Diakonia Agapes, the relief ministry of the Albania Orthodox Church, is taking the lead response to this crisis. The majority of refugees have crossed the border into Albania. Diakonia Agapes has been active in ministering to refugees fleeing Kosovo for the past year, and previous work has had a special emphasis on women and children. The cooperative and coordinating activities of ACT are providing relief in Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and to a limited extent, Kosovo. All are currently involved in the ministry of assisting the Kosovar refugees.
Negotiations are underway for reassigning additional mission personnel to the region.
European office will be working in Albania with partners from ACT, Diakonia Agapes, and the Evangelical Union of Albania to help facilitate the response. Please continue to keep our mission personnel in your prayers. This means that they are free to be resettled in any area where a church is willing to help in the resettlement process. CWS is one of ten agencies authorized by the U.S. Department of State to assist refugees. New York North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington Presbyterian Disaster Assistance encourages congregations located in theses states to consider being a part of the ministry of pastoral accompaniment to these refugee families.