wfn.org | Lutherans Support Relief Efforts in Cuba

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 21, 2001

LUTHERANS SUPPORT RELIEF EFFORTS IN CUBA
01-301-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- International Disaster Response of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) provided $10,000
Nov. 21 to support recovery efforts in Cuba, after Hurricane
Michelle struck the island Nov. 4.
     Five people died, said the Rev. Y. Franklin Ishida, director
for international communication, ELCA Division for Global Mission.
"About 45 percent of the island and 5,899,000 inhabitants -- 35
percent of the population -- were affected," he said.
     Packing winds of more than 215 kilometers per hour,
Hurricane Michelle traversed Cuba from south to north in six
hours, Ishida said.
     "A total of 1,500 schools were partly damaged, 50 were razed
to the ground or suffered major damages to installations.  Medical
clinics, primary health care centers, pharmacies and nursing homes
were also damaged," he said.
     About 80 percent of the people in Jaguey Grande, located in
south Matanzas, lost their homes.  The population in Jaguey is
57,000 with an urban population of 19,000, said Ishida.  "Fifty of
the most vulnerable families, comprising a large number of
children, women and elderly, whose houses were completely
destroyed, have been selected for assistance.  Another 3,000
people who remain evacuated will be provided with food, clothing
and medicines," he said.
     In Perico, located in the central part of Matanzas, some
families lost their houses.  Many there are residing in evacuation
centers, Ishida said.
     The Cuban Council of Churches is providing food, medicines
and clothing to many families in need of aid.  The council is
composed of 24 churches, 12 ecumenical movements and two fraternal
associations.  The Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession
of Cuba is not a member of the council, but relates as a
"fraternal associate," Ishida said.
     The council is a member of Action by Churches Together
(ACT), a worldwide network of churches and related agencies
meeting human need through coordinated emergency response.  It is
based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Lutheran World
Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.  The ELCA is a member of both the
WCC and LWF.
     Funds sent by the ELCA will help support the relief efforts
of ACT.  Members of the ELCA contribute funds to the church's
International Disaster Response for food, medicine, drinking
water, emergency shelter and other materials and supplies.  Funds
are also sent to rebuild communities and to repair structures
destroyed by major disasters.
     For the next year food, canned meat and milk, and non-food
items such as medicines, hygiene products, clothes, sheets and
blankets will be provided to residents in Cuba, said Ishida.
Housing and reconstruction of homes for elderly people will also
take place over the next year, he said.
  ----
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
P.O. 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