World Mourns as Death Toll Rises to 44,000
The world mourned as thousands more bodies were found across Southeast Asia in the aftermath of the world¡¯s largest earthquake and devastating rounds of tsunamis in 40 years. According to Tuesday¡¯s reports, the death toll across 11 nations rose to 44,000.
At last count, 18,7000 people died in Sri Lanka, more than 4,400 died in India, and 1,500 bodies were found in Thailand. Police officials said the toll was expected to mount, as 8,000 people were reported missing.
Meanwhile, dozens of missions and relief agencies worldwide began developing strategies to help build back the devastated nations. However, with aftershocks continuing throughout the region and with broken bridges, roads, emergency relief has not been able to reach the victims of the disaster fast enough. Also in Sri Lanka, relief works became extremely dangerous as the folds uprooted land mines across the nation.
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According to the Associated Press, ¡°with aid not arriving quick enough, desperate residents began to loot.¡±
Relief workers also warned that survivors could face outbreaks of disease. But the biggest fear ¡°at the moment is the shortage of water,¡± according to a director at Sri Lanka¡¯s disaster management center.
Despite the dangers, the relief workers began dispatching their workers on Tuesday with shipments of rice, medical supplies and water. In addition to the tons of supplies and food, physicians were dispatched across disaster zones by helicopter.
¡°The disaster could be history's costliest, with "many billions of dollars" of damage, said U.N. Undersecretary Jan Egeland, who is in charge of emergency relief coordination, to the Associated Press.
Contributions to help the relief efforts can be sent to several Christian organizations that are already on scene:
Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515
or by calling: (800)-297-1516 ext. 222.
Please designate contributions for emergency # 6970 SOUTHERN ASIA
EARTHQUAKE-TIDAL WAVE EMERGENCY. For further information about disasters to
which Church World Service is responding please visit the Church World
Service website http://www.churchworldservice.org
Southern Baptists and other Christians can help by sending financial gifts for aid through the IMB disaster relief fund. Send gifts designated "Asia Earthquake Disaster Relief" to the International Mission Board, P.O. Box 6767, Richmond, Va., 23230 (to give online, go to the International Mission Board's website, www.imb.org, and click on "Give Now" in the box highlighting this story). All funds given will go to relief efforts; none will be used for administrative costs.
