ELCA NEWS SERVICE
September 17, 2008
Lutherans Help Support the Needs of Flood-Affected Families in India
08-158-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- More than 2 million people have been
affected by floods in Bihar, India, according to Megan E.
Bradfield. Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) gave $100,000 Sept. 15 to help provide "life sustaining
assistance" to 10,000 families affected by the flooding.
The Kosi River changed its course, said Bradfield, associate
director for international development, ELCA Global Mission. The
river, which gathers water from some of the highest mountains in
Nepal, including Mt. Everest, and enters India in north Bihar,
shifted more than 70 miles eastward on Aug. 18, she said. As a
result, more than 180 miles of embankments have been rendered
useless and water is now flowing through a channel abandoned more
than 200 years ago, reported Bradfield.
"The effect has been enormous, inundating numerous towns and
villages that were considered 'flood-safe areas' and had not seen
such floods for decades," said Bradfield. "The river grew
rapidly to a width of nine miles, covering hundreds of
communities along the Bihar plains, leaving thousands of families
displaced" from their homes, she said.
Through ELCA International Disaster Response, the funds were
sent to Action by Churches Together (ACT) for implementation by
Lutheran World Service India (LWSI). LWSI is a "country program"
of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Department for World
Service.
"LWSI plans to implement relief intervention in three blocks
of the worst affected districts: Saharsha and Madhepura in the
states of Bihar. Families living in relief camps (there) are the
primary beneficiaries of crisis phase intervention," said
Bradfield. The goal of LWSI's relief efforts include reaching
flood-affected families with food, water purification tablets,
shelter materials and basic household necessities for hygiene and
cooking, she said.
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 the LWF. The LWF is a communion of churches
representing 68.3 million of the world's Lutherans.
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.
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 [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
