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Title: ELCA Backs Disaster Relief in Cuba ELCA NEWS SERVICE - NEWSBRIEFS December 9, 1996 ELCA BACKS DISASTER RELIEF IN CUBA The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America supports an exemption request to send humanitarian aid to parts of Cuba devastated in October by Hurricane Lili. Much work remains to be done to provide relief there. "The development and relief arm of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., Church World Service (CWS), is requesting an exemption from the restrictions of the present law in order to be allowed to transport urgent relief supplies to Cuba using the air corridor between Miami and Havana," wrote the Rev. Bonnie L. Jensen, executive director of the ELCA Division for Global Mission, and the Rev. Charles S. Miller, executive director of the ELCA Division for Church in Society, in a letter to President Clinton. "Routing the much needed supplies by sea will mean delays of three to four weeks," they continued. "CWS has had a license for sending humanitarian aid to Cuba since 1992," wrote Jensen and Miller. "A flight to carry Catholic Relief Service humanitarian assistance will be allowed and we hope that the same approval will be extended to the Church World Service shipment," they wrote. The hurricane destroyed 5,600 homes and damaged another 79,000, forced evacuation of 200,000 people in central and western Cuba, and devastated thousands of acres of crops. CWS supports the relief and recovery program of the Cuban Council of Churches. Under its 1992 license CWS ships about four plane loads of aid to Cuba each year, consisting of food, soap, school kits, medical equipment, antibiotics, and other medicines. The ELCA is a member church of the NCC. The United States government has maintained an embargo of exports to Cuba since 1962. For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service, (312) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955 or [log in to unmask]; Melissa Ramirez, Assist. Dir., (312) 380-2956 or [log in to unmask]