THE CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
CWS EMERGENCY APPEAL:
PALESTINE ASSISTANCE TO CIVILIAN VICTIMS OF CONFLICT EMERGENCY
EMERGENCY ACCOUNT #6808
CWS goal: $75,000
March 21, 2002


SITUATION: Violent conflict and reoccupation of Palestinian Territories in
Gaza and the West Bank by the Israeli military continues to drive
Palestinians deeper into poverty and isolation. As of March 14, 2002,
1,325 Palestinians have been killed and some 34,000 injured. Tensions
continue to erupt amidst pending cease-fire agreements, leaving
non-partisan civilians at constant risk of injury or death.

The current estimated poverty rate has reached 64% while unemployment has
affected over 50% of the labor force. Impoverished conditions are thus
impacting some 330,000 families, thousands of whom are in dire need of
basic food security. The siege of refugee camps, cities, towns and
villages by the Israeli army, prohibits many heads of households and
family members from being able to work, perpetuating conditions of
unemployment.


RESPONSE: The Middle East Council of Churches will be the implementing
partner providing essential food distribution to conflict-affected
populations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The emergency food packages
consist of:

  - 10 kg rice
  - 5 liter cooking oil
  - 6 kg sugar
  - 1 box tea
  - 2 boxes tomato paste
  - 2 boxes green peas
  - 2 boxes white peas
  - 4.5 kg Nido milk
  - 6 packs spaghetti
  - 6 packs noodles


The project completion date is September 30, 2002.

The specific goal of the response is to reduce short-term food insecurity
and economic burden among populations affected by armed conflict and
unemployment in Gaza and the West Bank. The response is targeted to assist
10,000 families (or 60,000 individuals)-–5,000 families in the Gaza Strip
and 5,000 families in the West Bank.


BUDGET:
DIRECT ASSISTANCE $503,378
PERSONNEL, ADMINISTRATION, OPERATIONS & SUPPORT: $43,000
AUDIT AND EVALUATION: $5,000
TOTAL ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE: $551,378
BALANCE REQUESTED FROM ACT NETWORK: $551,378

CWS is seeking $75,000 from its denominational members for this appeal.
For more specific information, including budget information, contact CWS
ERP. Or go to the ACT web site: www.act-intl.org

CHURCH WORLD SERVICE, PALESTINIAN CRISIS #6808, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN,
46515. Phone pledges or credit card donations: 1-800-297-1516.

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: cdherlinger@churchworldservice.org
After-hours emergency pager: (800) 780-0853
Web site: www.cwserp.org


distributed by
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International Disaster Information
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
                                          web: www.cidi.org
                                     listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
comments/suggestions/requests to incident@cidi.org