UMCOR to assist displaced people in Zimbabwe
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The Rev. Mvume Dandala |
Bishop Mvume Dandala (Methodist Church of Southern Africa) |
June 29, 2005 NEW
YORK (UMNS)—The United Methodist Committee on Relief is among the
faith-based humanitarian agencies that will provide basic necessities to
hundreds of thousands of people recently displaced from homes and jobs
in Zimbabwe. Tents,
cooking utensils, soap, and emergency food are among the aid to be
distributed in coming weeks, according to UMCOR officials. Warm
blankets will also be available, since June and July are the coldest
months of the year in Zimbabwe’s high rolling plateaus. The
agency has established a special Advance fund to assist the displaced
in Zimbabwe. Donations to UMCOR should be earmarked for “Zimbabwe
Emergency,” Advance #199456. Contributions may be dropped in church
collection plates or mailed directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York,
NY 10087-9068. Credit-card donations can be made by calling (800)
554-8583. The
Rev. Mvume Dandala, a South African Methodist pastor and chief
executive of the All Africa Conference of Churches, has expressed
concerns about displaced families in Zimbabwe. A
number of those families are now exposed to harsh winter conditions and
lack water, shelter and food, he pointed out. Women and children, in
particular, are threatened with possibilities of an outbreak of disease. In
a June 24 statement, Dandala appealed to African governments, the
international donor community and specialized aid agencies to respond to
the urgent needs of hundreds of people displaced in various towns of
Zimbabwe under the government’s “clean-up” campaign. The world, he said,
has the moral obligation to help the Zimbabwean people, particularly at
this hour of need. News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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