September 2, 2009

CHICAGO – Typhoon Morakot, which struck Taiwan Aug. 7-9, was the worst typhoon to strike the island in 50 years. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) sent a total of $25,000 Sept. 1 to support the recovery plans of Lutheran companions there.

To date more than 540 people were reported killed and 117 others are missing, said Megan E. Bradfield, associate director for international development, ELCA Global Mission.

Bradfield said hundreds of people may still be buried under mud in the southern part of Taiwan. Heavy rain following the typhoon produced massive landslides, particularly east of Tainan in the village of Hsiaolin, which is almost completely under mud, she said.

A reported 15,400 people have been rescued since the typhoon struck, Bradfield said.

According to the Taiwan Lutheran Church, no congregations have been seriously affected. The denomination is organizing recovery plans along with its hospital – the Chiayi Christian Hospital. Plans provide for the medical, psychological and spiritual care of families and individuals affected by the typhoon.

ELCA International Disaster Response sent $15,000 to support the hospital's efforts and another $10,000 to support the church's response.

Short-term recovery plans include deploying medical teams to operate roving health clinics, distributing sanitation supplies and disinfectants, and providing post-trauma counseling and spiritual guidance. Mid- to long-term plans include the continued dispatch of medical care personnel, counseling and preparation for cases of the H1N1 flu or other infectious diseases.

"Chiayi Christian Hospital has always been at the forefront of community care," said the Rev. Y. Franklin Ishida, director for the Asia- Pacific continental desk, ELCA Global Mission. The hospital's "outreach into the affected communities in the Chiayi mountain areas reflect its commitment to provide social services to those most in need of care," he said.

The Taiwan Lutheran Church excels at mobilizing workers, Ishida said. "One community in the Chiayi plain, severely affected by the typhoon, does not have churches," he said. Glory Lutheran Church, a congregation of the denomination, has "rented a house there and hired staff to set up a long-term caring center to serve the residents of the community" affected by the typhoon.

Ishida said the ELCA has worked with the Taiwan Lutheran Church in previous disasters. He said both churches worked together in response to an earthquake in Sichuan, China, in 2008. "It is only fitting that the ELCA assist the Taiwan Lutheran Church in this time of great need," he said.

Other companions of the ELCA – the Sichuan Council of Churches in China and the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church – are raising funds to support typhoon relief efforts.

Coordinated by ELCA Global Mission, International Disaster Response channels its funds through international church organizations and relief agencies. Funds provide for food, medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other materials for survivors of disasters.

Information about ELCA disaster response is available at http://www.ELCA.org/disaster/, on the ELCA Web site.

ELCA News Service