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April 5, 2002: Your gifts are urgently needed to help provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. In the past UMCOR has provided grants to clinics and the Augusta Victoria Hospital to provide medical care, and to various humanitarian organizations to provide emergency food and other basic necessities. The Palestinian people are suffering extreme hardship under the current occupation. UMCOR has also made a commitment to help rebuild Palestinian homes that have been heavily damaged or destroyed by shelling or tanks when it becomes safe to do so. UMCOR mourns with both Palestinians and Israelis over the increasing incidence of death and violence. We recognize that while all people in the Middle East-- Jews, Muslims, and Christians-- are living in fear of terrorism, Palestinians have the least access to life sustaining resources. Please give to UMCOR's Middle East Emergency, Advance #601740-2 so that UMCOR may continue to provide humanitarian assistance.
The disaster response coordinator for the Kentucky Conference reports that they are nearly finished with the clean up stage following the recent floods, and will soon begin rebuilding. They are working with 400 families who need assistance in recovering. Severe flooding was also experienced in the Holston Conference. Both funds and volunteers are needed for long-term recovery. Please give to UMCOR Domestic Disaster Response, Advance #901670-1. If you can help with rebuilding in the coming months, please call the Volunteer Line (800) 918-3100.
An UMCOR staff person from Tajikistan traveled to the site of the recent earthquake in Afghanistan to assess the damage and the response. While the earthquake was devastating, many relief agencies were quick to respond and basic needs of food and shelter were being met. However, there will be an ongoing need for assistance with long-term recovery throughout the country from war, drought, and earthquakes. An additional UMCOR staff member recently returned from Kabul after spending several weeks assessing future opportunities for UMCOR involvement in recovery work. UMCOR is planning to establish an office in Kabul and is developing plans to work with a particular community in a wholistic way. The goal is to reintegrate the refugees that are returning to the community and provide assistance with agriculture, education, youth work, and community development. To support long-term recovery efforts please give to Love in the Midst of Tragedy, Advance #901125-3 and designate "Afghanistan."
Please help UMCOR respond to the severe famine in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and other southern African nations. More than four million people are affected. Already, older people and small children are dying and without significant food assistance there will be mass starvation. Please give to Africa Famine Relief, Advance #101250-4 to help provide emergency food assistance.
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.
Photo: In areas entering Nahrin, Afghanistan, villagers were the first to receive aid as it made its way to the city center. These villagers still have houses standing. There were given tents to escape any future tremors that took down their houses. Credit: Shaheen Rassoul, Program Director, UMCOR-Tajikistan, March 2002. Click on photo to see a larger version.
