Field Report from Joplin, Missouri
Dear sisters and brothers, The annual conference of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD) is taking place this week in Kansas City, bringing together the leaders of nearly every faith-based, secular, and governmental disaster response organization. The...
Ivory Coast: Updated Refugee Numbers
The UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has released a new map showing the approximate numbers and locations of refugees from the Ivory Coast. The numbers continue to be high, particularly on the western edge of the country as people...
Colombia: And Still the Rains Come
I had the pleasure yesterday of sitting with Bishop Eduardo Martinez of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia (IELCO) to gain his perspective on what has been happening in his country. Here is a bit of what we covered: The...
Field Report from Alabama
Sisters and brothers in Christ, I am Kevin Massey, Program Director of Lutheran Disaster Response. My colleague Mike Nevergall and I are in Alabama this week to see the extent of the damage from the tornadoes of April 27 and...
Ivory Coast: Refugees Still Reluctant to Return
Amid the swirl of events in the Ivory Coast (president-elect Alassane Ouattara to be sworn in today, claims that the last of the forces loyal to ex-president Laurent Gbagbo have been put down and the expected start of trial for...
Japan: Video of CWS Response
ACT Alliance has posted a new video from Church World Services (CWS) outlining their work in Japan. This work has entailed distributing materials, setting up stationary clinics, making connections between those seeking shelter and those offering shelter and providing psychological...