A new bulletin insert has been created to give a quick update on the situation in the Horn of Africa. You can download it here (pdf).

For more information check out the ELCA Disaster webpage Horn of Africa Drought.

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The ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together), of which the ELCA is a member, in a recent update shares how the drought is continuing to affect people within the Horn of Africa. With 13 million people still feeling the affects of the drought, water, food and disease still rank as the top areas of need. The update also discusses the possibility that some of areas of the region may actually be seeing complete changes in climate, with pastures turning into deserts.

Check out the full update, as well as the many other reports and updates from ACT, for more information.

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Just read a statement from UNHCR (UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees) regarding the conditions at Dadaab camp in eastern Kenya. It stated that the camp has received heavy rains that have led to flooding and an increase in the cases of waterborne disease, like cholera. Some of this disease is thought to be caused by camp residents opting for contaminated flood waters when water trucks have been slowed in delivery by the rains.

The statement also addresses the issue of camp security, which arose after two aid workers were kidnapped three weeks ago. The initial response in the camp was to limit aid activities within the camp until the situation could be addressed. It was hoped that these activites would return to normal levels soon, but with a news report of a car bombing in the camp earlier today (story), this may not happen soon.

This caught my attention because the The Lutheran World Federation, of which the ELCA is a member, manages the camp and their main areas of work are water distribution and camp security. As they struggle with these current developments I wanted to lift up the good work that they do on behalf of this church and to ask that they, and all those in Dadaab, be lifted up in prayer. May God grant them strength and His ever-abundant grace and peace.

Since July, heavy rains and four tropical storms have hammered Southeast Asia, affecting the entire region with flooding and landslides. In the two hardest hit countries, Cambodia and Thailand, it is estimated that one-third of each country is underwater. Recent reports put the number of dead at over 1,000, with over 75% of those lost coming from Thailand (533 deaths) and Cambodia (250 deaths). With the rains continuing to come the crisis grows as more areas become inaccessible while simultaneously increasing the number of those in need. An example is the city of Bangkok, with a population of 12 million, being threatened with complete submersion.

On November 2, the ELCA commited $150,000 to the relief efforts being coordinated by Church World Services (CWS) in Thailand ($50,000) and Cambodia ($100,000). In Thailand they are working with our companion, the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) and in Cambodia they are working with our partner, Life with Dignity (LWD). These efforts will address immediate needs such as supplying emergency food, water and hygeine kits. It will also involve the rebuilding of destroyed homes and the restoring of lost livelihoods.

As this disaster continues to develop and relief efforts move from disaster response to disaster recovery, the ELCA will continue to walk with our companions. Please check back here to learn about these efforts and continue to keep the people of the region in prayer.

For more information:

• ELCA Disaster Page: Southeast Asia Flooding
• Church World Service: Thailand Appeal | Cambodia Appeal | Cambodia Country Page

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Heavy monsoon rains in late August/early September led to widespread damage, mostly in the southern province of Sindh. The National Disaster Management Authority in Pakistan has appealed for international humanitarian assistance. The most urgent needs have been food, potable water, shelter, and health care because of the great risk to waterborne diseases, malnutrition, and food insecurity.

In the Sindh province, it is estimated 5 million people have been affected, some of whom are still recovering from the floods in July 2010. Twenty-two of its 23 districts receiving heavy rain and flooding. Approximately, 700,000 homes have been damaged and more than 1.7 million acres of crops are affected. According to the UN Offices for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) some regions of the province still have not been reached.

The ACT Alliance (Action by Churches Together) has issued an appeal and is coordinating a response, through members like Church World Service (CWS). As heavy rains have continued to affect here and many places in the world, please keep those affected by the rising waters in thought and prayer. May the God who stills the raging waters continue to be with them.

For more information, please check out the CWS Website and Flooding Update (31 Oct).

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

The following report from the LWF (Lutheran World Federation) gives an update of the situation following the deluge that has been hitting Centeral America since early this month. The issue is not just that it has been raining consistently but that the rains have been extremely intense. This has caused massive flooding and mudslides throughout the region that have led hundreds of thousands to be displaced and over 100 fatalities.

Please remember the people of the region in their time of need.

LWF post: LWF and ACT Take Action as UN Office Says 150,000 Affected in Salvador

ELCA Disaster Page: Central America Flooding

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