wfn.org | Church World Service Prepares Shelter for Afghan Refugees

[Carol Fouke <carolf@ncccusa.org>]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. 
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2227 news@ncccusa.org; www.ncccusa.org 
NCC9/24/01 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHURCH WORLD SERVICE PREPARES SHELTER FOR AFGHAN REFUGEES;
"VERY SERIOUS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN THE MAKING," CWS REPORTS

September 24, 2001, NEW YORK CITY - Church World Service is preparing to
shelter tens of thousands of Afghan refugees fleeing cities or trying to
enter Pakistan to escape an expected military action from the United States
in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

It is estimated that about half of the population of Kabul (the capital of
Afghanistan) Kandahar and Jalalabad have already fled.

Prior to this crisis there were already one million internally displaced
persons in Afghanistan.  Afghanistan was suffering from a three-year
drought, and the United Nations had already declared the situation in
Afghanistan as the worse humanitarian crisis in the world.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) estimates that an
additional 1 to 1.5 million new refugees will attempt to cross into Pakistan
and those who cannot will become internally displaced persons.

Despite the official closure of the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan,
thousands are reported to be crossing; accurate and reliable figures have
been difficult to obtain. However, "a very serious humanitarian crisis is in
the making," said CWS Pakistan-Afghanistan Director Marvin Parvez, who has
recently been meeting with partners in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Peshawar,
Islamabad and Lahore, Pakistan.

Church World Service offices in Pakistan and partner programs in Afghanistan
remain open with over 300 staff and volunteers.  CWS is the global
humanitarian service and witness ministry of the (U.S.) National Council of
Churches and its 36 Protestant and Orthodox member denominations.

Even before the current situation, The World Food Program has stopped
supplying food to Afghanistan due to the severe deteriorating security
situation and the lack of transportation. WFP only has in its warehouses in
Afghanistan food supplies for 3-5 weeks; according to a BBC report, an
average Afghan family only has food rations for 2-4 days.  This stoppage,
shortage and soaring prices of food may also accelerate the uprooting and
displacement of more Afghans towards Pakistan.

The emerging security risks and exodus of international staff have decreased
the capacity of many organizations to respond. Many aid workers are now
worried about the lack of non-governmental organizations able to assist in
the present crisis.

After consultations with staff, partners and fellow members of the Action by
Churches Together (ACT) International network, CWS plans to respond to the
situation for new arrivals in Pakistan with a large shelter assistance
program, Parvez reports.

CWS plans to provide over 8,000 family shelter kits to new arrivals in the
border cities of Quetta and Peshawar. Staff and local partners will
implement the program. CWS also plans to provide primary shelter to
approximately 50,000 persons.

Coordination will be done with fellow ACT members, local partners and a
United Nations emergency task force. ACT members plan to share information
and avoid duplication.

An account has been established to accept financial donations to respond to
this emergency.  Pakistan/Afghanistan Emergency, Account #6930, CHURCH WORLD
SERVICE, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515.  On-line contributions to:
www.churchworldservice.org .  Or phone 800-297-1516 for information/credit
card donations.

--end-