CHRISTIAN AID

From Ian Ross; tel: 860327

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 2013 will be 12-18 May

CHRISTIAN AID AT CHRISTMAS

I have received the following letter from Michael Griffiths, Christian Aid Supporter Enquiries Manager:

‘Thank you for choosing to support the work of Christian Aid through our Present Aid catalogue. Your contribution of £315 is greatly appreciated and will be used to help some of the world’s poorest communities’

TYPHOON BOPHA HITS THE PHILIPPINES 6 December 2012

Almost one year on fromTyphoon Washiand only months since monsoon rains and floodsdevastated the capital Manila and surrounding areas, the people of the Philippines are once more bearing the brunt of extreme weather.

Christian Aid is releasing emergency funds to help our partners in the Philippines provide immediate needs such asfood,blankets, basicfirst aid kits, cooking utensils, shovels for cleaning up and cash assistance.

Typhoon Bopha's path

Typhoon Bopha- three times the strength of Washi- tore a path through the southern Island of Mindanao on Tuesday morning; toppling trees, cutting off power supplies and at the last count destroying nearly18,000 homes. Over five million people have now been affected.

Tragically, and once again in the run up to Christmas, the people of the Philippines face yet more destruction and loss. As thedeath toll exceeds 450, friends and relatives of over 500 people still missing cling tightly to the possibility that their loved ones will be found alive.

Alwynn Javier, Christian Aid’s Emergency Officer, said:

'Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental appear to be the most heavily hit provinces in terms of wind damage, landslides and casualties, with hundreds of people still missing.Our partners [Minland, Alterdev, Samdhana, and MUCAARD] are currently undertaking damage and needs assessments in areas including Compostela Valley, Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur.'

Familiesforced fromtheir homes

Severe flooding, landslides and ferocious winds of up to 130mph have wreaked havoc.

Over82,000 familieshave now been forced to leave their homes; finding refuge in evacuation centres.

Early warning system

Text message based early warning systems, rain gauges and flood watch points - put in place following Washi and funded byChristian Aid's emergency appeal- proved crucial in helping local communities prepare and co-ordinate evacuations. Butmany thousands of peopleare still facing up to the devastation wrought by such extreme weather.

We are continuously monitoring the situation to helpprepare partners to provideemergency supportto affected communities. We are also co-ordinating closely with other local organizations.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

We are ordinary people from around the world standing up for humanity and human rights. Our purpose is to protect individuals wherever justice, freedom and truth are denied.

THE SHREWSBURY GROUP next meets Tues. January at 7.30pm in The Hobbs Room at the Shrewsbury Library when we shall send greetings to a number of Prisoners of Conscience.

SYRIA - WHERE IS ANAS AL-SHOGRE?

In the early days of Syria’s anti-government uprising last spring, 23-year-old Anas al-Shogre was one of the first to publicly call on people in the city of Banias to take to the streets and demand their freedom. When the authorities responded with a brutal crackdown, Anas exposed their human rights abuses to international media including BBC Arabic. He was offered bribes to stop speaking out, but Anas refused to be silenced. Then, in May last year, he was arrested. His family haven’t seen him since. They don’t know where he is, or why he is being held - but we all believe he is being punished for speaking out.

AFGHANISTAN:Members of Young Women for Changeface threats from government forces and Taliban alike. We're collecting photos together to show your support for their work.

UGANDA:Being gay is already a crime in Uganda. But a new law could roll back rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people even further.Stop the Anti-Homosexuality Bill
MEHMAN HUSEYNOV On 18th November 21 members of the congregation in Annscroft Church signed a Greetings Card for Mehman who faces charges in Azerbeijan for his part in drawing attention to human rights problems during the Eurovision Song Contest.
JACQUELINE MONTANEZ On 25th November 17 members of the congregation in Longden Church signed a greetings card for Jacqueline who is in prison in Illinois for her part in a murder when she was 15 years old. She is serving life imprisonment without any chance of parole. Imposing a life sentence without the possibility of parole on someone under the age of 18 violates international law. It is thought the USA is the only country in the world doing this.

WOMEN BISHOPS

On 25th November 15 members of the congregation at Longden Church signed a petition urging that action be taken early in 2013 to ensure that women may be made bishops.

Several other members of our churches signed an on-line petition. (Ian Ross)