wfn.org | CWS prepares shelter for afghan refugees

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org>]

Note #6864 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

25-September-2001
01347

CWS prepares shelter for afghan refugees

'Very serious humanitarian crisis in the making,' agency reports

by Carol Fouke
National Council of Churches
Office of News and Information

NEW YORK CITY - Church World Service (CWS)-the relief agency related to the
National Council of Churches - 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.  The land-locked country was suffering from a
three-year drought, and the United Nations had already declared the
situation in Afghanistan as the worst 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.

	CWS offices in Pakistan and partner programs in Afghanistan remain open
with more than 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 severely deteriorating security
situation and the lack of transportation. WFP only has food supplies for 3-5
weeks in its warehouses in Afghanistan.

	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.

	Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has made an initial contribution of
$10,000 to the CWS efforts in Pakistan. For more information about this and
other relief efforts related to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, call
PresbyTel at 800-872-3283 or log onto the PDA web site at www.pcusa.org/pda.
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