July 2009
Donate-a-Meal Fund for Peace Donates for Relief in Somalia
The executive committee of Rissho Kosei-kai's Donate-a-Meal Fund for Peace, chaired by Rev. Yuji Numata, director of the Dharma Missions Bureau, decided on July 1 to donate 5 million Japanese yen for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Somalia Situation Supplementary Programme. The donation will be used for the distribution of relief supplies and the construction of new camps for Somali refugees.
On July 1, Rev. Numata and two Rissho Kosei-kai members visited the UNHCR office in Tokyo to meet with Mr. Johan Cels, the UNHCR representative in Japan. Rev. Numata described the spirit of the Donate-a-Meal Movement, based on compassion, prayer, and almsgiving. He also referred to the UNHCR's activities conducted in every corner of the globe, thanking the UNHCR for delivering donations from Rissho Kosei-kai members, making the spirit of the Donate-a-Meal Movement felt worldwide.
Mr. Cels expressed appreciation for the movement's longtime support of the UNHCR and described the hardships suffered by Somali refugees affected by the country's civil war. He said the Donate-a-Meal Movement not only had been saving human lives but also playing an important role in making the refugees' plight known around the world.
The meeting concluded with the two Rissho Kosei-kai members who accompanied Rev. Numata presenting a letter on behalf of all members to Mr. Cels detailing the contribution of 5 million Japanese yen.
Somalia has been wracked by civil war since the ouster of President Siad Barre in 1991, with rebel forces gaining control of much of the country. Since 1997 many Somalis have fled their homes and taken refuge in neighboring countries. More than 460,000 Somali refugees are reportedly living in tents in Ethiopia and Kenya.
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