wfn.org | CWS Appeals

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Church World Service Appeals
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the 
U.S.A.
Internet: c/o carol_fouke.parti@ecunet.org

Contact: Wendy S. McDowell, NCC, 212-870-2227

NCC7/25/97  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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EDITORS: When listing organizations receiving funds 
for humanitarian aid to Cuba, the flooding in 
Europe, the Montserrat Volcano or the Michigan 
storm, please include:

CHURCH WORLD SERVICE, Attn. Cuba (#7635T), 
ACT/Europe Flooding (#76309), ACT/MontserratVolcano 
(#76309) or Midwest/South Storms (#76391), P.O. Box 
968, Elkhart, IN 46515.  Phone pledges or credit 
card donations to: 1-800-762-0968.

CWS works in more than 70 countries around the world 
including the U.S. in relief, development and 
refugee assistance.  It is a ministry of the 
National Council of Churches.
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CHURCH WORLD SERVICE APPEALS FOR HUMANITARIAN AID TO 
CUBA
CWS also Responds to Europe Flooding and Montserrat 
Volcano through ACT;
Adds Michigan storm to Midwest Storm Appeal

 NEW YORK, July 25 ---- Church World Service 
(CWS) is responding to the need for medical supplies 
in Cuba as well as to recent natural disasters in 
Europe, on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, and 
in Michigan.

 A CWS appeal for $100,000 updates its July 14, 
1995, appeal for $750,000 and will allow CWS to 
purchase medical supplies and to pay for the high 
cost of transporting goods to Cuba.  Due to the 
prohibition of direct flights to Cuba, it now takes 
twice as long to organize and implement shipments to 
Cuba, and the cost of transportation has more than 
doubled.  In addition to the appeal for funds, CWS 
is advocating for a bill (H.R. 1951) which would 
lift the U.S. embargo against Cuba as it applies to 
the export of food, medicines, and medical supplies, 
instruments and equipment.

According to the Cuban Council of Churches, 
because of the lack of clean running water, Cubans 
are experiencing an increase in ailments such as 
intestinal parasites and hepatitis.  The lack of 
personal hygiene items such as soap has made the 
eradication of the skin disease scabies impossible.  
There is also need for specialized medicines to 
treat cancer and serious infectious diseases.  Among 
the medicines needed are antibiotics, 
anticonvulsants and vitamins.  Other urgent needs 
include food items such as canned meats and powdered 
milk, needed in homes for the elderly and in centers 
for pregnant women.

CWS sent a 54-ton shipment of humanitarian 
relief supplies to Cuba in January valued at 
$187,150, including dry milk, beans, tinned meat, 
medicines and hospital supplies, layettes, health 
kits, soap, hospital wear and cotton blankets.  This 
shipment was the largest aid package supplied by a 
non-governmental organization and was sent in the 
wake of last year's Hurricane Lili.

The need for additional support is urgent.

CWS also responded this week to other needs:

  A CWS appeal has been issued to support the 
$200,000 Action by Churches Together (ACT) appeal 
to provide emergency relief for flood victims in 
Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, and 
Armenia.  Two weeks of flooding in these countries 
- described as the worst in centuries - have 
killed nearly 100 people and have caused major 
damage and destruction.  Hundreds of thousands of 
people have been forced to flee their homes, 
communications have been disrupted, crops and 
property destroyed, transport systems and roads 
are unusable and the water and sanitation system 
is greatly damaged.  Aid will go toward the 
provision of safe drinking water, food, medicine, 
emergency shelter materials, clothing and other 
basic relief items for flood victims.  Billions of 
dollars in damage will also need to be addressed 
through longer-term reconstruction projects in the 
future.
  A $100,000 ACT appeal for short-term emergency 
relief for victims of the Montserrat volcano is 
also being supported by CWS.  At least nine people 
have died and 24 people remain missing from the 
late June eruption of the famed Soufriere Hills 
volcano.  The volcanic flows devastated seven 
villages on the southern part of the island, 
forcing more than 1,000 people to evacuate and 
destroying at least 200 homes.  ACT funds will 
provide materials including food, clothing and 
hygienic supplies as well as crisis intervention 
for disaster-related trauma.
  CWS is sending $5,000 in seed money from its 
Midwest/South Storms Appeal (#76391) to support 
the recovery effort of a faith-based community 
organization, Interfaith Disaster Recovery of 
Southeast Michigan, organized in response to the 
violent storm that struck Detroit and the 
surrounding area earlier this month.  At least 
seven people died, more than 100 were injured in 
five countries and homes were damaged.  Most of 
the damage occurred in low-income areas where few 
homes were insured for wind damage.

 The NCC is the preeminent ecumenical 
organization in the U.S., comprised of 33 Protestant 
and Orthodox denominations who work together to 
support a variety of missions including the disaster 
relief work of Church World Service.

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