CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has pledged $50,000 to support the work of Lutheran World Federation's Department for World Service in war-torn Liberia. Members of the ELCA have also contributed $100,000 toward relief work in Eritrea.
Between 1989 and 1996, Liberia was ravaged by civil war, said the Rev. Y. Franklin Ishida, director for international communication, ELCA Division for Global Mission. While the entire country was affected, some parts were more afflicted with death and destruction. More than 200,000 people died and nearly 2 million were displaced, Ishida said. Buildings, land and homes across the country have been destroyed.
Attempts at peace and disarmament began in November 1996 and continued through February 1997. With the installation of a newly- elected government in August 1997 and displaced people returning to their homes, Liberia is taking steps toward stability, Ishida said.
Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Action by Churches Together (ACT), the Lutheran Church of Liberia and others have proposed to consolidate and build upon Liberia's plans for peace. ACT, a worldwide network of churches and related agencies meeting human need through coordinated emergency response, is based with LWF and the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva, Switzerland. The ELCA is a member of the LWF and WCC.
LWF, a global communion of 128 member churches in 70 countries representing 58 million of the world's 61.5 million Lutherans, provided emergency assistance for victims and survivors during the civil war.
In the past eight years the work of LWF has covered eight of Liberia's 13 counties. More than 6 million people were assisted under different emergency interventions, including large-scale general food distribution and the construction and management of shelters for displaced people.
LWF will provide food for 172,250 people. About 675 schools, with a total of 168,750 students, teachers and support staff, will be included in the food distribution. Fourteen institutions including hospitals, orphanages, leprosy and tuberculosis centers with 3,500 people (mainly women and children) will also receive food.
Other items for distribution include school supplies, tools and agricultural equipment.
Relief agencies are providing resettlement and reintegration assistance. "This effort is specifically targeting returnees and internally-displaced people who are resettling in rural communities," said Ishida. As part of the reintegration process, workshops are being held on trauma healing, reconciliation and conflict resolution.
Five schools are scheduled for repair and five new schools are under construction in rural areas, Ishida said. "A total of 10 miles of rural secondary roads with bridges are being rehabilitated, and 25 wells and 30 family latrines are under construction," he said.
About 50 war-affected young people and ex-combatants will receive funds to attend technical training institutions that offer courses in auto repair, basic electronics, carpentry and building construction.
"While there continue to be security concerns and reports of civilian harassment by government security personnel, continued transition work toward a peaceful society is in progress," Ishida said.
Ishida said contributions to ELCA International Disaster Response will help with the transitional relief work in Liberia.
Members of the ELCA have contributed $100,000 toward relief work in Eritrea. Fighting along the border of Eritrea and Ethiopia in eastern Africa has left tens of thousands of people displaced since 1998.
Fighting resumed recently along the border, causing people to be uprooted from their homes and dependent on humanitarian aid until they can be resettled back to their home areas and become productive and self-sufficient again, said Ishida. "Large numbers of people had no time to take personal belongings for their daily needs and, consequently, need assistance to restock these fundamental items," he said.
Eritrean Relief and Refugee Commission, a member of ACT, has been supporting about 450,000 displaced people. Working with the commission, LWF World Service and Norwegian (Lutheran) Church Aid are part of local efforts to provide family tents, blankets and sleeping mats, grass for roof thatching and other items for displaced people.
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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:
Lutheran World Relief
Church Street Station
P.O. Box 6186
New York, NY 10277-1738
1-800-LWR-LWR-2
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For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
