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March 29, 2002: Southern states have experienced major flooding. More than one thousand homes were severely damaged or destroyed in six counties. The UMCOR Depot shipped 700 flood buckets filled with cleaning supplies to Kentucky and several power washers. UMCOR has released grants to both the Holston and Kentucky conferences. Please give to UMCOR's Domestic Disaster Response, Advance #901670-1 to join in this response. Volunteers are needed for clean up. Call 800-918-3100 to volunteer.
Non-partisan civilians in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank continue to be at risk of injury and death. The escalating poverty rate (64%) has far exceeded the unemployment rate (over 50%) in these areas. In response to the basic need for food security in conflict-affected populations, UMCOR is working with Church World Service (CWS) to provide emergency food packages to over 60,000 people. Please give to Middle East Emergency, Advance #601740-2 to support these relief efforts.
More than four million people in Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are suffering famine and severe food shortages due to a combination of drought, flooding, and government mismanagement of food supplies. Malawi is the worst hit by the crisis, with women and children in rural areas suffering the most. Many schools have had to close because the children are too hungry and malnourished to attend school. UMCOR has provided a grant to Christian Care in Zimbabwe. This ecumenical partner will distribute food to children under five suffering from malnutrition due to the drought and subsequent food storages. Much of this distribution will be through the United Methodist Churches in Zimbabwe to ensure that assistance reaches those in need. Please give to Africa Famine Relief, Advance #101250-4 to help provide emergency food assistance in these countries.
The UMCOR Depot needs kits-- especially health and school kits, layettes, and flood buckets. Please call the Depot at (800) 814-8765 for instructions on assembling and shipping kits. Instructions are also available on the UMCOR website: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/kits.cfm.
Gifts may be made through local United Methodist churches, or by calling 1-800-554-8583. Credit card donations are accepted. (Read more about how you can help UMCOR's emergency responses.)
UMCOR is providing emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about current UMCOR ministries, please visit the website: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/ .
And, please pray for those who are hungry, displaced, sick or in poverty because of these and other natural and human-made disasters, and for the workers who minister to them.
