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"Those who died were my neighbors, my friends," says Kamleh, as she grieves the loss of people in her neighborhood, many of them children. She gained refuge in a center supported by the CWS-affiliated ACTcoalition. Now she faces an uncertain future. Photo: Hege Opseth, NCA-ACT International Lebanon-Israel conflict
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HOTLINE - week of August 21, 2006The Israel-Hezbollah conflict has caused more than 1,200 deaths in Lebanon and Israel, and displaced more than one million people. Civilians on all sides have suffered.
CWS is gravely concerned about how the attacks have affected people in Lebanon and Israel.
With the UN-negotiated ceasefire in effect, thousands of Lebanese are pouring back into war-ravaged southern Lebanon--many to find their homes and villages in rubble.
Because the humanitarian crisis has been broader in Lebanon, CWS is seeking recovery assistance for civilians there--for those who have been injured or displaced, or are otherwise in need.
In Lebanon, CWS is providing food, water containers, bedding, and CWS Health Kits through long-time partners the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). And, with CWS support, the MECC and IOCC are providing those affected with food, non-food relief items, water and sanitation, and psychosocial care.
CWS is calling on all parties to develop non-violent strategies for engagement, and work toward a just and sustainable settlement of the issues that plague the region. Read this Fact Sheet on Lebanon (PDF file)
Support for these efforts is urgently needed. Back to Top U.S. Summer Storms Recent heavy rains have caused severe flooding in El Paso, Texas. Some 455 homes and 24 businesses have suffered major damage. CWS is providing 500 CWS Blankets and 540 CWS Health Kits to the Rio Grande Conference of the United Methodist Church, for the needs of families affected by the flooding.
CWS is also working with local recovery groups responding to flooding in New York and Ohio, and damage from straight-line winds of 100 miles-per-hour to the town of Coleharbor, in North Dakota. Back to Top Guatemala Some 4,000 indigenous women--members of longstanding CWS partner CONAVIGUA--are part of a program to improve their lives and communities, with the help of Church World Service. CONAVIGUA is a grassroots movement of Mayan women who lost at least one family member during Guatemala’s civil war. The members live in poverty in rural regions of the country, and work with other civil society groups to demand justice, reparations to victims of human rights violations, and an end to racism and discrimination against indigenous peoples.
CWS is supporting the work of CONAVIGUA, as it promotes women's participation in public life, indigenous women’s rights, and capacity building for women so they can carry out community development initiatives. Back to Top Your prayers and support - and your participation in CROP WALKS and the TOOLS & BLANKETS Program - make possible these and other life sustaining programs. For information on how to get involved, please call your Church World Service/CROP Regional Office toll-free at 1-888-CWS-CROP, that's 1-888-297-2767. For information about free loan videos, please call 1-800-297-1516, ext. 338, or e-mail us at: videos@churchworldservice.org. |
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