Episcopal Press and News
Famine, Social Disasters Forecast-Aid Sought
Diocesan Press Service. February 8, 1966 [40-7]
With experts forecasting 1966 as a year of mounting famine and other forms of social disaster, U. S churches are preparing to meet heavy commitments in the field of overseas assistance.
A total of $17, 921, 000 will be sought by participating communions through the annual "One Great Hour of Sharing" appeal, it was announced. Observed each year the week following the fourth Sunday in Lent (March 20 this year), funds raised by the congregations go through the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief and are used for relief and rehabilitation purposes in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and limited areas of Europe.
Homeless and hungry peoples in "human disaster areas" will be among the principal recipients.
During 1965, Church World Service shipped 225,684, 376 pounds of food, clothing and materials to needy countries. CWS is the relief and rehabilitation agency through which most of the denominations affiliated with the National Council of Churches channel their overseas aid efforts.
Bulk of the foods were supplied from government accumulated stores. Other foods, plus seeds and farm equipment were provided by CROP, a community program of Church World Service. Peoples in 42 countries are assisted through "food-for-work" projects, school feeding programs, medical aid and various forms of help. All assistance is channeled through the indigenous churches of the countries involved.
Funds realized through "One Great Hour of Sharing" go to the Presiding Bishop's Fund to joint projects of aid carried on overseas through Church World Service, the World Council of Churches and related interdenominational organizations.
HIGHLIGHTS OF CHURCH WORLD SERVICE PROGRAMS IN SOME COUNTRIES
AFRICA (More than 15,000, 000 pounds of food and other material aid shipped from January through November, 1965.)
ALGERIA -- A three-pronged attack on hunger, unemployment and soil erosion waged on Algerian hillsides through a reforestation program has enabled more than 225,000 men setting out 27,000,000 seedlings to earn food for their families. School children benefit from daily milk distribution. Emergency aid for earthquake victims -- tents, blankets, food and clothing speeded their recovery.
CONGO -- Special high-protein foods, drugs and vitamins spell the difference between life and death for Angolan refugee children critically ill with kwashiorkor (protein deficiency disease.) Refugee families are helped in resettling with food, clothing, seeds and tools.
GHANA -- Emergency relief for flood and drought victims, and assistance to self-help projects in rural areas are expressions of the concern of the churches in Ghana. These programs were aided by distribution of more than two million pounds of food, clothing and medical supplies. Urban studies in fast-developing industrial centers have been launched.
NIGERIA -- Increased activity in relieving poverty, suffering and malnutrition, aid to rural projects and the beginning of a community development program indicate expansion and diversity of the work of the churches in Nigeria. Foods and medicines in huge quantities were used in the humanitarian work.
ASIA (Total of 83, 872, 836 pounds shipped from January through November, 1965.)
VIETNAM -- Concern for needs of ever-increasing thousands of refugees in South Vietnam is evidenced in recruitment of volunteers with special skills to work in an expansion of existing programs. Such projects will make use of nurses, doctors, social workers and others. A short-term volunteer nurses' pilot project preceded current efforts. Fabric parcel donations are sent to Vietnamese women to make clothing for families. Also sought -- for Vietnamese children -- are pajama-type garments that would fit American children aged 2 to 10.
INDIA -- The churches rushed aid to those suffering on both sides of the India-Pakistan border conflict, and anticipate increasing needs of countless refugees. Relief and rehabilitation continues for refugees who earlier fled from East Pakistan claiming religious persecution. Wide-spread hunger in India was assuaged for some through distribution of millions of pounds of food. Improved nutrition is the objective of projected multi-purpose food production.
KOREA -- Hundreds of formerly destitute families have benefitted from food-for-work projects such as land reclamation and reservoir construction. Flood victims have not only received emergency food and clothing, but have been rehabilitated with restoration of farmlands, improvement of river embankments and construction of irrigation ponds and ditches. These efforts were implemented with more than 27 million pounds of food, clothing and other supplies. during 1965.
PAKISTAN -- Disease-threatened survivors of a cyclone and tidal wave in East Pakistan received 200,000 typhoid and 14, 000 cholera immunizations following a mercy airlift of medical supplies. Refugees from religious strife in India were also aided. In West Pakistan, assistance was given homeless flood victims.
PHILIPPINES -- Victims of the Taal Volcano eruption have received blankets, clothing, and household equipment to aid them in resettling. Emergency supplies of food and clothing eased the suffering of thousands left homeless by a series of typhoons. A school lunch program and aid to institutions and individuals has improved the nutritional level.
LATIN AMERICA (Shipments totaled 49,836, 762 pounds from January-November 1965.)
BRAZIL -- Food, clothing, seeds and tools have been provided to aid some 750 migrants from the drought-stricken northeast in resettling. Supplies sent to institutions have benefitted 500, 000 needy Brazilians. One hundred tons of food were rushed to disaster sites to nourish victims of the Rio Grande do Sol and Santa Caterina floods.
CHILE -- An emergency airlift of 30, 000 pounds of blankets, medicines and feeding station equipment was rushed to earthquake survivors. A few months later, mercy flights carried antibiotics, warm clothing and blankets to victims of violent winter storms. A community development team consisting of leadership training experts and a home economist is helping Chileans improve village and family life. Cooperatives for wood production and trout raising have been formed. Food-for-work projects have brought about construction of schools, roads, bridges and dams. A reforestation program has become a model for similar efforts by the government.
HAITI -- In the wake of ruin wrought by Hurricane Flora in 1960, houses, schools, roads, land terracing and irrigation systems have been created by the survivors, with technical assistance, some materials and food-for-work provided through the churches. These efforts were aided by distribution of more than three and a half million pounds of food and other forms of aid.
JAMAICA -- A school feeding program improves nutrition for 140, 000 needy children while some 45, 000 destitute adults also receive food. Pilot projects have been initiated in home gardening and self-help housing construction. The churches of Jamaica, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, sent 20,000 cocoanut seedlings to Haitian victims of Hurricane Flora whose groves had been destroyed.
MIDDLE EAST, EUROPE (Total of 41, 225, 020 pounds from January-November 1965.)
GREECE -- Installation of a solar still on the island of Symi has been followed with an intensive community development effort, and the building of stills on other Greek islands.
JORDAN -- A pre-school feeding program in which mothers acquire knowledge of nutrition has been initiated to help the age group most vulnerable to malnutrition. Self- help road-building projects were initiated.
POLAND -- Needy school children and inmates of welfare institutions received food and clothing totaling more than sixteen and a half million pounds.
YUGOSLAVIA -- The worst floods in more than a century made thousands homeless. Their suffering was eased with the distribution of quantities of food, clothing, shoes and bedding. Nearly nine million pounds of relief and rehabilitation materials were made available over a period of months.