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.
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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
