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By Rosemary Pollock
Church Aid's Afghan Refugees
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH -- In a coordinated effort among The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints and four International relief agencies, nearly
400,000 pounds of humanitarian aid will be sent to at least three Asian
countries in an effort to aid thousands of fleeing Afghan refugees from
their war-torn country. In the last week, 19 semi-truckloads of clothing,
wool blankets, quilts, newborn and family hygiene kits along with plastic
sheeting for shelter and groundcover and water have been sent from Salt Lake
City. The supplies will be distributed to camps in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan
and Pakistan and should reach the refugee camps within four to six weeks
according to Garry Flake, director of Church humanitarian services.
"The people suffering are the innocent victims of the war," said Flake.
"We're pulling out all the stops to get some of the necessities of life to
them in time for winter." "We are urgently trying to move these items in as
quickly as we can because there are starting to be freezing temperatures in
that part of the world," Flake added.
The Church's name is marked on the outside of all of the materials, but
there will be no other mention of the Church such as proselyting materials.
There are strict religious restriction in the predominate Muslim region
where the proselyting of Christianity is ban. "We, like all people, pray for
peace, we pray for success for the operations that are there, and it's
wonderful that we can help, from a humanitarian perspective," Flake said.
The Church has participated in more than 8,000 humanitarian projects in 148
countries during the past decade. Donations from Church members and friends
along with monetary and general donations from church-owned Deseret
Industries help support the humanitarian projects. You can donate to the
Afghan refugees by taking winter clothes to your nearest Deseret Industries.
Sources:
Aid sent to Afghan refugees
Ogden UT Standard-Examiner 6Nov01 N1
By Joey Haws: Standard-Examiner staff
19 truckloads shipped by LDS
LDS Church Aids Afghanistan
KTVX TV4 Utah 5Nov01 N1
Reported by Cristina Flores:
LDS Church sending aid to refugees
Deseret News 3Nov01 N1
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