Fighting in Chad's Capital Puts World Vision on Alert; Safety of Civilians, Aid Workers...

Fighting in Chad's Capital Puts World Vision on Alert; Safety of Civilians,
Aid Workers is Concern

DAKAR, Senegal, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rebel attacks on the
capital city of Chad have forced international aid agency World Vision to
close its office in N'Djamena and warn staff to remain in their homes until
calm and safety can be assured.
World Vision's priority at this point is the safety of civilians and
relief staff in the capital. Humanitarian access must be assured regardless of
the outcome of the current conflict.
"World Vision is hoping for calm so that crucial relief and development
work across the country can resume as soon as possible," says Levourne
Passiri, World Vision's national director in Chad. Passiri is currently in
N'Djamena and has been regularly updating the agency's regional relief teams
on safety conditions in the capital.
The agency evacuated a Swiss TV crew to Cameroon yesterday. The
journalists were filming World Vision programs in southern Chad when news of
the rebel advance reached them.
World Vision has more than 200 staff in country; nearly all are citizens
of Chad. The agency's two expatriate staff were not in Chad when the rebel
offense began. The agency has made contingency plans to evacuate staff to
Cameroon, but hopes this will not become necessary.
World Vision has worked in Chad since 1985 and currently serves some
400,000 people. Community development programs are located in central and
southern Chad, and are currently stable and not affected. Programs focus on
health and nutrition, education, HIV prevention, water and sanitation,
microloans to poor entrepreneurs, and agricultural improvements to prevent
frequent food shortages.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working
with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full
potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.
SOURCE World Vision

Rachel Wolff of World Vision, +1-253-394-2214 mobile, RWolff@worldvision.org