NEWS FROM
LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF
December 27, 2004
For more information contact Lisa Baumgartner Bonds at lbonds@lwr.org or 202-550-9625.
In this news release:
- 15 Hours After Deadly Tsunamis, Lutheran World Relief ALREADY Providing Relief Aid With Partner in India
An Indian man holds his head as he sits atop the ruins of his house destroyed in a tidal wave triggered by an earthquake that killed tens of thousands December 26, 2004. Reuters/Arko Datta, courtesy www.alertnet.org
CLICK HERE FOR
EMERGENCY DETAILS >>
|
15 HOURS AFTER DEADLY TSUNAMIS, LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF ALREADY PROVIDING RELIEF AID WITH PARTNER IN INDIA
Baltimore, December 27, 2004 — The waves generated by the most powerful earthquake in 40 years struck coastal towns without warning. Tens of thousands already are known to have been killed, primarily in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Sumatra. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes…or have lost them altogether.
The terror of the violent walls of water and the relief at having survived them is quickly replaced for survivors with the uncertainty that awaits them in the weeks and months to come. Experts warn of epidemics that are likely to occur when survivors don’t have access to clean water, sanitation, food, shelter and health. Knowing the critical importance of responding quickly after a disaster, Lutheran World Relief is beginning to provide these essentials with long-time partner in India, CASA. Already teams trained in disaster response are in the southern coastal areas of India, providing up to 50,000 people with clean water and food. Immediate aid will include blankets, clothing, cooking equipment, candles, matches and emergency shelter tarps.
“The challenges these families face in the coming weeks and months are very real,” says Kathryn Wolford, LWR President. “Decaying bodies, polluted water sources, destroyed sanitation systems and, in some cases, having lost literally everything will make day-to-day existence every bit as challenging as surviving the tsunamis themselves,” she continued. CASA has started an emergency feeding program, as many people have sought sanctuary in churches and schools. Nine of CASA's member churches are already engaged in relief work following the disaster. Initial plans are that the emergency feeding programs will last three to five days.
LWR is coordinating its relief efforts with locally based partners in the region, including Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia and with an initial $20,000 through the global aid coalition, Action by Churches Together (ACT).
Supporters of LWR are urged to send contribution immediately to enable LWR to respond as substantially as possible. “Cash donations are, without a doubt, the single-best way to respond to a disaster like this one,” says Lisa Bonds, LWR Vice President for External Relations. Cooking utensils, tarps, appropriate clothing such as saris and dotis are available locally. Purchasing these items locally provides the quickest response and gives a much-needed boost to local economies which also are in dire straights in the weeks following such a calamity.” This will also enable LWR to respond to longer-term needs for rebuilding homes and livelihoods, long after the disaster fades from the headlines.
“One of the reasons LWR is able to respond so quickly through ACT and with our partners in India is because of LWR supporters who have given to us in the past, without a specific disaster,” adds Bonds. “Because those funds were available, LWR was able to send that money quickly, just hours after the tsunamis hit. We’re more effective because our donors have learned to support the partnerships we have in the countries where we work, and how quickly LWR can respond, and the positive impact we can have with resources readily available,” she continues.
LWR has released funding to our partners in the regions affected by the tsunamis. This funding will help provide initial and immediate relief from the tsunamis including providing people with clean water and food.
