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HOTLINE - week of June 6, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
CWS emergency appeal: Angola floods, 2011 spring storms continue, as does CWS response, CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets urgently needed!
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On May 22, Joplin, Mo., was devastated by tornadoes that leveled entire neighborhoods and killed 142 people.
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2011 spring storms continue, as does CWS response
Imagine a day that begins like any other – and ends with the
knowledge that nothing will ever be the same. Families across the West,
Midwest, East Coast and southern U.S. have watched their homes, lives
and livelihoods torn apart by monstrous tornadoes and massive floods
this spring.
The tornado outbreaks of 2011 have been the
deadliest since 1950, with more than 520 people losing their lives to
the twisters. And, with tornadoes touching down everywhere from
California to North Dakota to Florida to Massachusetts, the phrase
“tornado alley” has become a misnomer. More than 27 states have been hit
thus far, and storm season marches on.
Floods this year have
forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes along the
lower Mississippi River. Millions of acres of farmland have been
inundated with flood waters – in some cases intentionally -- to save the
more populated areas surrounding them. The Ohio River, Mississippi
River and many others swelled far beyond their shores causing widespread
damage. And flooding continues: this week’s story comes from points
along the Missouri River, where heavy rains and water release from a dam
are causing severe flooding
The combined physical damage from
these disasters is estimated to be in the billions of dollars. The
psychological damage is incalculable.
CWS’s response –The
organization’s initial appeal, for $80,000, was recently expanded to
$280,000 to meet the growing needs of affected communities. CWS
emergency response specialists will conduct long-term recovery training
sessions for communities facing the arduous task of rebuilding.
CWS
has already shipped the following supplies to several hard-hit areas:
868 CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets; 1,020 Blankets; 780 Baby Care Kits;
4,260 School Kits and 33,960 Hygiene Kits. CWS is also providing 200
Emergency Cleanup Buckets to Crow Agency, Mont., a Native American
community affected by flooding. Another 6,000 Hygiene Kits are on their
way to Massachusetts, where tornadoes tore through Springfield and 18
other communities on June 1.
Contributions for CWS emergency response efforts may be made online or sent to your denomination or to Church World Service. (Please specify Appeal #627-P.)
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CWS emergency appeal: Angola floods
Since January, Angola has been affected by heavy rainfall, landslides and flooding – a continuation of the floods afflicting the south-central African country during the last three years.
This year's floods have been particularly damaging. All 18 of the country's provinces have suffered; some 254,000 people have been directly affected, and at least 234 persons have been killed. In addition, more than 5,500 homes have been destroyed – including some 3,500 in the Uige Province alone.
The northwestern Angola province was one of the areas most affected by Angola's long-term civil war. Though much of its infrastructure is still in disrepair, it remains a destination for returning Angolans who had fled during the conflict. Many of these returnees are living in squalid conditions without enough to eat. Floods and mudslides have damaged almost 75 percent of the area’s cultivated land.
CWS is working with the Evangelical Reformed Church of Angola to provide assistance for nearly 7,000 flood survivors – about 2,000 families – specifically those in the three municipalities of Uige Songo, Bembe and Mucaba. CWS is helping to provide food and non-food items such as tools and seeds to help these families return to farming and become self-reliant. The program is also providing training for some 100 people in rural development and disaster mitigation.
Contributions for CWS response efforts may be made at www.churchworldservice.org or sent to your denomination or to Church World Service. (Please specify Appeal #642-K.)
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CWS Emergency Cleanup Buckets urgently needed!
So far, the 2011 tornado season has produced more than twice as many twisters than were seen last year at this time. Find out how to help.
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Your support for Church World Service work around the world and in the U.S. is urgently needed.
Your prayers and support - and your participation in CROP Hunger Walks and the 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.
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