The Irish Missionary Resource Service (IMRS), Ireland's missionary development work funding agency, today (Tuesday 5th February), released the below statement reporting on provision of emergency relief in support of missionaries working in Kenya.
Following the 27th December election in Kenya and the violence which has ensued across the country the IMRS has been working to make support available to missionaries on the ground to provide humanitarian aid to those left most vulnerable.
It is thought that so far more than 900 people have been killed, with a further 250,000 displaced to camps within the Rift Valley and Western Kenya, while others have fled into neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania.
The IMRS are coordinating their response alongside the leadership of missionary organisations whose personnel are very much at the centre of the local relief effort in Kenya. Funding of over €209,000 has been provided to those congregations who have sought IMRS support to assist in responding to the immediate needs in the area of provision of food, water/sanitation and provision of healthcare.
The IMRS is in contact with 27 missionary organisations in Kenya and has currently provided emergency financial support to the following:
- Christian Brothers
- Franciscan Missionaries of Saint Joseph
- Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa
- Irish UrsulineUnion
- Jesuit Missions
- Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary
- Patrician Brothers
- Saint Patrick's Missionary Society
Mr Mike Greally, IMRS CEO commented,
"The funding being allocated to the Kenyan relief effort by the IMRS is being used by missionaries who are doing their utmost in very difficult circumstances to help people address the most immediate and urgent challenges The money is going directly to missionaries in areas such as Eldoret, Nairobi, Mulanda, Kibera, Kisumu, Kisii, Kariobangi, Kitaleand JamhuriPark, many of which have been deeply affected by the escalating violence of recent weeks and are in need of direct and immediate assistance."
He continued,
"Many missionaries have been communicating directly with us from Kenyaparticularly those in the midst of the crisis in the Western region. They all emphasise the extraordinary human cost of the crisis, and stress the importance of all those in positions of leadership - both within and outside Kenya- takingmeaningful steps to put an end to the violence".
Note to editors:
1. The Irish Missionary Resource Service (IMRS) is a charitable organisation that supports the development work of Irish Missionaries. For more information about the IMRS and some of the work of its members, please go to their website on www.imrs.ie.
2. In 2007 the IMRS allocated a total of €2.3million to Kenyain support of missionary development work. The total allocated to Kenya between 2005-2007was €6.3million.
3. In 2007 the IMRS received a grant of €16 million from Irish Aid and in 2008 will receive an increased grant of €20million.
Please contact the IMRS directly for more information on relief effort activities being carried out by missionaries in Kenya. Furthermore, the IMRS can make available for interview both IMRS representatives and missionary spokespeople in Ireland or in Kenya.
For further information please contact:
Rita McCullagh
IMRS Communications Officer
Phone: +353 [0]1 4055028
Mob: +353 862357723
Email: rmccullagh@imrs.ie