UMCOR Hotline 22 Feb 2002: Brazil, Indonesia, Liberia, Philippines
UMCOR has sent an emergency response grant
to the United Methodist Church in Liberia which will be used to provide
food and other assistance to people who have been displaced by the renewed
fighting. Staff continue to monitor the situation closely and though there
are reports of fighting between rebel and government forces 50 to 100 kilometers
outside of Monrovia, it is difficult to get accurate information. You may
respond to this emergency situation and support UMCOR's ongoing war recovery
work by giving to Advance #150300-7, "Liberia Emergency."
December, January, and February have
brought severe flooding in many countries. UMCOR has sent recent grants
for flood relief to Brazil, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In Brazil,
strong summer rains have caused flooding and mudslides that have affected
people living in shanty towns. In Indonesia, Java has been the hardest
hit by flooding, particularly the capital city of Jakarta. Hundreds of
thousands of people have been affected. Homes, infrastructure, crops and
agricultural land have been lost. People are facing hunger and health problems
such as respiratory infections, rashes, and diarrhoea. Continuous rain
from early December through early January has resulted in weeks of flooding
in low-lying areas of Mindanao in the Philippines. Farmers have lost their
crops which are their sole source of income and food. UMCOR grants will
help provide food, medicine, and other basic supplies to people in all
these areas. Please give to UMCOR's International Disaster Response, Advance
982450-8 to support relief efforts. Your gift will be used where it is
most needed, or you may designate it for a specific country affected by flooding.
At the request of the Florida Annual Conference, UMCOR has sent a grant of $85,000 to provide relief for people affected by a prolonged period of Red Tide in the Apalachicola area. This is an area that depends economically on tourism and fishing. Both of these industries have suffered extensive loss, and more than 2,400 families in the area are affected. The Florida Conference will use the grant to provide food and assistance with utility and medical bills, car payments, and rent. To join in this response, please give to UMCOR's Domestic Disaster Response, Advance #901670-1 and designate "Florida Red Tide."
Teams of volunteers continue to be needed in Houston, Texas and North Carolina to help rebuild after the floods. Please call (800) 918-3100 for further information. UMCOR Disaster Response staff will be participating in the upcoming disaster response training for local churches in the Texas Annual Conference. To find out about disaster response training opportunities in your area, please call UMCOR at (202) 548-4002.
Gifts may be made through local United Methodist Churches, or by calling (800) 554-8583. Credit card donations are accepted. Click here to make a secure online gift. (Read more about how you can help UMCOR's emergency responses.)
UMCOR is providing emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about current UMCOR ministries, please visit the website: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/
Please pray for those who suffer from hunger, poverty, natural and human-made disasters.
The UMCOR Hotline
Telephone:1-800-841-1235; Web: http://gbgm-umc.org/UMCOR-Hotline/