wfn.org | Lutherans Aid Papua New Guinea's Tidal Wave Victims

[Brenda Williams <BRENDAW@elca.org>]

Reply-To: ElcaNews <ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG>
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

July 22, 1998

LUTHERANS AID PAPUA NEW GUINEA'S TIDAL WAVE VICTIMS
98-26-155-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- An earthquake-triggered tsunami (tidal wave) off
the northern coast of Papua New Guinea killed as many as 3,000 people July
17.  Seven heavily populated villages in the West Sepik region were washed
away by the 23-foot  waves, leaving more than 6,000 homeless.
     "Most of the people who died were children and women," said Belletech
Deressa of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Division for Global
Mission.  "Many people couldn't run away because the tidal wave came so
suddenly."  Most survivors suffered broken bones and internal injuries.
     "It is very difficult to assess the number of those killed because
many of the bodies are difficult to recover.  It is estimated that it could
be up to 6,000, but at this time we know of about 3,000," said Deressa.
     "Dr. Ranaivoson Mami, an ELCA missionary working in Madang, indicated
that the affected area, Aitape Sanduan Province, is primarily Catholic,"
said Deressa.  Other parts of the country include many Lutheran churches
that will provide assistance, "such as burying the dead, and trying to
provide food and medical assistance to survivors."
     Papua New Guinea    Prime Minister Bill Skate has made an appeal to the
Papua New Guinea Council of Churches, which includes the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea with 815,000 members and the Gutnius
Lutheran Church with 95,000 members.  Both churches and the ELCA are
members of Lutheran World Federation, a global communion of 124 Lutheran
churches in 69 countries.
     "We need to pray for the people of Papua New Guinea who have lost,
just in a second, 3,000 people or more.  We ask members of our
congregations to pray for victims and their families," said Deressa.

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     Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds for aid to
     survivors of major disasters outside of the United States,
     Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, please include:

                     Lutheran World Relief
                     390 Park Avenue South
                      New York, NY  10016
                          212-532-6350

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For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director 1-773-380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html