Friday, March 28, 2003

Baptists plan ministry to war refugees

From wire reports

As the war in Iraq raged on, Baptist workers were poised to minister to the thousands of refugees and other people whose lives were disrupted.

Teams from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) are prepared to help the flood of Iraqi refugees fleeing the hostilities.

Southern Baptists, Jordanian Baptists and other evangelicals already are working in refugee camps on Jordan's side of the border, and hope to gain permission to work on the Iraqi side soon. They also hope to feed 10,000 or more people a day in northern Iraq, where the Kurds are suffering increasing hunger.

"We understand that in the Kurdish north is where malnutrition is the biggest, so we're trying to find ways to get in there as quickly as possible," said a Southern Baptist worker in Amman, Jordan's capital. "We would like to have disaster relief teams come in and work in the north. (The situation) is all so dynamic - nothing has gone quite the way anyone expected so far. But we'd like to be able to do feeding for at least 10,000 people a day if we can get there."

Baptist teams and other relief workers are distributing thousands of diapers, baby formula, blankets and other supplies in border camps. They hope to relieve hunger and meet medical needs. The International Mission Board has allocated $250,000 to fund aid efforts on both sides of the border.

More than 1 million refugees fled into Jordan before and during the first Persian Gulf War, overwhelming the resources of the small nation of about 5 million people. This time, much depends on whether the anticipated battle of Baghdad ends quickly or becomes a street-to-street shootout with the civilian population caught in the middle.

CBF global missions field staff have been meeting with partner state CBF organizations, churches and groups such as the Baptist World Alliance and World Vision in recent months to determine the most effective way to minister during and after war in Iraq.

"We have been pre-positioning ourselves so that we can be responsive to the tremendous fallout of human suffering that the war will bring," said David Harding, emergency response coordinator for CBF global missions.

"We intend to assist in meeting immediate needs like food and shelter but also directing funds with a long term perspective on how to restore people to productive living in the future once the war is over."

From 1991 to 1996, CBF global missions field personnel worked in Northern Iraq until President Saddam Hussein forced western aid agencies from the area. Should there be a regime change in Baghdad, CBF is preparing to renew their efforts through a number of anticipated construction, agricultural and technological infrastructure projects.

"I've had it on my heart for a year now, watching this impending storm on the horizon, to develop a plan and avoid some of the confusion and chaos that occurred after the first Gulf War," said the Kurdish Team strategy coordinator, who cannot be named for security reasons. "Our meetings formed a loose-knit coalition of Baptist agencies and friends of CBF who have trust and respect for one another's work. This group has set in motion the process of meeting the needs of the people in Northern Iraq."

Baptist disaster relief teams throughout the United States are on alert, said Mickey Caison, disaster relief coordinator with the North American Mission Board in Atlanta. Many of these teams could be packing their bags for Jordan very soon. Oklahoma, Georgia and Texas have voiced interest in sending teams to assist with the relief efforts.

Anyone wishing to help pay for relief efforts can contribute to the SBC's International Mission Board (IMB) or the CBF.

Contributions to the IMB may be mailed to: Iraq Response, P.O. Box 6767, Richmond, VA 23230-0767. Checks should be made payable to International Mission Board and designated "Iraq Response - General Relief."

Checks made payable to CBF, marked "CBF Relief and Development Fund #17000" and specified for Iraq can be sent to CBF, P.O. Box 101699, Atlanta, GA 30392.

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