May 9, 2008

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia/GENEVA – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has expressed its readiness to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Myanmar (Burma) in the aftermath of the cyclone disaster there, and at the same appealed to the authorities in the country to facilitate the entry and movement of relief teams and supplies in order to avoid a larger-scale disaster.

The LWF Department for World Service (DWS) regional representative in South East Asia Mr David Mueller said the regional office would participate in the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International response to the impact of the cyclone Nargis which struck Myanmar on 3 May, leaving an estimated 100,000 people dead and more than 1 million homeless.

The LWF Acting General Secretary Rev. Chandran Paul Martin is appealing to the authorities in the country to facilitate the entry and movement of humanitarian assistance so that a larger-scale disaster can be avoided. "I very much hope and pray that wisdom and compassion will prevail, and that the authorities in Myanmar will remove any unnecessary obstacles to the entry and movement of international humanitarian teams and supplies," said Martin in a letter to Rev. Jenson R. Andrews, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Myanmar (Lutheran Bethlehem Church). The LWF Deputy General Secretary said the enormity of the disaster would require an international response mirroring that which followed the [2004] Asian tsunami. "Every hour of delay means more suffering," he noted.

According to Mueller, LWF/DWS is ready to send staff from its country program in Nepal to provide essential support in logistics, appeal preparation and coordination, as well as communications and financial reporting. Additional staff persons from the LWF/DWS country programs in Cambodia and India are on standby to leave for Myanmar as part of the ACT response, upon clarification of the government's policy in relation to such international help. LWF/DWS anticipates close cooperation with the LWF member church in Myanmar in the humanitarian emergency response.

DWS has underlined its commitment to following the emergency response phase with a long-term rehabilitation and development presence in service to the people of the country. "We feel strongly that without addressing the longer-term development perspective, our intervention in emergency relief work will lose potential value," said LWF/DWS Director Rev. Eberhard Hitzler.

Hitzler expressed the hope that LWF partners would strongly support DWS' commitment to respond to the suffering people of Myanmar (Burma), and that the country's authorities would allow ACT, LWF and others to offer their assistance as soon as possible.

The LWF is a founding member of ACT International, the Geneva-based global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in humanitarian emergencies worldwide.

The Department for World Service is the LWF's humanitarian and development agency with field programs in 36 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin and Central America and Europe. Its work with marginalized and disadvantaged communities involves cooperation within global networks that include ecumenical, governmental and non-governmental partners.

Lutheran World Information