THE CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
CWS/ACT APPEAL: CUBA/HURRICANE MICHELLE
EMERGENCY ACCOUNT #6733
$100,000
(In support of ACT appeal #LACU11 for $445,000)
November 15, 2001


SITUATION: Hurricane Michelle - the worst hurricane to hit Cuba in 50
years - struck the Caribbean nation Nov. 4 and affected nearly half of the
country geographically, an area of 5.9 million people. The most affected
areas are the provinces of Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Havana and
the special municipality Isle of Youth.

Though loss of life was limited to five people, infrastructure has been
devastated, severely affecting vital services such as electricity, potable
water, domestic fuel, transportation network and telephones.

Social and educational institutions were particularly hard hit. A total of
1,500 schools were partly damaged, 50 were razed to the ground or suffered
major damage to installations. Also damaged were primary health care
centers, pharmacies, nursing homes and clinics. There was also extensive
damage to housing, industry and agriculture. The Cuban government
evacuated 700,000 people from the high-risk areas hours before the
hurricane hit; 100,000 still remain in shelters.


RESPONSE: Long-time CWS partner Cuban Council of Churches (CCC) is
focusing its assistance to the most vulnerable, affected population in two
municipalities of Matanzas province: Jaguey Grande and Perico. Aid will
include food, non-food items such as medicines and clothing and housing
reconstruction.

In Jaguey Grande, CCC seeks to help 3,000 persons who remain evacuated
with assistance of food, clothing and medicines. In Perico, CCC will
assist 10 families who have lost all of their belongings, including their
homes, as well as residents of a home for the elderly (with 70 residents).
This institution will receive food, clothing, medicines and hygiene
articles as well as assistance for repairs to the building.

The CCC Emergency Committee will rely on the support of the Presbyterian
and Christian Reformed churches in the province for assistance.


BUDGET:
Direct Assistance:
Food: $50,000
Medicines: $30,000
Clothing: $20,000
Housing: $300,000
Infrastructure: $15,000
TOTAL DIRECT ASSISTANCE: $415,000
MATERIAL TRANSPORT: $10,000
PERSONNEL, ADMINISTRTION, SUPPORT: $20,000
TOTAL: $445,000

CWS is supporting this appeal and is seeking $100,000 from its
denominational members in support of the full ACT appeal. In addition, CWS
is also providing 15 IMA disaster response medicine boxes, valued at
$4,175 each, and $50,000 in CWS health kits to support the medicine and
hygiene needs of those affected by the disaster.

The IMA disaster response medicine boxes are designed to treat 115 people
and contain mainly antibiotics, as well as aspirin and non-aspirin pain
relievers.

For additional programmatic and budget information please contact the CWS
Emergency Response Program.

CHURCH WORLD SERVICE, CUBA/HURRICANE MICHELLE #6733, 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: chris@ncccusa.org
After-hours emergency pager: (800) 780-0853
Web site: www.cwserp.org


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