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ELCA Blogs

Lutheran Disaster Response

Nigeria: Emergency assistance for people fleeing as attacks continue

Megan Brandsrud ​ Nigerians are fleeing amidst continued attacks that are believed to be the actions of Boko Haram. On Nov. 10, 2014, there was a massacre of 48 people near the territory of the Lutheran Church of Christ in...

Illinois: One year after the November tornado outbreak

Megan Brandsrud ​ Pictured: Damage in Washington, Ill., caused by November 2013 tornadoes. Augustino/FEMA One year ago, on Nov. 17, 2013, a storm system that consisted of 73 tornadoes moved through the Midwest. Illinois was severely impacted—the tornado system that...

Ebola Outbreak: Food assistance in Liberia

Megan Brandsrud ​ (Photo courtesy of Lutheran World Federation) The Ebola outbreak in West Africa continues to expand. There have now been more than 13,560 cases of infected persons and more than 4,950 deaths. While the disease itself continues to...

Typhoon Haiyan – One Year Later

Megan Brandsrud ​ (Photo: Participants in a cash-for-work program help clean up debris in Tacloban, a city in the Philippines province of Leyte. ACT/Paul Jeffrey) On Nov. 8, 2014, Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Typhoon Yolanda, crashed into the central...

Ebola Outbreak – Awareness and Prevention in Sierra Leone

Megan Brandsrud ​ As of Oct. 29, 2014, Sierra Leone has had 5,235 documented cases of Ebola and 1,500 documented deaths. However, the World Health Organization says these numbers could be severely underestimated. Ebola transmission continues to be persistent in...

Nebraska youth stands with New Jersey and continues Superstorm Sandy recovery

Megan Brandsrud ​ (Pictured: Nebraska Synod youth sporting Lutheran Disaster Response volunteer shirts as they embark on their volunteer projects.) This July, more than 300 youth and chaperone volunteers from the ELCA Nebraska Synod ventured on a cross-country bus trip...