HOTLINE - week of July 09, 2007

A cyclone, excessive rainfall, and flooding in the Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh, and North-West Frontier provinces of Pakistan have left more than 300 dead, crops and livestock inundated, fishing boats sunk or damaged, and a high threat of disease from animal carcasses floating in the water. Drinking water is a critical problem, as water stored by the villagers has been contaminated.

Marvin Parvez, Church World Service Pakistan-Afghanistan regional representative, says that without a generous response, the situation will be exacerbated by health problems, lack of food and medicine across the affected areas.

One of the worst hit areas is the town of Gadap, near Karachi, where 1,000 homes have been either severely damaged or completely destroyed. Many livestock are missing and 60 percent of the poultry farms--the main sources of employment for the villagers--have been destroyed. Church World Service is the only agency operating in the area.

On July 2, Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan distributed relief items in Gadap to 250 families. Priority was given to households completely destroyed, headed by widows or disabled, and families who have suffered fatalities. The food packages contain items such as rice, lentils, cooking oil, and sugar, and are meant to provide a month's ration for a family of eight to 10 members. CWS also distributed more than 300 plastic sheets for temporary shelter and protection for drinking water sources.

Eighty-year-old Muhammad Musa is living with his family in the ruins of his house, after the roof and walls caved in from the storms. He is grateful for the food package, though: "For the last three days we have had no food. This at least will now save us from total starvation."

Large numbers of Chadians have been displaced by violence spilling over the border from Darfur, Sudan. The rainy season (June through September) is expected to make the situation worse.

Church World Service is seeking support for an emergency relief operation to assist 35,000 of the most vulnerable internally-displaced Chadians who are now in Habile and Aradib.

Refugees from Darfur in camps in eastern Chad are already receiving support through an established assistance program.

Church World Service is focusing on community service activities: assisting sanitation and hygiene projects; training of water management committees; peace and reconciliation training; sports activities; leadership training for internally-displaced people, including women and youth; HIV/AIDS awareness.

"We were attacked by people with guns riding in three land cruiser vehicles, and on horses and camels," said one villager of the most recent attacks in South Darfur. Some 3,000 people have fled their homes in recent days because of brutal attacks on their villages, adding their number to the more than 2.5 million others in Darfur that have suffered the same fate.

"When we were attacked, we just ran in any direction. I have lost a child and my sister. I have not seen them for ten days now," said a woman, weeping.

Church World Service is helping to support efforts of the Action by Churches Together coalition, including the latest response in providing essential household items to new arrivals in Al Salam camp, outside Nyala.

For more information on Darfur and how you can help, visit www.churchworldservice.org/news/Sudan/index.html.

Some 240 abandoned and orphaned children, ages five to 20, have food to eat and a bed in a comfortable dormitory at the Church World Service-supported Luang Prabang Orphanage.

Along with basic education, the children are learning vocational skills such as carpentry, weaving, and fish farming.

The Lao government, which pays the salaries of teachers and administrators, now runs the orphanage. CWS provides input on new curriculum and non-formal education, and assists with facilities and building maintenance and repair.

The students' monthly government food stipend is supplemented by vegetables and fruits from gardens that CWS established and the children and orphanage staff maintain.

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.

Back to top