June 19, 2008

CHICAGO – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is providing emergency disaster relief with its companion Lutheran churches in Colombia and Costa Rica after an earthquake and a tropical storm struck the two countries respectively.

Members of the ELCA and Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia (Iglesia Evangelica Luterana de Colombia) (IELCO) are providing emergency support for 100 families affected by a May 24 earthquake that struck central Colombia. The ELCA and the Costa Rican Lutheran Church (Iglesia Luterana Costarricense) (ILCO) are assisting 300 families in Costa Rica after Tropical Storm Alma struck the Pacific coast of Costa Rica May 27.

Financial assistance for IELCO's aid to survivors of the earthquake and for ILCO's response to the tropical storm is "being provided by the rapid response fund of Action by Churches Together (ACT), a global alliance of churches and related agencies working together to meet basic human needs in emergency situations," said Dr. Belletech Deressa, director for international development and disaster response, ELCA Global Mission.

"We are waiting for an appeal (for funds) from ACT to address the reconstruction process for both Costa Rica and Colombia," said Deressa. She said the ELCA is "an active member of ACT. The IELCO and ILCO are implementing members of ACT." ACT is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Geneva. The ELCA is a member of the WCC and LWF.

The epicenter of the earthquake hit the El Calvario municipality in central Colombia. Lutherans are helping families in rural communities – which have not been reached by other aid efforts – with food, clothing, plastic sheeting, hygiene kits, water containers and medicines, said Deressa.

Tropical Storm Alma struck the coastal areas of the Guanacaste province and central and southern portions of Costa Rica's Pacific coast. "More than 20,000 people in hundreds of communities were affected by the storm, which also severely damaged homes, roads, bridges and crops. The government of Costa Rica declared a state of national emergency on June 2," Deressa reported.

Lutherans are assisting 300 families in 10 farm communities of Nicoya in Costa Rica's Guanacaste province, and two indigenous communities of Corredores located along the southern coast of the Puntarenas province. Families in these areas have yet to receive assistance due mainly to their remote locations, said Deressa.

"The initial help provided by ILCO includes food and hygiene kits. Subsequently, longer-term needs will be assessed in the areas of housing rehabilitation and agricultural recovery in cooperation with local community organizations," Deressa said.

ELCA News Service