THE CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
2007 CARIBBEAN STORMS
December 21, 2007

SITUATION:

Noel struck the Caribbean in late October as a slow-moving tropical 
storm, growing into a Category-1 hurricane, leaving 118 people dead. 
Hardest-hit were the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where 116 people were 
killed in floods and landslides *87 in the DR alone. In the DR, some 16, 
712 houses were affected, of which 737 were completely destroyed. The 
numbers of people displaced is estimated to exceed 66, 800. Overcrowding 
and unsanitary conditions in temporary shelters are causing intestinal 
diseases and conjunctivitis. Within the communities affected, with the 
unprecedented influx of additional people into homes, overstretched 
hygienic conditions are also likely to result in diseases. Dozens of 
communities are still cut off from assistance due to swollen rivers and 
broken bridges and communities in the southern provinces of Barahona and 
Azua still do not have electricity and telecommunications.

Lack of clean drinking water is also a problem due to the flooding and
damaged pipes and aqueducts, and pumping stations without electricity.
Flooding has also affected plantain, rice, fruit tree and banana crops.


RESPONSE:

Church World Service assisted DR partners in assessments following the 
disaster, and as noted in a Nov. 2 initial appeal, CWS is supporting 
efforts of partner Grupo de Pastores Interdenominacionales (GPI), to 
assist 679 persons living in sugar cane plantation areas known as 
"bateyes" in the border areas of Haiti and the DR. With this expanded 
appeal, CWS support is being widened to include long-time CWS partner 
Social Services of the Dominican Churches (SSID). (CWS also provided 
SSID with a shipment of School Kits, CWS Hygiene Kits, toothpaste, 
canned chicken, water jugs, Kids Kits and lightweight blankets.) The 
initial SSID response has included distribution of food rations, bottled 
water, bedding and basic medicines in the provinces of San Juan and 
Barahona (southwest) and Monte Plata (east). Now SSID, together with its 
implementing partners GPI and PROCARIBE, is providing more than 1,000 
families in 25 communities food rations, hygiene packets, school kits, 
clothes and mattresses, medical care and drinking water. In addition, 
SSID intends to help 20 families with the construction of new housing 
and 60 families to repair their homes, as well as with the 
rehabilitation of crop and food production for some 450 families. In 
addition, SSID will provide training to community organizations in 
principles of emergency and risk management and SPHERE principles. The 
project completion for the SSID work is expected to be May 31.


The total amount SSID is requesting from the Action by Churches
Together (ACT) International network is $222,731. This includes direct
assistance costs, both crisis and non-phase, including food, water,
housing construction and rehabilitation. NOTE: This provides additional
information for an initial appeal issued Nov. 2 , with CWS anticipating
possible additional information after Jan. 1 about efforts in the DR and
Haiti that might include a response to Tropical Storm Olga, a December
storm that also hit the Caribbean. Contributions to support this
emergency appeal may be sent to your denomination or to Church World
Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN,46515.  Please designate: 2007
Caribbean Storms (Appeal #6759).

For further information about disasters please visit the Church World 
Service Website at www.churchworldservice.org or phone (800) 297-1516. 
CWS Emergency Response Program special contacts: (212) 870-3151; 
Executive Director: Donna Derr, dderr@churchworldserv ice.org CWS / ERP 
web site: www.cwserp.org

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