Quake Relief Efforts Balance Urgency, Respect
In a race against time, Christian agencies acted immediately to reach the demolished regions of rubble and crying survivors.
Time is running thin as millions of now homeless people in Pakistan face the onset of the Himalayan region's fierce winter.
South Asia's massive earthquake, dubbed by Tim McCully – vice president for international programming of Lutheran World Relief – as "one of the world's worst earthquakes" in decades, has killed more than 35,000 people.
In a race against time, Christian agencies acted immediately to reach the demolished regions of rubble and crying survivors.
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"We've sent an immediate $20,000, for initial funding for relief items," said Kathryn Wolford, president of LWR, in a released statement.
Preparing for the coming winter, Pakistan ended the search for survivors Friday to focus on an estimated 2 million people who are now without shelter.
"I fear we are losing the race against the clock in the small villages," said U.N. Undersecretary General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland, according to the Associated Press. "I've never seen such devastation before. We are in the sixth day of operation, and every day the scale of devastation is getting wider."
The United States has made an initial $50 million relief package of food, water, medical supplies, blankets, tents and humanitarian assistance personnel to Pakistan.
Urgency is also on the minds of the LWR relief workers who are taking quick steps with partner organizations already in the area to address the priority needs of the millions.
"Our partners began relief work immediately and this is the fastest and most efficient way to help," said McCully, according to LWR. "We can assume an immediate and active role in funding our partner that is already there - Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan.
"We'll be addressing the priority needs listed by the government of Pakistan that include winterized tents, plastic sheets, blankets, mattresses, heating equipment, pre-cooked canned food, water purification kits and various first aid and medical supplies."
CWS set up health centers in Azad Kashmir and Northwest Frontier Province to provide medical assistance to 100,000 people.
The material resources LWR is supplying through partner agencies are "not just an expression of Lutheran World Relief, but an expression of care and concern from the individual parishes ... that make quilts and put together health kits," said McCully to The Christian Post.
While the Pakistan government and relief organizations stress alacrity in action, McCully listed several barriers that have been slowing the flow of supplies and aid into the affected regions.
"The remoteness of the region is simply making the logistics of getting relief supplies there very difficult," he said.
He went further to describe the narrow roads and the large trucks of provisions most relief agencies are utilizing that have been clogging up roads.
Second, McCully said, is the mountainous Himalayan region. With winter approaching, "shelter becomes a high priority."
As Christian relief support continues to flood in, McCully emphasized two crucial points that aid workers have to bear in mind.
"Immediate and physical needs have to be met with dignity and respect and recognition that these people are brave ... and have suffered, but they have dignity for themselves. That, we have to honor. They're not powerless.
"The way in which we work conveys respect for them in their culture [and] religion."
Relief agencies have to "balance respect with the urgency of the situation," he continued. "It's not always an easy balance."
Contributions for relief efforts can be made at www.lwr.org.
