wfn.org | ELCA Commits $150,000 to Relieve Crisis in Kosovo

[NEWS <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

April 9, 1999

ELCA COMMITS $150,000 TO RELIEVE CRISIS IN KOSOVO
99-85-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA)   The International Disaster Response of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has committed $100,000 to
aid the refugee crisis in Kosovo, in addition to an earlier gift of
$50,000.
     The funds were sent through Action by Churches Together (ACT) to
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Norwegian Church Aid and
Diakonisches Werk Germany, said Belletech Deressa, director for
international development and disaster response, ELCA Division for
Global Mission.  ACT is an emergency response coordinating office of LWF
and the World Council of Churches.
     The new funds were distributed following a request from Lutheran
World Relief (LWR), which has now expanded its relief work into Albania,
Deressa said.  Earlier funds were sent through ACT to Norwegian Church
Aid, which continues its efforts to help refugees in Albania and
Macedonia.
     LWR is an agency that works in overseas relief and development on
behalf of the ELCA and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. It has been
working through ACT and the Macedonian Center for International
Cooperation.
     Its efforts have included supplying food, water and clothing to
refugees in Kosovo border camps and coordinating airlift of supplies,
including food clothing and vehicles to Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro
and Serbia said Jonathan C. Frerichs, LWR director of communication.
Some $4 million is needed now for work among Kosovar refugees in
Macedonia, Albania, Montengro and Serbia, Frerichs said.
     World Wide Web sites with regular updates on the situation in
Kosovo are available.  For the ELCA's International Disaster Response,
visit www.elca.org/dgm/disaster/.  For LWR, visit www.lwr.org.

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

          Lutheran World Relief
          Church Street Station
          P.O. Box 6186
          New York, NY 10277-1738
          1-800-LWR-LWR-2
          1-800-597-5972

Checks or credit card contributions should specify "Kosovo."

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html