Christian Aid Assists Native Mission Groups Helping Disaster Victims
NATIVE MISSIONARIES RUSH TO RESCUE SURVIVORS OF KILLER TIDAL WAVE
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. (ANS) -- Christian Aid, a Charlottesville, Va., based ministry that has helped indigenous mission groups for over 50 years, responded immediately to the tsunami crisis Monday by seeking to contact native mission groups in the affected areas. Downed lines made communication nearly impossible, but Christian Aid was able to report the following:
Within hours of a devastating undersea earthquake that struck near Indonesia December 26, indigenous missionary teams were delivering loads of emergency relief to tidal wave victims in coastal areas of seven countries.
"They didn't wait for foreign assistance," said Dr. Bob Finley of Christian Aid Mission, "but mobilized their meager resources immediately to aid the homeless victims - and now they need our help to carry on and finish the job of giving aid in the name of Christ."
Traveling at speeds of up to 600 miles an hour in open seas, the wall of water reached as high as 50-feet as it surged ashore to swamp the lower coastal areas of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Deaths were also reported in many other places, including the Andaman Islands, Bangladesh, Burma, and Malaysia.
According to Sarla Mahara, India Director for Christian Aid, at least 62 indigenous missionary ministries are expected to be involved. "The efforts will go on for months," she said, "because it will take that long to replace tens of thousands of homes and hundreds of churches that have been destroyed."
Christian Aid staff members are also assessing the damage in Thailand and Indonesia where many of the 32 ministries supported by Christian Aid there are already sending volunteers and aid to the most affected areas.
Within 48 hours of the quake, the death toll has soared to over 50,000. Long term, the death toll may reach over 100,000 because many bodies will never be found and public health consequences are yet to appear.
"Native missionaries need immediate help to purchase blankets, tents, bottled water, food and medicine," says Dr. Finley. "But that is only the start. Long term there will be a need to restore sanitation, dig new wells to replace those contaminated, and find homes for the orphans and widows that survive. In addition hundreds of churches and missionary homes will have to be replaced in coastal areas where all buildings were completely destroyed."
In response to the crisis Christian Aid is receiving emergency contributions by telephone at 1-800-977-5650 or online at www.christianaid.org. Checks for Earthquake Relief should be sent to Christian Aid Mission, P.O. Box 9037, Charlottesville, VA 22906.
John M. Lindner
Special to ASSIST News Service
www.assistnews.net
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. (ANS) -- Christian Aid, a Charlottesville, Va., based ministry that has helped indigenous mission groups for over 50 years, responded immediately to the tsunami crisis Monday by seeking to contact native mission groups in the affected areas. Downed lines made communication nearly impossible, but Christian Aid was able to report the following:
Within hours of a devastating undersea earthquake that struck near Indonesia December 26, indigenous missionary teams were delivering loads of emergency relief to tidal wave victims in coastal areas of seven countries.
"They didn't wait for foreign assistance," said Dr. Bob Finley of Christian Aid Mission, "but mobilized their meager resources immediately to aid the homeless victims - and now they need our help to carry on and finish the job of giving aid in the name of Christ."
Traveling at speeds of up to 600 miles an hour in open seas, the wall of water reached as high as 50-feet as it surged ashore to swamp the lower coastal areas of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Deaths were also reported in many other places, including the Andaman Islands, Bangladesh, Burma, and Malaysia.
According to Sarla Mahara, India Director for Christian Aid, at least 62 indigenous missionary ministries are expected to be involved. "The efforts will go on for months," she said, "because it will take that long to replace tens of thousands of homes and hundreds of churches that have been destroyed."
Christian Aid staff members are also assessing the damage in Thailand and Indonesia where many of the 32 ministries supported by Christian Aid there are already sending volunteers and aid to the most affected areas.
Within 48 hours of the quake, the death toll has soared to over 50,000. Long term, the death toll may reach over 100,000 because many bodies will never be found and public health consequences are yet to appear.
"Native missionaries need immediate help to purchase blankets, tents, bottled water, food and medicine," says Dr. Finley. "But that is only the start. Long term there will be a need to restore sanitation, dig new wells to replace those contaminated, and find homes for the orphans and widows that survive. In addition hundreds of churches and missionary homes will have to be replaced in coastal areas where all buildings were completely destroyed."
In response to the crisis Christian Aid is receiving emergency contributions by telephone at 1-800-977-5650 or online at www.christianaid.org. Checks for Earthquake Relief should be sent to Christian Aid Mission, P.O. Box 9037, Charlottesville, VA 22906.
John M. Lindner
Special to ASSIST News Service
www.assistnews.net
posted by R7 | 1/02/2005 04:57:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home