CENTRAL AMERICA: HURRICANE FELIX

Please pray for the many in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala that are weathering the fierce winds and rains of Hurricane Felix. UMCOR is monitoring the situation and contacting our partners in these areas as communication permits.

Please help UMCOR in its anticipated response by giving to Hurricanes 2007, UMCOR Advance #982511.

IRAQ: HELPING THOSE DISPLACED BY WAR

UMCOR is helping Action for Churches Together partners to meet the immediate needs of displaced Iraqi refugees in Syria by providing essential food and hygiene items.

About 2,910 Iraqi families will receive three months of supplies including necessary food items such as cooking oil, salt, sugar, tuna, chickpeas, lentils, beans, rice, corn and pasta. The families will also receive hygiene kits that include laundry soap, antiseptic solution, bathing soap, toothpaste and more to improve their well being.

Iraqi refugees are facing dire conditions-they are living on limited resources and are deprived of clean water and live under tight curfews and travel restrictions. The rising sectarian conflict has created a lack of security and fear among many Iraqis who have been forced to flee their homes to seek safety.

Two million displaced Iraqis have sought refuge in neighboring countries. An estimated 1.5 million have fled to Syria alone where ACT is working. Respond to the plight of Iraqi refugees by giving to the Middle East Emergency Advance #601740.

SUDAN: FLOOD RECOVERY

UMCOR is providing relief to Sudan after hammering rains caused severe flooding in August that has wiped out many schools and homes in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan. At least 371 schools have been destroyed, leaving over 80,000 children without primary education.

UMCOR Sudan is rehabilitating classrooms in 10 primary schools and is providing mosquito nets, soap, blankets, and other necessities to 3,000 families in response to the recent flooding. UMCOR will repair school blocks and construct latrines and classrooms for the most affected areas and is supplying pupils with education materials such as books, pens, and other necessary school items.

The Sudan floods are considered to be the worst floods recorded in the area. Roads and bridges have been completely washed away. A reported 70 people have died and 600,000 houses have been damaged by flood waters leaving more than 35,000 people homeless. Torrential rains are expected to continue through September and UMCOR needs your help to support the Sudan recovery. Please give to the Sudan Emergency Advance # 184385.

AFGHANISTAN: A PLACE TO CALL HOME

When UMCOR offered returning refugee families in Maidan Shar, Afghanistan materials and support to build shelters, an eager 10-year-old Kuchi boy named Abdul Baqui asked the community leader to consider his family as one of the 130 shelter recipients, because for Baqui, there was no turning back.

Baqui was a refugee in Pakistan for many years and he supported his sick mother and three younger sisters. When he returned to his homeland three years ago, he arrived without a father, a home and without an income. When he was chosen among the 600 families to receive shelter, a determined Baqui constructed one full wall on his own, while the community helped to build the rest.

You can support UMCOR's life-changing work in Afghanistan by giving to Afghanistan Emergency, UMCOR Advance #602225.

UMCOR SAGER BROWN: FLOOD BUCKETS ARE STILL NEEDED

UMCOR Sager Brown's, the United Methodist supply depot, still needs your help to replenish their flood bucket supply. The Atlantic hurricane season is still underway and is a continual threat to those in its path. Many Midwest communities continue to be affected by increased flooding, that has caused substantial loss of property and damages.

UMCOR has responded to 28 domestic emergencies in 24 annual conferences since September 2006. The many emergencies over the past months have depleted response supplies.

UMCOR needs your help to send bucket contents or a contribution to purchase supplies. A list of the contents can be found here, or you can give $45 towards the purchase of these items. Help the clean-up process and help UMCOR Sager Brown build their inventory by giving to Material Resources Advance # 901440.

UMCOR provides emergency relief in many areas of the world. To find out more about UMCOR's ministries, please visit umcor.org. You can donate to any project by placing a contribution in the offering plate at a local United Methodist church; by sending a check to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068; or by calling 1-800-554-8583, where credit card donations are accepted. You can also give online by clicking on any of the "Give Now" links. UMCOR is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States and qualifies for the maximum charitable contribution deduction by donors.