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CWS Response Update: Southern Asia Earthquake-Tidal Wave Emergency
Dec. 28, 2004
SITUATION: The death toll from a devastating series of tsunamis now stands at about 52,000, the Associated Press news agency reported today, with news that emergency personnel had found 10,000 who had been killed in the Indonesian city of Meulaboh, in Aceh province, on the island of Sumatra.
RESPONSE: As part of its regional response to this disaster -- which focuses initial support for emergency response efforts in at least three of the most affected areas -- Church World Service today announced that it is sending initial emergency material assistance shipments with a value of more than $900,000.
This initial emergency assistance effort is being implemented by Church World Service with the support of the United Church of Christ (UCC); Disciples of Christ--Week of Compassion; United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR); International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC); Reformed Church of America (RCA); and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA).
Specifics:
++ CWS is immediately sending 500 family shelter kits from its regional
warehouse in Pakistan to Sri Lanka at the request of the National
Council of Churches of Sri Lanka (NCCSL). Each shelter kit contains a
family tent, a ground sheet and a plastic tarp, for a value of $108 for
each kit. (Total value: $54,000.)
++ CWS is also sending to Sri Lanka 75 Emergency Medicine boxes, which will provide basic medicines and antibiotics to 75,000 persons for a period of three months. (Total value: $270,000.) Also being sent are 9,000 CWS "Gift of the Heart" Health kits. (Total value: $108,000.) A CWS Emergency Response team from Pakistan will assist the NCCSL in distribution of emergency supplies and further emergency assessment.
++ CWS is sending 5,000 light-weight CWS Blankets and 35,000 CWS "Gift of the Heart" Health Kits to Indonesia for distribution in Aceh province. (Total value: $486,750.)
CWS is also undertaking the regional deployment of rapid response support and emergency material airlifts of additional shelter and hygiene materials. Further support and assistance from Church World Service will be provided.
Substantial financial assistance will be needed to support country specific emergency appeals. Initial assessments indicate that full recovery from this disaster will require significant resources.
Updates will be provided about the CWS response and recovery actions as they continue and expand.
Contributions to support this work may be sent to your denomination or to:
Church World Service
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
Contributions may also be made online by credit card or by calling: (800)-297-1516.
Please designate contributions:
SOUTHERN ASIA EARTHQUAKE-TIDAL WAVE EMERGENCY- Acct. #6970