CHICAGO (ELCA) -- In an effort to help meet the basic needs
of people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, members of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) provided $25,000
after Tropical Storm Noel left 116 people dead and destroyed land
on the Caribbean islands. Lutherans provided another $50,000
for emergency relief in Sri Lanka, after a year of intense armed
conflict there.
Coordinated by ELCA Global Mission, ELCA International
Disaster Response channels its funds through international church
organizations and relief agencies. Funds provide for food,
medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other materials
for survivors of disasters.
Sri Lanka
ELCA funds were sent to Action by Churches Together (ACT) to
support the recovery efforts of ACT members in Sri Lanka. The
National Christian Council of Churches of Sri Lanka, a member of
ACT, is proposing a six-month program to provide emergency relief
to communities in northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka,
where ground attacks, mortars and aerial bombings continue to
kill and displace people in these areas, reported Dr. Belletech
Deressa, director for international development and disaster
response, ELCA Global Mission.
About 5,000 people have been killed in fighting since 2006,
and more than 200,000 people have been displaced from their
homes, said Deressa.
Emergency relief will include providing food and non-food
items, water and sanitation, temporary shelter, health services,
educational support, peace-building efforts and the restarting of
livelihoods, she said.
ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies
working to save lives and support communities in emergency
situations worldwide. It is based with the World Council of
Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Geneva,
Switzerland. The ELCA is a member of the WCC and LWF.
Dominican Republic
Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Noel produced floods and
landslides in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The government
of the Dominican Republic has declared a national emergency,
requesting international aid for immediate and long-term
rehabilitation, reported Deressa.
In response to the emergency situation in the Dominican
Republic, ACT issued an appeal for funds. ELCA funds were sent
to ACT and will be implemented by Christian Aid there.
Many communities do not have access to clean drinking water,
said Deressa. Flooding has damaged pipes and aqueducts, and some
pumping stations are without electricity. "The authorities are
beginning to draw up reports on the effects of the flooding in
the agricultural sector with the worst affected crops being
plantain, rice, fruit trees and bananas. Many areas are still
without power and some roads are still impassable because of
debris and landslides," she said.
Tabasco, Mexico
Tropical Storm Noel also produced flood conditions in
Tabasco, Mexico, affecting more than a million people there. In
November the ELCA sent $50,000 to Amextra -- the Mexican
Association for Rural and Urban Transformation -- an ELCA
companion ministry in Mexico. Amextra has experience dealing
with natural disasters and has the administrative, operational
and communication structures to handle the situation effectively,
said Deressa.
In response to the floods, Amextra has engaged in community
organizing and delivered food supplies, medicine and construction
materials. Local staff teams and volunteers are ready to begin a
service project that will serve 11,000 people over the next five
months, said the Rev. Rafael Malpica-Padilla, executive director,
ELCA Global Mission. "This is a major disaster that has gone
unnoticed by most people, and the response has been limited," he
said, adding that the ELCA remains present in Mexico, supporting
the work of Amextra.
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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: ELCA
International Disaster Response, PO Box 71764, Chicago, IL 60694-
1764, 1-800-638-3522 and http://www.ELCA.org/disaster/idrgive on
the Internet.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
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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
