CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
has provided $100,000 in humanitarian assistance for 66,000 refugees from
the Democratic Republic of Congo who fled to Uganda in response to
threats of violence. The funds are being dispersed through Lutheran
Disaster Response to The Lutheran World Federation for humanitarian
outreach in Uganda.
“Sixty-six thousand refugees arriving in Uganda over a three-day
period is an extremely urgent situation, especially when many of those
fleeing the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo are women and
children,” said Dr. Carl Stecker, ELCA director for global
diakonia. “Lutheran Disaster Response International, in partnership
with The Lutheran World Federation’s Department for World Service and
with the ACT (Action for Churches Together) Alliance is glad to be able
to respond in this timely way.”
The funds will be used primarily to help meet the refugees’ basic
needs, including providing shelter, cooking and water supplies and
personal items. The refugees fled to Uganda after recent attacks by the
Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group that has been hiding in the
jungles of eastern Congo since the early 1990s. According to the country
director for Lutheran World Federation Uganda, the rapid influx of such a
large number of refugees “has stretched the capacity of all agencies.”
ELCA’s Lutheran Disaster Response provides assistance to survivors
of natural disasters and humanitarian crises throughout the world. This
support is carried out both domestically and internationally in
coordination with local affiliates -- social ministry organizations,
agencies, partners and international companion churches -- located in the
disaster-affected communities.
The Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of 142 member
churches in 79 countries worldwide. The ELCA is the communion’s only
member church from the United States.
ACT is an alliance of more than 130 churches and affiliated
organizations that work together in humanitarian assistance and
development. The alliance, based in Geneva, works in 140 countries
worldwide. The ELCA is a member of the alliance.
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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
