THE CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM
CWS EMERGENCY APPEAL: IRAQ HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
Account # 6801 for $150,000
November 25, 2002


SITUATION: Twelve years of economic sanctions have exhausted the resources
of many Iraqi families.  Since 1991, Church World Service has provided
more than $3 million in blankets, food, medical supplies, "Gift of the
Heart" School and Health Kits and other aid for families and children in
Iraq through various partners.

A possible war led by the United States and it allies against Iraq could
worsen what is already a grave and long-standing humanitarian crisis.
Trade sanctions, in place since 1990, have resulted in a severe
humanitarian crisis and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi
children, according to the United Nations.


RESPONSE: CWS continues to serve those in need and adversely affected by
the embargo and is currently supporting the ongoing humanitarian efforts
of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a CWS partner in Iraq. The MCC
has long experience in Iraq: in the last decade MCC has shipped
approximately $4.2 million worth of food and material assistance to Iraq.
MCC also has a license for shipping specific material aid into Iraq.

MCC also supports a number of agriculture, education and health-related
developmental relief projects in Iraq and has had North American personnel
in Iraq since 1998.

The MCC's current response is based on requests from partner agencies
working in Iraq, including the Iraqi Red Crescent and the Islamic Relief
Agency, based in Jordan.

This appeal is NOT for kits * though CWS has already provided assistance
to the MCC with school kits and other humanitarian aid; in this appeal,
CWS is supporting a portion of an overall $1 million MCC humanitarian aid
package.


The total MCC package includes:

- $30,000 for 100 tents and 4,000 blankets to be purchased in Jordan.

- $640,000 for the purchase of items for 16,000 personal hygiene kits;
these kits include soap, towels, feminine napkins, tooth brushes, powdered
laundry detergent, hair brush, comb, fingernail clippers, box of bandages
and shampoo.

- $50,000 in medicines.

- $308,000 in school kits that have been provided by CWS. MCC has received
U.S. government permission to ship the kits -- 28,000 in all. These have
been shipped to Aqaba, Jordan and will be transported overland to Baghdad.


In addition to the school kits, Church World Service has also provided
MCC with:

- $20,000 for the purchase of blankets

- $24,000 for the purchase of personal hygiene supplies

- The secondment of Steve Weaver, a CWS International Emergency Response
Consultant, to the MCC office in Amman, Jordan.

In addition to this appeal for on-going humanitarian assistance, CWS is
prepared to issue an Emergency Relief Appeal that would support the Middle
East Council of Churches, as well as others, as part of a larger appeal by
the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International network should there
be military action initiated against Iraq, which exacerbates the
humanitarian crisis.

Given the ongoing situation in Iraq and the widespread needs there,
CWS-ERP is urgently seeking $150,000 in denominational support for this
appeal.

CHURCH WORLD SERVICE, IRAQ HUMANITARIAN CRISIS Account #6801, P.O. Box
968, Elkhart, IN, 46515.  Phone pledges or credit card donations can be
made by calling 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: donnajderr@aol.com


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