Salvation Army Pledges $1 Million for Asia Relief Efforts
The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda pledged $1 million to support its relief efforts in South Asia – the largest initial pledge from a Christian organization to date. The funds will be used directly to provide relief to the tsunami victims across 12 nations.
According to a Thursday release, Salvation Army personnel are already serving in most of the destructed areas.
“These localized but intense efforts are now being coordinated by the organization’s disaster relief experts, who flew out to Sri Lanka from their base at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London, UK,” the release read.
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Salvation Army Commissioner Johannes Watilete, who leads the Salvation Army in Indonesia, explained the situation on site.
“Immediate and URGENT needs at the disaster sites are for body bags, medical masks, gloves, hand sanitizers and disinfectants. Distribution of these items is being coordinated with the government. That country’s 14 Salvation Army relief teams, known locally as “Compassion in Action teams”, are actively involved in North Sumatra and neighboring areas counseling relatives and victims. People are still in the state of shock, disoriented, and bewildered,” he explained.
The Salvation Army personnel are also running several makeshift homeless camps in several of the disaster sites. Food, water, clothing, medical supplies and counseling are provided at the shelters. In the long term, the SA aid workers hope to “tackle the problems arising from the loss of homes and livelihood suffered by hundreds of thousands of people.”
According to the World Health Organization, as many as 5 million are in the risk of the basic supplies they need to stay alive. The Organization estimates $40 million is needed just to provide the basics.
To fund the SA efforts, visit: https://secure.salvationarmy.org/donations.nsf/donate?openform&projectid=IHQ-Asia_Fund
