CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
CWS EMERGENCY INITIAL APPEAL: 2008 Caribbean Hurricanes
September 8, 2008


SITUATION: Hurricane Ike showed signs of weakening Monday as it headed 
toward the United States. However, the downgraded category-2 hurricane 
has caused extensive damage throughout the Caribbean, including 61 
deaths in Haiti. Those deaths are in addition to the 500 reported by the 
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), quoting 
figures from the Haitian government, in the wake of Tropical Storm Hanna 
last week.

Ike began affecting Cuba today, and tens of thousands were preparing for 
evacuations. The Cuban Council of Churches, a long-time CWS partner, 
said that given the damage sustained last week from Hurricane Gustav, 
"the situation in the country is very difficult."

Similarly, Ike's "pelting rains couldn't have come at a worse time for 
Haiti," said CWS partner Christian Aid in a statement to members of the 
Action by Churches Together alliance. In all, four storms have hit Haiti 
in recent weeks, resulting in what Christian Aid said was possibly 
"lasting damage to Haiti's 'rice bowl,'" a farming area whose revival is 
needed to assist a country trying to struggle out of a new round of food 
crises.

"Damage to agricultural production is critical in the present situation 
of food insecurity reigning in the country, where 2.3 million people are 
in a situation of moderate to acute risk," Christian Aid said, adding 
that perhaps as many as 4 million Haitians will be in "dire need of food 
with an active hurricane season. The frustration is growing among the 
affected families who believe not enough is being done to help them cope 
with the situation."

In the northern Haitian city of Gonaives, Christian Aid reported, 
"waters were rising even as aid groups struggled to reach people with 
little or no access to food or water for days. The entire country is 
affected and most of departments are isolated."


CWS RESPONSE: The initial CWS response to the recent round of hurricanes 
includes sending a $10,000 rapid response grant to our partner Christian 
Center for Integrated Development (SKDE) in Haiti for immediate relief 
efforts.

ACT partners in Haiti have requested 5,000 CWS Hygiene Kits; 5,000 CWS 
School Kits; and an unspecified number of CWS Blankets, which CWS stands 
ready to provide via airlift.

There has not yet been a request from the Cuban Council of Churches, but 
CWS has a long history of material resource support for the Cuban 
Council for relief assistance.

As well, CWS is looking to member communions who have long-time 
relationships with churches in the islands of Turks and Caicos, where it 
is estimated that 80 percent of the homes were damaged, to provide us 
with assessment information on what might be supported during relief and 
recovery phases there.

Initial funds to this appeal will support rapid response grants to 
partners, shipping costs for material resource shipments and local 
purchase of relief commodities that are requested.


HOW TO HELP: 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: 2008 Caribbean Hurricanes, Appeal Number 
#6761.

For further information about disasters to which Church World Service is 
responding please visit www.churchworldservice.org or call the CWS 
Hotline, (800) 297-1516.

CWS Emergency Response Program special contacts: (212) 870-3151
Program Director: dderr@churchworldservice.org


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International              web: www.cidi.org
.  Disaster Information          listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
.                              guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Caribbean: Storms             www.cidi.org/incident/caribstorms-08h