News Briefs: March 3, 2006
Celebrate CLWR’s 60th Anniversary
On March 14, CLWR will celebrate 60 years of service. In honour of this special anniversary, three of our Alternative Trade Organization’s (ATO) artisan communities have joined forces to create a limited edition, handcrafted “Cobalt Blue Bell.” This beautiful bell has been handcrafted in Hebron, Jerusalem, adorned with silk ribbon from Thailand, and enclosed in an organza bag from India. The bell is available from CLWR’s ATO for the special price of $10 (plus taxes).
Also available, CLWR’s own Fair Trade Coffee. Certified fair trade and organic, this coffee is hand-picked and sun-dried in Peru. Available in both bean and ground format.
To order your Cobalt Blue Bell and CLWR’s own Fair Trade coffee, call 1.800.661.2597 and ask for ATO!
Congregations are encouraged to highlight the work of CLWR on either Sunday, March 12 or the 19th. Order your resources now!
– CLWR News Service
Assessing Mozambique Earthquake Damage
Mozambican authorities and aid agencies are scrambling to assess the damage from last week’s 7.5 magnitude earthquake. “Mozambique suffers regularly from floods, drought and other natural disasters but an earthquake is something you cannot anticipate or prepare for fully,” reported Chris Kaye, the regional representative of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The earthquake struck on February 22, leaving four people dead, 36 injured and 288 families homeless. Teams were sent out to assess the damage to large infrastructure such as bridges and dams, while local civil engineers were mobilized to several cities to check buildings for possible damage. So far there has been no indication of serious damage to bridges and dams. OCHA reports the most pressing needs are for food, water, sanitation and shelter for those made homeless by the quake, which was felt as far away as neighbouring South Africa and Zimbabwe.
OCHA humanitarian affairs officer Jean-Luc Tonglet said there had been a history of earthquakes in Mozambique “but because the last few decades have been quiet, earthquakes are no longer in the common memory.” He reported that the government and UN contingency plans would be revised to include earthquake scenarios.
– Reports from Reuters AlertNet
Drought Emergency in Ethiopia
The humanitarian situation remains critical in the southern zones of Somali Region and in the Borena zone of Oromiya Region of Ethiopia. The situation is expected to deteriorate as the ongoing dry season (January-March) advances. There are also concerns over a forecasted rainfall deficit during the main rainy season (March-May). The Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Agency continues to dispatch emergency food aid for 1.5 million people in Somali Region and for 155,000 in Borena zone. The World Food Programme is providing supplementary food to 35% of beneficiaries deemed the most vulnerable. Estimates indicate there are more than 56,000 children vulnerable to moderate and severe malnutrition.
CLWR supports the Jijiga Integrated Community Development Project in the Somali region. The goal of the project is to contribute towards the socio-economic well-being of 24,000 households.
– With reports from ReliefWeb and CLWR News Service
|
|
|
Resources
