CHICAGO (ELCA) -- International Disaster Response of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) provided an initial $150,000 this month to support millions of people in Afghanistan, who have fled their homes as a result of years of civil conflicts, natural disasters and poverty.
The threat of retaliation for the attack and destruction of the World Trade Center, New York, and attack on the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., on Sept. 11 has "resulted in a withdrawal of international humanitarian actors from Afghanistan," said the Rev. Y. Franklin Ishida, director for international communication, ELCA Division for Global Mission.
The fear of U.S. military attacks on the country has also forced people to flee their homes, causing them to become internally displaced or refuged in neighboring Iran, Pakistan or Tajikistan, said Ishida.
For the last 24 years, Afghanistan has been hit hard by disasters of various nature, such as an earthquake in 1998 and drought conditions in 2000, that have severely affected the lives and livelihood of the entire population directly or indirectly, said Ishida.
Humanitarian agencies estimate that 1.1 million Afghans are already internally displaced due to drought and accompanying food shortage, as well as armed conflict and fear of an imminent retaliatory attack by the United States, Ishida said.
"There is widespread destruction of social and economic fabrics of the Afghan society as a result of the ongoing armed conflict, extreme poverty and absence of social services. The collapse of state institutions contribute to the worsening of the humanitarian situation," Ishida said.
Members of the ELCA contribute funds to the church's International Disaster Response fund. Coordinated through the ELCA Division for Global Mission, International Disaster Response helps relief agencies provide funds for food, medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other materials and supplies. Funds are also sent to rebuild communities and to repair structures destroyed by major disasters.
The funds sent by the ELCA will help support the relief efforts coordinated by Action by Churches Together (ACT), which has been responding to some of the humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Tajikistan. ACT is a worldwide network of churches and related agencies meeting human need through coordinated emergency response. It is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. The ELCA is a member of both the WCC and LWF. ACT is utilizing the resources of LWF and WCC.
ACT's objective is to alleviate the suffering of the vulnerable local population, displaced people and refugees, Ishida said. "Specific plans include providing water and sanitary materials, shelter, food and non-food items, counseling and medical assistance," he said.
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
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
