ELCA Disaster Response

The Joplin Globe had a great article today on Joplin recovery effort following the May 22, 2011 tornado that hit the city. The topic of the article is “the warehouse” an aptly named, well, warehouse that means more to its local community than the unassuming name implies. The warehouse is the staging ground for much of the recovery efforts carried out in Joplin, including that of Lutheran Disaster Response.

Through the doors of this building have walked thousands of volunteers from all over the country who have come to help. Also highlighted is Immanuel Lutheran Church (LCMS) that was a major actor, along with Martin Luther School, in early and continuing efforts in feeding, housing and organizing volunteers.

It’s a great read on how in times of need being the hands and feet of our corporate body is a calling for all who bear the name of Christ. Check out the full article Volunteers Focus on Rebuilding, not Theology.

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Gifts to ELCA Disaster Response allow the church to respond at home and globally in times of need. Donate now.

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A newsrelease from the Lutheran World Federation gives an overview of the situation in Senegal during the drought affecting the Sahel region in West Africa. It touches on the work of the LWF and the Lutheran Church in Senegal to meet the needs of the local population as they deal with back-to-back years of decreased rainfall. It also tells the story of affected individuals who are struggling to sustain themselves.

The main theme is that this problem is getting worse and that local resources are already stretched. International engagement from organizations like the ACT Alliance and LWF, of which the ELCA is a member of both, can be a major player in how this situation turns out.

I would recommend taking a moment to get a bit of an insider’s view of what’s going on in the region and how gifts to ELCA Disaster Response help support the work being done on the ground through the local churches and LWF.

Read the LWF newsrelease Living Next To Nothing in Senegal’s Drought-Hit Region. (pdf)

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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.

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The Bismarck Tribune had an article on Monday that highlighted some pretty great work being done by a local Thrivent chapter on behalf of those affected by flooding in Bismarck and Minot. Members of Burleigh County Chapter are organizing a family fun day called the North Dakota Flood Recovery Event for May 12. The goal of the event is to help remind the people of Minot and Bismarck that they will not be relegated to “out of sight, out of mind” status. The group also recognizes that the work continues through groups like Lutheran Disaster Response.

A great story of Lutherans remembering and working together for the sake of their neighbors, Lutherans and non-Lutherans alike. Check it out: Thrivent sponsoring flood relief benefit at Civic Center

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Gifts to ELCA Disaster Response allow the church to respond at home and globally in times of need. Donate now.

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A new situation report from the Lutheran World Federation includes updates on their work in Mauritania with Malian refugees at Camp Mberre and their work with the Lutheran Church in Senegal.

In Camp Mberre they are working to provide enough tents for incoming refugees, with their capacity being 300 new tents constructed each day while the influx of refugees sits between 500-1200 daily. Currently the camp population sits just under 59,000. Also, decreased security in certain regions of Mali has lead the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to announce that a massive movement of refugees is heading towards Mauritania.

In Senegal the church is working to implement a program focused on disaster prevention and risk reduction within at-risk communities in the region. They are helping to identify and train local committees to implement these programs so that the knowledge is kept at home and the skills of the local population are leveraged in their response.

As the LWF continues its work in the region please keep those who are fleeing danger and those who work to meet them in prayer during this trying time. Also pray for those who are working to prepare themselves in the face of disaster, that they may be empowered to lessen and hopefully prevent the effects of disaster.

Read the full report here.

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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.

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The Lutheran World Federation has been working to revamp how it responds to disasters and emergencies within the countries and regions of the world in which it works. One of the first steps in the process has been to set up disaster “hubs” in 2012 in areas of the world that are disaster prone. The trial for this was carried out in Eastern Africa with the hope that through pre-positioned funds and resources the response to disasters could be swifter and more efficient, thus leading to more lives saved. This work was strongly supported by the ELCA. The two new hubs will be in Kathmandu, covering South and South-East Asia,and El Salvador and Haiti, covering Latin America and the Caribbean.

