wfn.org | Phones, Service Donated For Central America Relief Operations

["Christian B. Schäffler" <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

December 31, 1998
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland

Phones, Service Donated For Central America Relief 
Operations				                  
[98/38/06] 

Silver Spring, MD, USA [APD/ADRA] COMSAT Corporation 
donated mobile satellite phones and service to the Adventist 
Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to provide voice and 
data communications for Hurricane Mitch disaster relief 
operations in Central America.

"The scope of Hurricane Mitch, the greatest disaster in our 
hemisphere in 200 years, is so extensive that there are 
virtually no communication services available in some regions 
for our in-country staff," says Ralph S. Watts, Jr., president 
of ADRA. "COMSAT's contribution makes it possible for ADRA to 
facilitate and direct the co-ordination of its humanitarian 
response in Honduras and Nicaragua. COMSAT's voice and 
data communications capabilities will help us save and rebuild 
many survivors' lives that have been isolated by the storm's 
destruction of the countries' communication systems."

"These Planet 1(TM) phones will allow ADRA to make phone 
calls and send data communications to co-ordinate relief 
efforts in the areas devastated by Hurricane Mitch, says Tom 
Collins, vice president and general manager of COMSAT 
Mobile Communications. "COMSAT's Planet 1 phone service is 
the most dependable and convenient full-featured mobile 
satellite service available today," he added. "Everyone at 
COMSAT is aware of how much work remains to be done to 
help rebuild the lives of the people of Central America, and 
we are proud to help ADRA meet these needs."

In addition to the four Planet 1 phones, COMSAT donated 
more than 4,000 minutes of unrestricted phone calls to 
anywhere in the world that ADRA needs to call.

Rick Kajiura, ADRA public affairs and communications director, 
who just returned from a trip to Central America, reports the 
phones are being put to good use. "One phone is being used 
in northern Nicaragua by medical volunteers and ADRA staff 
from the United States who are assisting people in the area 
around Chinandega," he says. "In Honduras, our staff first 
used the phone to co-ordinate the arrival of relief materials. 
These phones are now being used by medical teams working 
in hurricane stricken areas of Honduras. Users commented on 
how clear the calls were." 

ADRA, an internationally recognised non-governmental 
organisation (NGO), to date, has co-ordinated the distribution 
of more than US$8 million in food, water, medicine, clothing 
and shelter to assist the victims of Hurricane Mitch. "Next to 
the Nicaraguan government, ADRA was recently listed as the 
number-one relief organisation in quantity of donated relief 
materials in the country," reports Anthony Stahl, new ADRA 
Nicaragua director.

Planet 1 is a low cost global, mobile satellite phone offering 
voice, fax, data and E-mail capabilities. The service is carried 
over four Inmarsat-3 geostationary satellites and COMSAT's 
earth stations, supported by COMSAT's more than 30 years of 
satellite communications experience and customer service.

The notebook-sized phone is particularly well suited for 
providing reliable voice and data communications in remote 
locations and situations, weighing just under six pounds, and 
offering rugged housing and water resistance. Planet 1 
phones and service are provided by COMSAT Mobile 
Communications, a business unit of COMSAT Corporation. 

COMSAT Mobile Communications provides maritime, 
aeronautical and land mobile satellite services to customers 
around the world through the Inmarsat satellite system. 
COMSAT Corporation, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, 
is a global provider of satellite services and digital networking 
services and technology.

ADRA is present in more than 150 countries, helping people in 
need for the past 40 years, without regard to ethnic, political 
or religious affiliation. ADRA's community-based development 
includes a wide range of activities leading to improved health, 
economic and social well-being and self-reliance. Its core 
areas include: food security, economic development, primary 
health, disaster response, and education. In 1997, ADRA 
programs assisted more than 14.7 million people world-wide.