NEWS FROM
LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF
March 7, 2003
In this news release:
- Mid-East Christians Still Hope for Peace, but Prepare to Open Churches as Shelters from War
- First Shipment Reaches Baghdad, Destined for 'All Our Children'
- Iraq Humanitarian Aid Must be Impartial and Independent, says Worldwide Church Aid Alliance
- LWR President is New Chair of Worldwide Church Aid Alliance
For more information contact Jonathan Frerichs at (410) 230-2800.
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MID-EAST CHRISTIANS STILL HOPE FOR PEACE, BUT PREPARE TO OPEN CHURCHES AS SHELTERS FROM WAR
[Reported by Callie Long in Geneva and Lennart Skov-Hansen in Baghdad, who work for Action by Churches Together and DanChurchAid, respectively.]
Baltimore, March 7, 2003 -- The churches of the Middle East refuse to believe that military action is inevitable and will continue to advocate for a peaceful UN-based process, but also call it "irresponsible not to prepare for the humanitarian disaster war will bring," according to Rev. Dr. Riad Jarjour, head of the Middle East Council of Churches.
Churches in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk have formed relief committees with the help of MECC and are setting up a network of churches, affiliated organizations, and in some instances also mosques, to ensure that relief items can be distributed. Several church centers will serve as relief depots. "In the event of war, internally displaced and affected people in general are expected to seek refuge and protection in churches and in mosques," said DanChurchAid general secretary Peter Lodberg, who visited Baghdad recently.
MECC, a long-time partner of Lutheran World Relief, has also trained 75 volunteers to help people who are either displaced or forced to flee to neighboring countries by military action.
Iraq's churches are short of funds to buy and stockpile relief items - including blankets, first aid and hygiene kits, protein biscuits, heaters and kerosene. "Many of these items are still available on the local markets and can be acquired on short notice," Lodberg said.
MECC is also drilling wells and installing 50 pumps at the distribution sites to serve the thousands of people who will need water if regular water supplies are destroyed. Access to water is already an enormous problem for Iraqis and a war could further disrupt supplies.
An MECC relief coordinator in Iraq has been working on a humanitarian response plan for his agency and Iraqi churches. The coordinator, Edward Ishu, says his main challenge is how best to organize local churches for emergency aid work, should that be needed.
Iraq's Christians (estimates range from half a million to one million) are mainly Orthodox or Catholic, although the Presbyterian Church, a relative newcomer to the region, also has many followers.
FIRST SHIPMENT REACHES BAGHDAD, DESTINED FOR 'ALL OUR CHILDREN'
Baltimore, March 7, 2003 -- The first medical shipment for the All Our Children campaign is now in Iraq for delivery to two Baghdad hospitals. The $90,000 shipment of antibiotics, emergency medicines and medical supplies from campaign member Mennonite Central Committee will go to the Mansour Pediatric Hospital and Al-Iskaan Pediatric Hospital there.
All Our Children is a campaign to raise $1 million to help Iraqi children with acute health problems. The people-to-people initiative includes Lutheran World Relief and six other faith-based agencies.
IRAQ HUMANITARIAN AID MUST BE IMPARTIAL AND INDEPENDENT, SAYS WORLDWIDE CHURCH AID ALLIANCE
[Action by Churches Together (ACT) International is a worldwide network of churches and church agencies that coordinate their emergency humanitarian aid. Lutheran World Relief is a member and LWR President Kathryn Wolford is the newly elected moderator of ACT. The association's annual meeting has re-affirmed current international humanitarian principles for use in case of war in Iraq. Below are the main points.]
Geneva, March 4, 2003 -- "Humanitarian impartiality is imperative and paramount. Humanitarian aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint. Humanitarian aid is given regardless of the race, creed or nationality of the recipients and without adverse distinction of any kind. Humanitarian aid priorities are calculated on the basis of need alone.
"Humanitarian agencies must be given unconditional access to the affected population, the space to work in, and maintain the right to take independent positions and actions.
"ACT members will not act as instruments of foreign policy of donor governments nor accept government funding that promotes military or geopolitical interests in the conflict. The preferred sources of funding are from general public funds and other institutions without military forces engaged in Iraq.
"Of grave concern to ACT International is the fact that there seems to be a concerted effort to blur military and humanitarian actions, with the result that humanitarian purposes have been co-opted by the military. A military-led relief and reconstruction effort is against humanitarian principles and is unacceptable to ACT International members whose independence and safety around the world would be compromised by such a close relationship with military occupation forces."
Civilian and United Nations - rather than military - co-ordination of aid is essential, the statement continued.
Echoing numerous appeals by churches in the alliance, the ACT statement also said that "we do not believe all efforts for a peaceful resolution have been exhausted" in the crisis over Iraq.
LWR PRESIDENT IS NEW CHAIR OF WORLDWIDE CHURCH AID ALLIANCE
Baltimore, March 7, 2003 -- LWR President Kathryn Wolford has been elected moderator of the international emergency alliance, Action by Churches Together (ACT). Wolford will chair the group's governing bodies which provide policy and strategic direction for the alliance for a two-year term.
A world-wide network of some 200 churches and related aid agencies, ACT was formed in the mid-1990s to coordinate the members' emergency aid and relief activities. The alliance exists under the auspices, and draws its members from, the Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches.
"In an increasingly complex humanitarian environment, this is both an exciting and a challenging time for ACT," Wolford said of her election at the group's annual meeting last week. "With war looming in the Middle East, we are standing firmly behind the international humanitarian principles and codes of conduct that protect the independence and the impartiality essential for aid work - especially where armed conflict causes suffering."
"As we face this challenge, members of ACT are showing a strong sense of joint ownership. And it remains as important as ever to ensure the quality of programs because that is what translates into lives saved, livelihoods restored and communities rebuilt," she said.
The ACT annual meeting, held in Geneva, Switzerland, also elected a new vice moderator, Bishop Bernard Ntahoturi of the Anglican Church of Burundi.
"To offer additional time and energy to ACT at a time like this is also a reflection of Lutheran World Relief's commitment to effective cooperation among churches and their related agencies," said Wolford.
