wfn.org | Lutherans Provide Aid in Democratic Republic of Congo

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

January 24, 2002

LUTHERANS PROVIDE AID IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
02-13-MR

        CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) contributed $100,000 of the church's International Disaster
Response fund to support recovery efforts in the Democratic Republic of
Congo, after the Nyiragongo volcano erupted Jan. 17 killing at least 45
people.
        Rivers of lava flowed into nearby villages, spreading onto the
streets of Goma and into Lake Kivu near the Rwandan border, said the Rev. Y
Franklin Ishida, director for international communication, ELCA Division for
Global Mission.  Tens of thousands of people "had to flee for their lives,
leaving behind most of their possessions," he said.
        "The sudden arrival of hundreds of thousands of people caught the
Rwanda government and the humanitarian organizations in Rwanda totally
off-guard," Ishida said.  "The newly arrived refugees were sleeping on the
streets and had no food nor water.  The situation is described as very
chaotic," he said.
        An immediate concern is to sustain the lives of those affected by the
volcano with humanitarian assistance, particularly with help on how to cope
with the tragedy, Ishida said.  At this point, urgent needs are to provide
shelter and food for those seeking refuge.  A "major problem is that relief
supply facilities in Goma" were among some of the buildings destroyed by the
lava, he said.
        The funds sent by the ELCA will support the relief efforts of the
Lutheran World Federation in the Congo, said Ishida.  The entire operation is
being coordinated through Action by Churches Together, (ACT), a worldwide
network of churches and related agencies that meet human need through
organized emergency response.  ACT is based with the World Council of
Churches (WCC) and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Geneva, Switzerland.
The ELCA is a member of both the WCC and LWF.
        Lutheran World Relief, the overseas relief and development agency of
the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, provided a $25,000 grant to
assist with immediate needs in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
        Disaster response will include providing food, water, blankets,
kitchen sets, plastic sheeting for shelter, clothes, firewood for cooking and
other items for about 60,000 people.  Response will also include assistance
to "vulnerable" people, especially children and the elderly, Ishida said.
        "The situation is changing daily.  Already, some of the people who
had fled Goma are returning, preferring to be homeless there," Ishida said.
"The safety of the population is in question," since it is not certain
whether or not the volcano may erupt again, he said.  "It is clear that most
people wish to return home as soon as possible and not remain in Rwanda as
refugees."
        Goma, a city of about 500,000 people, serves as a base for
international relief efforts.  The city is where thousands of Rwandan
residents took refuge during that country's genocide in 1994, Ishida said.
        The Congo-Rwandan border "has been at the forefront of ongoing civil
war in Congo," he said.  "The ELCA has been involved by offering support for
victims of these various disasters."
        Coordinated through the ELCA Division for Global Mission,
International Disaster Response helps relief agencies provide funds for food,
medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other materials and supplies.
 Funds are also used to rebuild communities and to repair structures
destroyed by major disasters.
--
        Details on the ELCA's response to the volcano eruption in the
Democratic Republic of Congo can be found at
http://www.elca.org/dgm/disaster/congovolcano.html
on the Web.

INTERNATIONAL DISASTERS:

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:

ELCA International Disaster Response
PO Box 71764
Chicago, IL 60694-1764
1-800-638-3522

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html