CWS Appeal: Lebanon Crisis

September 8, 2006

After more than a month of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in July and August 2006, families have attempted to returned to their homes and villages. However, many villages and neighborhoods were destroyed. According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) roughly 15,000 houses were completely destroyed during the war while another 15,000 were partially damaged.

This is one of a series of serious humanitarian problems facing those returning to areas destroyed or damaged by war; another, according to the UN, is unexploded ordnance (UXOs), often inside homes. To date, 435 cluster bomb sites have been identified, the IRIN humanitarian news agency reports.

Other pressing problems include water and electricity shortages.

RESPONSE: Church World Service continues its support of its two partners in the region, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) as outlined in the original appeal, issued July 27. Material aid support has also been provided to the humanitarian agency Mercy Corps which has extensive response efforts under way in Lebanon.

As part of efforts, CWS has sent the following shipments to the region:

800 cartons of donated canned turkey to the MECC, valued at $33,600.
40 cartons of IMA medicine boxes to MECC, with a value of $166,584. The IMA boxes contain 16 essential medicines and medical supplies in sufficient quantities to respond to the common illnesses of approximately 1,000 adults and children for up to two-to-three months when placed in a clinic.
1,770 CWS blankets; 10,440 CWS Health Kits; and seven pallets of 5-gallon jugs of water to the IOCC. This shipment has a total value of $146,806.

10,020 CWS School Kits and 8,595 CWS Health Kits, with a total value of $241,995 to Mercy Corps.

Contributions to support these efforts may be sent to your denomination or directly to:

Church World Service, Lebanon Crisis(Account #6820), P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515

Contributions may also be made by credit card online, or by calling: (800) 297-1516, ext. 222.