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Attack against minority community: CWS Situation report 03-21-13

Países
Pakistán
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CWS
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CHURCH WORLD SERVICE DEVELOPMENT AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

SITUATION REPORT:
PAKISTAN* ATTACK AGAINST MINORITY COMMUNITY

March 21, 2013

SITUATION: Earlier this month, more than 200 homes in the Joseph Colony, a predominately Christian area near Lahore, were attacked following an altercation between a Muslim man and Christian man; the Muslim alleged the Christian man made blasphemous remarks. In the resulting violence of March 9, as many as 3,000 persons ransacked and looted the colony, setting fire to houses, destroying them.

The next day, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari announced victims of the lootings would receive US $5,100 in compensation, as well as material assistance. But some residents said that not everyone received assistance and that the distribution of assistance had been haphazard.
Protests have since occurred to prompt further government action.

RESPONSE: CWS and its partners are developing plans to provide some assistance to those affected if adequate government aid does not materialize.

HOW TO HELP: Contributions to support CWS emergency response efforts may be sent to your denomination or to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.

Church World Service is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy.

For further information about disasters to which Church World Service is responding please visit www.churchworldservice.org or call the CWS Hotline, (800) 297-1516.

CWS Development and Humanitarian Assistance Program/CWS New York office: (212) 870-3151

Program Director: dderr@churchworldservice.org