Two grandfathers have pledged to fast out of solidarity with childhood suffering around the world.

Lynn Millett, 70, and Glenn Fubler, 73, will stay away from solid foods for a day between Christmas and January 7 – and have encouraged others to do the same.

They have also urged others to donate cash to food programmes that will assist vulnerable families this holiday season.

Mr Fubler said that the cause reflected the biblical story of the Massacre of the Innocents, where young boys in Bethlehem were slaughtered shortly after the birth of Jesus Christ.

He explained: “That birth occurred in the shadow of the Roman Empire’s cruelty which impacted the lives of so many Middle Eastern children, two millennia ago.

“We join in 2022 in addressing in some small was parallel circumstances being manifested today.”

Mr Fubler added: “The two of us will be fasting on one of the days between December 25 and the ‘Orthodox Christmas’ of January 7, 2023 in solidarity with the many millions of today’s children across the planet who are adversely affected by the actions and inaction of far too many unconscious individuals, groups and governments.”

Mr Fubler cited the ongoing war in Ukraine and Yemeni civil war as instances of child suffering, as well as the children of Haiti affected by gang warfare in many parts of the country.

He added that the ongoing climate crisis, perpetuated by fossil fuel companies such as Exxon, affected “billions of the most vulnerable people – especially children across the globe”.

Mr Millett and Mr Fubler have known each other since 1970 when they met through the Black Beret Cadre, a Black power group in Bermuda.

They took part in several protests, including a sit-in at a leading Bermuda law firm which was the registered office for some South African based companies in February, 1985 to show solidarity with the children of Apartheid South Africa.

Mr Millett is now a grandfather of ten and Mr Fubler a grandfather of four.