BIC: GIBAATWWXXX) with the password “Hungerhilfe”. Every contribution can help improve the lives of those who are hungry and bring about change.