December 29, 2004

NEW YORK - International humanitarian agency Church World Service (CWS) announced today that it is expediting more than $900,000 in initial relief supplies and deploying emergency assistance teams to aid in recovery efforts in Sri Lanka and Indonesia, following Sunday's devastating earthquakes and tsunami that have killed more than 67,000 people in South Asia and areas of coastal East Africa.

"Bodies are still being found or washed ashore," said Rick Augsburger, Director of Emergency Response Programs for Church World Service. "About a third of the victims are children, and thousands are still missing," he said. "Sunday's massive earthquakes and tsunami tidal wave that swept away coastlines without warning from Indonesia to Africa are being characterized as the worst natural disaster in recent history.

Augsburger said New York-headquartered Church World Service has issued a U.S.-.wide fundraising appeal for survivors of the disaster. "We've already deployed rapid response teams in the region and issued initial rapid response grants for relief efforts our partners are undertaking in concert with us in Indonesia and India.

Yesterday (Tues December 28) CWS began airlifting emergency shelter and hygiene materials. Augsburger said the agency has expedited 500 family shelter kits from its regional warehouse in Pakistan to Sri Lanka, at the request of the National Council of Churches of Sri Lanka (NCCL). The shelter kit shipment is valued at $54,000. Each shelter kit contains a family tent, a ground sheet and a plastic tarp. A CWS response team from Pakistan will assist the NCCL in distribution and further emergency assessment.

Church World Service is also sending 75 Emergency Medicine boxes to Sri Lanka, valued at $270,000, which will provide basic medicines and antibiotics to 75,000 persons for a period of three months. 9,000 CWS Gift of the Heart Health Kits, with a total value of $108,000, are also being sent to Sri Lanka. A Church World Service response team from Pakistan will assist the NCCL in distribution of the supplies and further emergency assessment in Sri Lanka.

"We have a long-established presence in Indonesia," Augsburger said, "with more than 100 staff. Our Indonesia office is also deploying an emergency assistance team to aid in recovery efforts in Aceh, Indonesia, and yesterday we expedited sending 5,000 light weight blankets and 35,000 Gift of the Heart Health Kits to Indonesia for distribution in Aceh ." The shipment was valued at $486,750.

Church World Service is supported in part by 36 denominations in the U.S. Augsburger said the agency's initial emergency assistance effort is being implemented by Church World Service with the support of the United Church of Christ (UCC); Disciples of Christ - Week of Compassion; United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR); International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC); Reformed Church of America (RCA); and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA).

"This is just our initial support," he said. A dozen countries were affected by the devastation, virtually in the blink of an eye, and without warning. It's still difficult to absorb the reality.

"Certainly the initial, emergency recovery stages for a crisis of this magnitude require enormous support from the international community," he said, "yet it's vital to rememberthat full recovery from this disaster will require significant resources over an extended period. Further support and assistance from Church World Service will be forthcoming," he added.

Sunday's initial earthquake struck 100 miles off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra Island at around 7:00 a.m., measuring 9 in magnitude on the Richter scale, and was part of a powerful series of earthquakes that triggered enormous tidal waves which swept across the Indian Ocean, striking coastal regions of Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Burma and Malaysia. The tsunami also swept across the low-lying islands that make up the Maldives and brought destruction as far away as coastal East Africa. More than 300 were killed in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya.

The province of Aceh on Sumatra's northernmost tip near the epicenter of the undersea quake is reported to have been hit the worst. CWS' Augsburger says, "Reports are that the island of Nias has been hit very hard." The island, which is generally underdeveloped, has a population of nearly 700,000 people. "In Aceh, the northernmost and war-torn province on the island of Sumatra," he said, "the death toll in the province's capital of Banda Aceh is now reported at more than 9,000."

The Associated Press reported that 10,000 were killed in the Indonesian city of Meulaboh, in the Aceh province.

Augsburger said complicating factors could be that Aceh has become increasingly isolated from the world due a clampdown by the Indonesian government in an effort to control fighting between government soldiers and separatist rebels. Access by international relief and development agencies has been limited during the past year.

CWS Pakistan office deploys emergency team to Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, a CWS emergency assistance team from its Pakistan/Afghanistan regional office will be deployed to support efforts by the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCCSL).

NCCSL is already responding to the emergency brought on by the massive sea surge, which swamped the country's southern, eastern and northern coastlines. Estimated deaths in Sri Lanka alone have climbed to 22,400 according to AP.

NCCSL reports that a sea surge triggered by the undersea quake caused massive inland tides (in some instances up to 2.5 km long) in places like Trinco, Batticaloa, Amaprai, Matara and Galle. NCCSL also reports complete destruction in parts of the capital city Colombo along the seashore where many of the poorest of the city lived. The tides swept most of their homes and belongings out to sea. Telephone lines are also down, making communication difficult.

CWS partners assessing needs in India

In India, CWS is providing financial support for regional response by its long-time partner Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA). Two CASA teams of 15 people each were deployed to affected coastal areas on Monday to assess damages and needs.

Along India's southeastern coast, several villages appeared to have been swept away, and thousands of fishermen - including 2,000 from the Chennai area alone who were out at sea when the seismic waves swept across the waters and have not returned. Latest reports say more than 4,000 Indians were killed as a result of the massive waves. Another 1,500 are reported dead in Thailand.

CWS may also support other affected areas and anticipates updating its initial financial appeal as recovery actions expand.

Millions of people are homeless across the region. "One of the biggest threats we face now," says Augsburger, "is that diseases from polluted drinking water, dead bodies and lack of sanitation may pose a health disaster as great as the earthquakes and tsunami."

"Do what you can," Augsburger urged U.S. citizens. "This country can't be viewed as 'stingy' in the face of such a catastrophe. U.N. Undersecretary Jan Egeland has said this disaster could be one of history's costliest," Augsburger added, "We simply have to help."

Contributions to support CWS recovery efforts in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India may be sent to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515; by calling: (800)-297-1516 ext. 222; or by going the Church World Service website at http://www.churchworldservice.org/ .

Please designate contributions for emergency # 6970 SOUTHERN ASIA EARTHQUAKE-TIDAL WAVE EMERGENCY.

Church World Service