Title: ELCA Aids Worsening Ethiopia Drought ELCA NEWS SERVICE September 12, 1997 ELCA AIDS WORSENING ETHIOPIA DROUGHT Action by Churches Together (ACT) reports that 4.6 million people need relief assistance in Ethiopia, according to government sources. ACT calls the situation desperate due to the failure of the rains and grim forecasts for anticipated rains. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has issued a "Disaster-gram" to its 11,000 congregations, alerting them to the needs of drought victims throughout sub-Saharan East Africa and Korea. The church has contributed $20,000 to relief efforts to date. Since ACT began planning in March to provide relief assistance in Ethiopia, the number of people in need has increased from one million to 3.4 million. "It is evident that Ethiopia is facing a serious food shortage, which is expected to grow worse in the coming months unless international donors intervene," says ACT. ACT is a worldwide network of churches, including the Lutheran World Federation, meeting human need through coordinated emergency response. More than 330,000 metric tons of food aid is needed, ACT reports, of which slightly more than 50 percent is available in Ethiopia. According to the Drought Monitoring Centre in Nairobi, the food gap is expected to become wider. The elderly, children, lactating mothers and the disabled constitute 20 percent of the vulnerable population, ACT reports. ACT's partners in Ethiopia said, "May this be a call for help to all our sisters, brothers, partners and donors. Let us help the helpless before it is too long and too late." For information contact: Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html