June 30, 2009

CHICAGO – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) provided $75,000 in humanitarian relief June 26 to help meet the needs of people in northern Pakistan.

In the past few weeks military and insurgent actions have driven an estimated 3.5 million people away from their homes in the Swat region of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province.

The ELCA sent the funds to Church World Service (CWS), which is working to respond to the needs of people there. The ELCA participates in the work of CWS, an international relief and development agency.

A majority of people displaced from their homes are staying in outdoor camps, while others are living with host families and friends or in ad hoc shelters and rented accommodations.

"Host communities are strained and expressed urgent need to identify more land for camps," said Megan Bradfield, associate director for international disaster response, ELCA Global Mission.

Bradfield said conditions of camps and host communities are "highly hazardous." A majority of families displaced are being housed in 12-by-12- foot rooms with no water or sanitation facilities, she said. "Poor shelter and hygiene have resulted in an outbreak of disease (and illnesses) such as scabies, stomach flu, malaria, respiratory tract infections, traumatic disorders and more."

CWS is organizing the distribution of food, non-food relief items and shelter kits that include tents, blankets and groundsheets for displaced individuals and families in Pakistan.

With monsoon season arriving in a few weeks, aid providers said the provision of clean water and tents is paramount.

Some of CWS' long-term response will include vocational training to enhance the skills of men and women, education for children, health care services, advocacy and other measures to secure the quality of humanitarian relief and development work.

"The ELCA has direct access to on-the-ground responders with a high degree of experience and confidence," said the Rev. Daniel Rift, director, ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal. "We would love for Lutherans and others to consider the ELCA as their organization of choice in responding to the crisis."

Information about the Pakistan humanitarian crisis is at http://www.ELCA.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Responding-to-the-World/Disaster-Response/Ongoing-Responses/Pakistan-Humanitarian-Crisis.aspx. on the Web.

ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal at http://www.ELCA.org/hunger/, and ELCA Global Mission at http://www.ELCA.org/globalmission/, on the ELCA Web site.

ELCA News Service