now, because of fighting there, they are escaping into ethiopia, where fred de sam lazaro found some of them earlier this month. here is his report on the disaster that refuses to go away and some people in minnesota trying to help. fred begins in east africa. >> it's here at the ethiopia- somali border that some 400 refugees arrive every single day, most of them women and children, most of them fleeing not just famine, but fighting. so far this year, 135,000 mostly women and children have registered here in this harsh but promised land for refugees. they have suffered for months and walked for days to get here. there's food and some basic medical care, just barely enough. >> i think it's important to point out that the emergency's not over. it's ongoing. we continue to see people coming and these people are living here in camps and they are in great need of humanitarian assistance. >> for humanitarian agencies, the challenge is to sustain the supply pipeline and keep the attention in donor countries focused on this remote region that's seen hunger and conflict for decades. it's an on

special correspondent fred de sam lazaro has our report.t would happen if the majority of the world's wheat crop was wiped out by disease is unfathomable. >> this is a variety and actually disease is eating the whole plant. >> reporter: scientists say a fun gal disease thought long under control called wheat rust is back and could destroy 80% of all known wheat varieties if it isn't stopped in its tracks. so here in kenya's valley, they are testing wheat varietys from around the world to find the most resistant strains. >> we are getting it in areas about 3,000 meters above sea level. >> reporter: the wheat stem rust was first discovered several hundred miles west of here in gahn da in 1999 hence the name u.g. 99. it blew very quickly into the farmlands here in kenya's rift valley and thereafter east across the red sea into yemen and as far east as iran. the big fear is that under the right climate conditions-- a dry spell and winds-- stem rust will spread further east into the populous asian subcontinent and later to china. in kenya, wheat

. >> suarez: and fred de sam lazaro tells the story of an unusual christmas celebration at a minnesota church. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. jor funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> intel. sponsors of tomorrow. >> and by bnsf railway. and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> suarez: the carnage that has bloodied much of syria came home to the capital today. two bombs erupted in damascus, killing nearly four dozen people and wounding more than 150. we begin with a report narrated by inigo gilmore of independent television news. >> reporter: one of the bomb blasts left this huge crater in the ground. the tangled bodies of the dead were ferried away on stretchers, a doubly whammy in the heart of the capital damascus.

. >> suarez: and fred de sam lazaro tells the story of an unusual christmas celebration at a minnesota church. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> intel. sponsors of tomorrow. >> and by bnsf railway. and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> suarez: the carnage that has bloodied much of syria came home to the capital today. two bombs erupted in damascus, killing nearly four dozen people and wounding more than 150. we begin with a report narrated by inigo gilmore of independent television news. >> reporter: one of the bomb blasts left this huge crater in the ground. the tangled bodies of the dead were ferried away on stretchers, a doubly whammy in the heart of the capital damascu

. >> ifill: fred de sam lazaro reports on how multiple disasters have made it tougher for charities to raise money. >> it's not so much about compassion fatigue. i think people are as come packsate today as they ever have been. for us it's actually more a belief fatigue. >> woodruff: jeffrey brown examines new proposals by european leaders to tackle the continent's debt crisis. >> ifill: and we look at the findings of a pro publica investigation into who gets presidential pardons, and who doesn't. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> intelligent computing technology is making its way into everything from cars to retail signs to hospitals; creating new enriching experiences. through intel's philosophy of investing for the future, we're helping to bring these new capabilities to market. we're investing billions of dollars in r&d around the globe to help create the technologies that we hope will be the heart of tomorrow's innovations. i believe that by investing today in technological advances here at intel, we ca

. >> suarez: and fred de sam lazaro tells the story of an unusual christmas celebration at a minnesota church. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's newshour. major fuing for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> intel. sponsors of tomorrow. >> and by bnsf railway. and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. >> and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> suarez: the carnage that has bloodied much of syria came home to the capital today. two bombs erupted in damascus, killing nearly four dozen people and wounding more than 150. we begin with a report narrated by inigo gilmore of independent television news. >> reporter: one of the bomb blasts left this huge crater in the ground. the tangled bodies of the dead were ferried away on stretchers, a doubly whammy in the heart of the capital damascus.