Christian Relief Groups Respond to Massive Quake
Christian relief agencies in the United States are quickly responding to the massive earthquake that shook Pakistan and neighboring countries on Saturday morning.
As people half a world away mourn the deaths of family members and friends, the destruction of homes and the lost sense of security, Christian relief agencies in the United States are quickly responding to the massive earthquake that shook Pakistan and neighboring countries on Saturday morning.
Since the 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit South Asia on Saturday, Christian organizations have been responding to the aftermath with assessment teams, emergency assistance and formulations of long-term relief plans. Faith-based groups such as CWS/PA (Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan), World Vision International (WV), Christian Aid, and MAP (Medical Assistance Program) International are among the Christian relief organizations that have announced their plans to help victims of the quake.
“The greatest need is for the living,” said Sig Hanson, national director of World Vision Pakistan, in reference to the 700,000 survivors, of which almost all have lost loved ones and are without shelter or clean drinking water.
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“This emergency is bigger than any of us expected,” added Hanson. “This is getting everyone of my team members here deep in their hearts.”
Saturday’s earthquake, which is the worst in Pakistani history, struck around 8:50 a.m. and has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 20,000 people and the injury of 43,000 people. Moreover, the United Nations estimates that more than 2.5 million people are in current need of shelter.
"The situation is still very chaotic here,” reported Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan Senior Program Manager Shama Mall from Islamabad in a statement. “Right now everyone is focusing on rescue efforts, but those have been made difficult by the heavy rains and hail that hit some of the affected areas."
"Tremors are continuing," Mall added, "so people are afraid to be indoors. Many people are sleeping in their cars or in the outside."
"So many children are missing,” said Igaz Ahmed, the assessment team leader for WV in Pakistan. “Parents are in shock as they do not know whether they survived after the quake hit. This is so extremely painful, I just cannot describe it by words.”
Soon after the quake stopped, Christian organizations quickly began to mobilize and send supplies, providing comfort as officials continue to announce the rising death toll.
CWS-P/A, for example, sent food assistance to 1,600 families in North West Frontier Province and Azad Kashmir immediately on the day of the earthquake, and is now in the process of putting together an appeal to assist an additional 15,000 families with food and items such as shelter construction material. Moreover, CWS-P/A is currently providing medical relief and plans to set up medical camps to assist approximately 50,000 people.
“CWS Mansehra medical teams are out in the community providing tetanus shots to everyone around,” said Mall on Sunday. “And, one of our assessment teams managed to get up to Batagram in northwestern Pakistan this morning."
Over the weekend, Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf expressed concerns over the shortage of helicopters to transport relief workers, food and medical supplies.
In response, groups such as MAP International will supply emergency hospitals, clinics and mobile emergency medical units with several millions of dollars in essential medicines and medical supplies. MAP anticipates that the medical relief it will provide in the central Asia earthquake will be one of the largest in recent years.
Meanwhile, World Vision, one of the largest Christian relief and development organizations in the world, also plans to deliver household medical kits in addition to products such as hygiene, hand tools and food and water supplies.
At the moment, World Vision has purchased $150,000 worth of supplies that will reach communities in the northern region by noon on Monday. Included among the supplies are 1,000 tents, 1,000 quilts, 2,000 burial cloths and 1,000 water containers.
In addition, WV plans to order an additional $350,000 worth of supplies on Monday with the goal of reaching the communities that evening.
Monday marks the second day of the three days of mourning declared by the Pakistani government for victims of Saturday’s disaster.
