CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
UPDATED EMERGENCY APPEAL: SOUTHEAST ASIA FLOODING
EMERGENCY ACCOUNT #6919, now being expanded to $386,680
October 13, 2000


BACKGROUND: Church World Service issued an initial appeal Sept. 18 for
$100,000 as a response to flooding throughout large sections of Southeast
Asia. CWS also issued a situation report Oct. 3 updating the response of
CWS in Vietnam and Cambodia. (See: www.cwserp.org)

Church World Service is supporting relief efforts by its staff in Cambodia
and Vietnam. In Cambodia, CWS has already donated $10,000 in CWS Blanket
Funds to the Cambodia Red Cross for distribution in the form of plastic
sheets, towels and blankets. CWS Cambodia now has $40,000 in CWS Blanket
Funds available. In Vietnam, CWS is providing $40,000 in Blanket Funds for
the purchase of blankets, plastic sheeting and mosquito nets for survivors
in affected areas, including Long An province, the site of CWS project
work.

This update provides further information about CWS's role as an
implementer for the Cambodia Emergency Flood Relief appeal (ASKH-01) by
Action by Churches Together (ACT) International. As part of this ACT
appeal, CWS-Cambodia is seeking $286,680 for relief efforts. Denominations
seeking to support these efforts should continue to support the CWS appeal
directly, which is now being expanded by the $286,680 being sought by CWS
in Cambodia, for a total of $386,680.


BRIEF OVERVIEW: Since July, heavy monsoon rains - twice the average - have
hit Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, resulting in extensive flooding
of the entire Mekong watershed area. In fact, the floods this year, coming
45 days earlier than the usual seasonal floods, have been coupled with
continuous rainfall in Cambodia since August, resulting in the worst
floods in three decades.

The flooding has made it extremely difficult to accurately assess the
scope and extent of the damage caused by the floods, but the damage has
been extensive, causing major damage to homes and businesses,
transportation, irrigation, community water supply, communication
infrastructures, schools and health centers.

Nearly 334,000 families (some 1.6 million people) have been affected by
the flooding in Cambodia, and at least 131 have been killed. Nearly
143,000 homes have been flooded; 1,861 of them destroyed.


RESPONSE: CWS, working as part of the Ecumenical Work Group - which
includes Lutheran World Service, the Kampuchea Christian Council, the
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and others -- have been providing
emergency assistance through their own resources supplemented by $25,000
from the ACT Rapid Response Fund.

The Ecumenical Working Group is proposing emergency flood relief projects
that includes the distribution of food, such as rice, canned fish and
salt; buckets for cleanup; soap, mosquito nets; building materials.

For its part, CWS-Cambodia plans to assist 6,000 families in affected
areas by providing food packages (including rice, canned fish and salt);
tents and plastic sheeting; household kits (including mosquito nets); and
agriculture kits (to include rice and vegetable seeds).

CWS has already distributed 1,000 kilograms of rice through local
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the area of Thmor Kol (province
of Battambang). For its relief work, CWS will be working in the districts
of Prasat Balang and Kg. Svay (Kompong province); Kein Svey and Lavea
Em(Kandal province); Rameas Hek and Kg. Ro (Svay Rieng province); and in
the Mean Chey and Koh Pich areas of the city of Phnom Penh.

The expected completion date for this work will be Feb. 28, 2001.

The general budget for the CWS work is: Food (rice, canned fish and salt):
$37,500; Non-food (buckets, soap, mosquito nets): $35,400; Post-crisis
assistance (including house poles and rice seeds): $167,500; This comes to
$240,400 in direct assistance; The remaining amount of the $268,680 is
$2,000 fir transport, storage and warehousing; and $26,280 for personnel,
administration and operations.

For additional information, including more detailed budget figures, please
contact CWS/ERP. Or visit the ACT web site: www.act-intl.org

CHURCH WORLD SERVICE, Attn. Southeast Asia Flooding, #6919 for $386,680,
P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.  Phone pledges or credit card donations:
1-800-297-1516, ext. 222.  On-line contributions to:
http://www.churchworldservice.org

Call the CWS HOTLINE for updates: (800) 297-1516, ext. 111.

For further information about disasters to which Church World Service is
responding, contact CWS Emergency Response.

Telephone: (212) 870-3151
After-hours emergency pager: (800) 780-0853
Internet Web Site: http://www.cwserp.org


distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
Disaster Information Center             lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm
                                                     sitreps    nat-dsr
      web: www.vita.org                              fireline
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -