wfn.org | ABCUSA: American Baptists Help Fund Relief Work in Iran

["SCHRAMM, Richard" <Richard.Schramm@abc-usa.org>]

American Baptist News Service (Valley Forge, Pa. 1/8/04)--The American
Baptist World Relief Office has released One Great Hour of Sharing emergency
funds to two major ecumenical relief organizations that are helping meet
wide-ranging needs in Iran following the Dec. 26 earthquake there.

OGHS grants of $15,000 to Church World Service and $5,000 to Baptist World
Aid have been sent to fund efforts providing emergency shelter, medical
supplies, food, blankets and other critically needed commodities.

As many as 40,000 or more people may have died in the quake, which
registered 6.6 on the Richter Scale.  The Iranian city of Bam was leveled in
the catastrophe, and thousands still are believed to be buried under rubble
there. 

Sandor Szenczy, president of Hungarian Baptist Aid, reported last week on
site in Bam that more than three-quarters of the city's buildings had
collapsed.  "Everywhere we looked injured and wounded people tried to get
treatment...patients with the most serious injuries were being flown to
other cities," he said.  Malik Khodaverdian, emergency liaison in Iran for
the Middle East Council of Churches, has said that the relief and
rehabilitation work will be ongoing-"at least a five-to-seven-year
commitment." 
		
American Baptists wishing to support relief efforts can do so through normal
channels--One Great Hour of Sharing (line 7 of the Monthly Report of Mission
Support), designating contributions "OGHS-Iran Earthquake Relief."  Those
wishing to contribute online can do so by accessing the "American Baptist
Missions" or "Give Now" pages of the ABCUSA Web site--www.abc-usa.org.

K/2004ABNS/04ABN2	

American Baptist News Service: Office of Communication, American Baptist
Churches USA, P.O. Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851; (800)ABC-3USA x2077
/ (610)768-2077; fax: (610)768-2320; www.abc-usa.org;
richard.schramm@abc-usa.org