Lutherans Provide Aid in Democratic Republic of Congo

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) contributed $100,000 of the church's International Disaster Response fund to support recovery efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, after the Nyiragongo volcano erupted Jan. 17 killing at least 45 people.
Rivers of lava flowed into nearby villages, spreading onto the streets of Goma and into Lake Kivu near the Rwandan border, said the Rev. Y Franklin Ishida, director for international communication, ELCA Division for Global Mission. Tens of thousands of people "had to flee for their lives, leaving behind most of their possessions," he said.
"The sudden arrival of hundreds of thousands of people caught the Rwanda government and the humanitarian organizations in Rwanda totally off-guard," Ishida said. "The newly arrived refugees were sleeping on the streets and had no food nor water. The situation is described as very chaotic," he said.
An immediate concern is to sustain the lives of those affected by the volcano with humanitarian assistance, particularly with help on how to cope with the tragedy, Ishida said. At this point, urgent needs are to provide shelter and food for those seeking refuge. A "major problem is that relief supply facilities in Goma" were among some of the buildings destroyed by the lava, he said.
The funds sent by the ELCA will support the relief efforts of the Lutheran World Federation in the Congo, said Ishida. The entire operation is being coordinated through Action by Churches Together, (ACT), a worldwide network of churches and related agencies that meet human need through organized emergency response. ACT is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Geneva, Switzerland. The ELCA is a member of both the WCC and LWF.
Lutheran World Relief, the overseas relief and development agency of the ELCA and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, provided a $25,000 grant to assist with immediate needs in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Disaster response will include providing food, water, blankets, kitchen sets, plastic sheeting for shelter, clothes, firewood for cooking and other items for about 60,000 people. Response will also include assistance to "vulnerable" people, especially children and the elderly, Ishida said.
"The situation is changing daily. Already, some of the people who had fled Goma are returning, preferring to be homeless there," Ishida said. "The safety of the population is in question," since it is not certain whether or not the volcano may erupt again, he said. "It is clear that most people wish to return home as soon as possible and not remain in Rwanda as refugees."
Goma, a city of about 500,000 people, serves as a base for international relief efforts. The city is where thousands of Rwandan residents took refuge during that country's genocide in 1994, Ishida said.
The Congo-Rwandan border "has been at the forefront of ongoing civil war in Congo," he said. "The ELCA has been involved by offering support for victims of these various disasters."
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 used to rebuild communities and to repair structures destroyed by major disasters. --
Details on the ELCA's response to the volcano eruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo can be found at http://www.elca.org/dgm/disaster/congovolcano.html on the Web.

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