Alliance General Director Joel Edwards visited India in December with World Vision Chief Executive Charles Badenoch to mark one year after the tsunami struck the region, claiming 200,000 lives and leaving millions homeless. Both men met with survivors, listened to their testimonies and saw firsthand the impact of relief development efforts.
Before travelling, Rev Edwards commented, ‘I’m nervous because I think it will be very devastating. I cannot be an observer. I’m preparing spiritually for what this will say to me, particularly about my attitudes to the poor as an individual and in my ministry. The tsunami was one of the greatest global devastations. To see what Christians have done in another part of the world in the name of Christ is a great privilege.’
The Boxing Day 2004 tsunami struck countries as far apart as Malaysia, Thailand, India, the Maldives and Somalia. Several Alliance member agencies have been active in the region over the past year, providing emergency assistance and continuing aid in the form of food, shelter, clothing and water sanitation, as well as assisting in the reconstruction of homes, medical facilities, schools and churches.
"His life will never be the same, but he does have hope that the future will be better"
Christine Musser
Christine Musser, the Church of England priest who featured in BBC2’s A Seaside Parish, participated in a trip to Thailand organised by World Vision. Rev Musser’s parish in Boscastle, Cornwall, was devastated by flash flooding in August 2004 and rallied to raise funds for the tsunami victims.
Rev Musser met several survivors in Thailand, such as 36-year-old Paitoon (pictured with her), who lost 11 members of his family, including his wife, 2-year-old son and parents. ‘Meeting Paitoon was a sobering experience,’ said Musser, whose trip will be shown in the new series of A Seaside Parish on BBC2 in January. ‘He still cries every day, but he is beginning to repair his life, his home and his business. He will never be the same, but he does have hope that the future will be better.’
She was encouraged by what she saw: ‘The courage and strength people find to come through devastating experiences and the dedication of those living out their faith in God through their support and love for those in need are surely signs of great hope for our world.’
Three months ago...Alliance members have also been working in Pakistan, where the devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake of 8 October continues to be a major challenge for locals and relief workers. Nearly 80,000 people were killed, with a similar number suffering lifelong injuries The Pakistani government has developed effective long-term recovery strategies, but a coalition of the six largest relief agencies issued warnings that the onset of the harsh Himalayan winter was likely to result in a second wave of deaths, as 1.5m people lacked adequate shelter for the winter. International Rescue Committee, World Vision, CARE International in Pakistan, Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children and Mercy Corps have combined experience of over 134 years working in Pakistan.
‘The international community must take action immediately to save the lives of 160,000 people still living above the snow line in remote mountain villages,’ said World Vision’s emergency officer Chris McDonald in early November. By the end of that month, world leaders had pledged more than £3bn in aid for the region. The most pressing need was for winterised tents, shelter repair kits, ‘warm room’ materials and technical support.
Open Doors and its partner organisations scouted locations to establish two winter camps for hundreds of refugees. It is estimated that most refugees from the mountains lost 10 to 15 members of their extended families before trekking to towns in search of food and shelter.
The affected areas in Kashmir are controlled by extremist Muslims, but the government has issued an open invitation to Christian organisations to help an area that’s normally closed to Christians and only has a fledgling, persecuted church.
One of Open Doors’ contacts there is an underground church leader who says, ‘This is an important moment in the history of Kashmir. For years, Muslim extremists have said that Christians are evil and only want to convert others by force. If we can show the humanitarian, unconditional love of Christ in the wake of this disaster, we will shatter this caricature. And we pray that greater religious freedom may be given as the government sees how much we love these people and wish to help them rebuild their communities.’
PACTEC, the humanitarian subsidiary of Mission Aviation Fellowship, has been in Pakistan since shortly after the earthquake, working to provide communication services for some 200 aid organisations. PACTEC is the only agency, alongside the UN, that provides emergency communications. MAF aircraft have also been used to fly aid personnel, equipment and supplies into remote mountain villages.
In the UK, members of the Christian Medical Fellowship have given more than £30,000 towards the costs of essential supplies and medical care. ‘Many have given very generously, not only of their money, but also of their time,’ said Steven Fouch, CMF’s Allied Professions secretary. ‘And £30,000 will help around 200 families to survive by supplying them with winterised tents and essential supplies.’
Rich Cline
