Title: ELCA Provides $575,000 to Support Recovery Efforts Following Disaster ELCA NEWS SERVICE
September 27, 2007
ELCA Provides $575,000 to Support Recovery Efforts Following Disaster 07-158-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), through its International Disaster Response, provided $575,000 in September in response to natural and human- caused disasters overseas.
"ELCA Global Mission receives numerous requests from companions to assist with international disasters, whether they are human-caused disasters or natural disasters," said Dr. Belletech Deressa, director for international development and disaster response, ELCA Global Mission. "We count on ELCA members to enable us to respond on behalf of the wider church," she said.
Coordinated by ELCA Global Mission, International Disaster Response channels its funds through international church organizations and relief agencies. Funds provide for food, medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other materials for survivors of disasters.
"As director of the program, I appreciate the gifts we receive" and "ask to remember in prayer people who are affected by disaster in the United States, as well as in other countries," said Deressa.
Civil war in Somalia
Civil wars and political instability in Somalia since the fall of its former president, Siad Barre, has forced many Somalians to seek asylum as refugees in Kenya since 1991, said Deressa. "Refugee camps were established close to Dadaab in the Garissa District, northeastern province of Kenya, some 80 kilometers from the border with Somalia. The refugee population has gradually increased over the years to about 173,409 at the end of June 2007," she said.
The Dadaab Refugee Camp was established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for Somali refugees. Deressa said the camp's conditions are deteriorating and it needs an "overwhelming" amount of work. Since the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has "many years of experience and is known best for the management of refugee camps, UNHCR has requested that the LWF take over the management of the Dadaab Refugee Camp," said Deressa. Through Action by Churches by Together (ACT), the LWF sought financial support for camp management. The ELCA sent $50,000 to ACT for the LWF Dadaab Refugee Camp.
ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergency situations worldwide. It is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the LWF, in Geneva. The ELCA is a member of the WCC and LWF. The LWF is a communion of Lutheran churches representing 66 million Lutherans around the world.
Monsoon rains caused widespread flooding across southern Asia
Seasonal monsoon rains have caused widespread flooding and landslides, devastating communities, crops and livestock across southern Asia, particularly in Nepal. Potable water sources have been submerged and contaminated, and water-borne diseases are already being reported. Lack of effective sanitation and hygiene measures has aggravated the health situation, reported Deressa. Families displaced from their homes are taking temporary shelter in schools, public places and on higher ground in forests.
The LWF has started relief support in the districts of Banke, Kailali and Jhapa, Nepal. Immediate food and shelter are being provided to families. In support of this relief effort, the ELCA provided $50,000 to ACT for implementation by LWF.
Severe storms produce floods in Uganda
Heavy rains that started in mid-July have resulted in extensive flooding never experienced before in the Teso region of Uganda, said Deressa.
Flooding and waterlogging of crops is a perennial problem in the Katakwi and Amuria districts of Uganda, especially in areas where camps -- set up for people who have been displaced from their homes -- are located, she said.
For the past two decades, the security situation in northern Uganda remained "relentlessly violent" because of war between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army, said Derssa. The LWF in Uganda has been working with internally displaced people for many years, she said.
To support people in the camps affected by the floods, the ELCA sent $75,000 to ACT for implementation by the LWF.
Housing projects in Indonesia
"Indonesia is on a long journey towards recovery from the tsunami that devastated the region in December 2004," said Deressa. Since Dec. 26, 2004, ELCA International Disaster Response has been supporting partner churches and organizations there, she said. One partner, Yakkum Emergency Unit (YEU), has been rebuilding houses damaged or destroyed by the tsunami in the Kuala Bubon area.
The ELCA sent $400,000 to YEU for the continued construction of houses, said Deressa. - - -
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 and http://www.ELCA.org/disaster/idrgive on the Internet.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog