Title: ELCA's Aid for Kosovo Totals $2 Million
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 27, 1999

ELCA'S AID FOR KOSOVO TOTALS $2 MILLION
99-213-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- International Disaster Response of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has distributed $2,005,000
to support the work of various relief agencies working in and around
Kosovo on behalf of refugees and for reconstruction efforts.
     As hopes for peace begin to materialize in Kosovo, the ELCA
continues its commitment to support people who have suffered and
continue to suffer, and to help rehabilitate the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia, said the Rev. Y. Franklin Ishida, director for international
communication, ELCA Division for Global Mission.
     The ELCA sent $350,000 on Aug. 12 to Lutheran World Relief (LWR)
for implementation by the Lutheran World Federation-World Service. LWR
works overseas in relief and development on behalf of the ELCA and The
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is
a global communion of 128 member churches in 70 countries representing
58 million of the world's 61.5 million Lutherans.
     LWR is providing financial support to assist displaced individuals
and those returning to Kosovo and neighboring Serbia, Macedonia and
Albania. After providing initial material and financial support for the
emergency phase, LWR is providing an additional $1.1 million for the
rehabilitation of homes, water and sanitation, infrastructure,
agricultural production and trauma counseling services for refugees and
their families.
     In the region around Kosovo, Action by Churches Together (ACT) has
been coordinating relief support among its members, LWR and LWF. ACT is
a worldwide network of churches and related agencies meeting human need
through coordinated emergency response based with LWF and World Council
of Churches (WCC) in Geneva, Switzerland. The ELCA is a member of the
LWF and WCC.
     In addition to LWF, members of the ELCA have contributed funds to
Norwegian Church Aid and the Slovak Evangelical (Lutheran) Church of the
Augsburg Confession in Novi Sad, both members of ACT.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html