Following the EYN president’s statement declaring a state of emergency on health, the Disaster Relief Ministry of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) moved to conduct Hepatitis B screening starting with staff and students of Kulp Bible College in Kwarhi.
Brethren Disaster Ministries
Nigerian Brethren in Lassa help shelter people displaced by renewed attacks
Following the recent attacks on Bdagu village, Lassa is hosting another hundreds of refugees fleeing the village. Bdagu was attacked last week. Six men and four women were taken away by the Boko Haram, and four people were killed including one old woman burnt in her house.
Children’s Disaster Services serves people affected by tornado in Georgia
A team of volunteers from Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) set up yesterday morning at a MARC (Multi Agency Resource Center) in Albany, Ga. CDS provides child care for families affected by disasters, often offering care for children while parents apply for aid or take care of other necessary tasks in the wake of disasters.
Brethren Disaster Ministries completes its work in Detroit
FEMA stated that the six-inch rain event of August 2014 in Detroit, Mich., was the major disaster of that year for FEMA. But our US government disaster program did not allocate funds for that disaster, which had its most negative impact on African-American families.
CWS reports on effects of executive orders on immigration and refugees
Church World Service has issued a release outlining the consequences of the executive order on immigration and asking for help to protect immigrants and asylum seekers. CWS also outlines how President Trump’s executive order on refugees will affect the staffing and financing of Church World Service, as well as the lives of individual refugees.
Church of the Brethren general secretary among 2,000 religious leaders signing letter supporting refugee resettlement
General secretary David Steele on behalf of the Church of the Brethren has signed a letter to President Trump and members of Congress expressing support for refugee resettlement. The letter, which has now been signed by more than 2,000 religious leaders from across the country–and is still open to receiving more signatures–is an initiative of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition.
Mission executive responds to question on refugees, denomination supports work of CWS
“We are the church, we’ll continue to be the church, and we will welcome refugees in need from all religious backgrounds. This is in keeping with our Christian faith,” said Jay Wittmeyer, executive director of Global Mission and Service, when contacted by the Huffington Post about the Church of the Brethren position on refugees.
Emergency Disaster Fund supports aid for Haitians affected by Hurricane Matthew
Brethren Disaster Ministries has directed a grant of $50,000 from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to support the next phase of response to devastation in Haiti caused by Hurricane Matthew. The storm hit the island on Oct. 4, 2016, as a powerful category 4 hurricane, causing widespread damage and considerable losses, and up to 1,600 deaths.
Violence continues in Nigeria, report Church of the Brethren and EYN staff
Although we have seen Facebook posts and news releases stating that the Nigerian army has defeated the Boko Haram, violence still continues in northeast Nigeria. Most of the ongoing attacks in the Madagali and Gwoza area are not reported anywhere. One big attack, killing or injuring over 100 people in a Madagali market in December, did make the news.
Nigeria Crisis Response provides overview of work in 2016
A summary of the Nigeria Crisis Response work carried out in 2016 has been provided to Newsline by coordinator Roxane Hill. The Nigeria Crisis Response is a joint effort of the Church of the Brethren and Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria). The Church of the Brethren’s Global Mission and Service and Brethren Disaster Ministries are both involved in the effort. The following summary covers the year through November and includes tallies of accomplishments in the seven areas of focus. For more about the Nigeria Crisis Response go to www.brethren.org/nigeriacrisis.