The LWF has also released a newsletter to help keep people up-to-date on this work. The first of these came out at the end of March and gives a quick overview of the program, the work in Eastern Africa, the two new hubs and a training conference that will happen in May in Nairobi, where the ELCA will be a participant.

This is an exciting new direction of work within our international disaster response and should be lifted up as often as possible. I highly recommend taking the time to familarize yourself to this work by reading the LWF Emergency Response Newsletter (March 2012).

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The Minot Daily News had a good piece last week that in part highlights the role of Lutheran Disaster Response work in the long process of disaster response. The topic of the article is a discussion of the Minot Unmet Needs Committee with government officials of the continuing need following the June 2011 floods. The estimate is around one billion dollars in need. At the end of the article Shirley Dykshoorn, state director for Lutheran Disaster Response in North Dakota (a program of Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota), is quoted about the vital nature of matching material needs with volunteer resources.

The article in general is a nice reminder of how LDR is involved for the long-haul and in many ways behind the scenes. Also, Shirley’s words are spot on and really drive home the importance of proper coordination in disaster response.

To learn more read the article: Billion dollar shortfall

To volunteer check out Hope Village

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Gifts to ELCA Disaster Response allow the church to respond at home and globally in times of need. Donate now.

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The Daily Review newspaper out of Pennsylvania had a great article about Lutheran Disaster Response (how our domestic disaster response program is known) bringing a Camp Noah program to the area to help following the flooding of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee last August and September. Though its actually about the possibility of bringing the camps, it does give a great overview of what the program is for from an outsiders view.

I’d recommend giving it a read: Camp for disaster-affected children may come to Valley

You can also learn more about Camp Noah here: Camp Noah

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Gifts to ELCA Disaster Response allow the church to respond at home and globally in times of need. Donate now.

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Sherry Panggabean has put together a finalized report on the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks that struck off the west coast of Sumatra yesterday. It has a good map showing where the quakes happened and is a much appreciated update on how those in the region were affected.

Read the report: Final Report Earthquake 11 April 2012

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A powerful earthquake, registering at 8.7 on the Richter Scale, hit Indonesia around 4pm local time (4am CST). It was located off the west coast of Simeulue Island in Aceh Province (150 km off Western coast of Aceh and about 140 km Northwest of Nias Island) and was felt as far away as India. The earthquake was followed by three powerful aftershocks and a tsunami warning issued immediately after the initial quake.

Initial worries were heightened since this same area was struck by a major earthquake and tsunami in December 2004, which led to over 170,000 deaths and major damage to the coastal regions. Thankfully, the earthquake did not trigger a major tsunami and according to Sherry Panggabean with the Center for Disaster Risk Management and Community Development Studies, which is funded by the ELCA, the warning was called off at 8pm local time.

Sherry also reported that their staff in other regions of Indonesia had reported back that there were no major injuries or structural damage. The ELCA Global Mission Director for Asia – Pacific Continental Desk Franklin Ishida has been in contact with our one missionary in the region, Megan Ross, and has shared that she is unaffected.

With the threat of a major disaster passed, this event has given us time to pause and marvel at disaster preparedness work in action. Working with other Lutheran World Federation partners the ELCA supports the Center for Disaster Risk Management and Community Development Studies (CDRM&CDS) which has as part of its mission “to facilitate community disaster management and risk preparedness”. This involves activities like people immediate evacuating to the streets following an earthquake, getting to higher ground when hearing of the warning of a possible tsunami and the offices of CDRM&CDS checking in with each other to be communication centers for their communities.

And this is exactly what happened. The community knew what to do and did it. Through disaster risk reduction and preparedness, fears were mitigated by a solid plan of action, confusion was not given sway because of proper communication channels and at the end of the day lives that may have been in danger were kept safe. A huge prayer of thanksgiving to the staff of CDRM&CDS for their work and ministry.

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