THE CHURCH WORLD SERVICE
EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
Church World Service is the Relief
and Development Agency of the 36 member denominations of the National Council
of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
36 Denominations & Communions Working Together to Meet Human Needs
EMERGENCY ACCOUNT # 6614
CWS goal: $90,000
(In support of ACT Appeal #EUMC11)
SITUATION: Months of intense conflict between ethnic Albanian insurgents and Macedonian government forces have brought the Republic of Macedonia to the edge of a civil war. Frequent military actions and clashes are destabilizing peace in Macedonia; they are also causing large population movements and displacement and are affecting neighboring countries.
While the Macedonian government -- supported by the international community -- is searching for a durable political solution, some 50,000 ethnic Albanians and Macedonians remain displaced within Macedonia, seeking shelter with relatives or friends. They are also going to collective centers in and around the capital of Skopje.
RESPONSE: The Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC), a CWS partner, has forcefully pursued peace-promoting actions, inter-religious dialogue and small-scale emergency response to the affected population within Macedonia.
In addition to supporting peace initiatives, MCIC is now assisting displaced persons and those remaining in the conflict areas.
Specifically, MCIC is assisting 20,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs)living with host families and collective centers and 15,000 persons living in areas still affected by the conflict. In particular, MCIC is assisting IDPs who have not been by registered by the Macedonian Red Cross and who have had difficulty accessing any kind of assistance.
Assistance includes distribution of food and non-food aid - such as hygiene items, blankets and bedding -- and emergency water supply and sanitation assistance, including providing water tanks and constructing wells.
In addition, MCIC is planning to host an emergency preparedness capacity building/emergency management training for the MCIC staff and other local NGOs involved in humanitarian assistance; this training is expected to be held by the end of September and will be facilitated by Church World Service.
CWS is issuing this appeal for $90,000 to assist MCIC, but with the understanding that the situation in Macedonia could change and that there may be need for additional support of MCIC.
For further details about the response, including specific budget items, contact CWS ERP. Or visit the ACT web site at www.act-intl.org
CHURCH WORLD SERVICE, Macedonia Crisis # 6614, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515. Phone pledges or credit card donations: 1-800-297-1516.
On-line contributions to: www.churchworldservice.org
Call the CWS HOTLINE for updates: (800) 297-1516.
For further information about disasters
to which Church World Service is responding, contact CWS Emergency Response.
Telephone: (212) 870-3151
E-mail: cherlinger@ncccusa.org
After-hours emergency pager: (800) 780-0853
Web site: www.cwserp.org