October 2, 2009

CHICAGO – The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is working with its companion churches and institutions in Indonesia, the Philippines, the Samoan Islands and other earthquake, typhoon-stricken areas to respond to the needs of survivors.

Worship and prayer resources for congregations are available at http://www.ELCA.org/worship/, on the ELCA Web site.

Indonesia

Two earthquakes struck Indonesia Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, causing widespread destruction. According to news reports, more than 1,100 people have died. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts continue.

To support the needs of survivors there, the ELCA sent an initial $30,000 to the YAKKUM Emergency Unit – an emergency response organization in Indonesia. YAKKUM is a companion institution of the ELCA.

YAKKUM has deployed an emergency response team to assess the situation and distribute emergency supplies such as blankets, tents and hygiene kits. Medical care personnel have also been deployed.

The Protestant Christian Batak Church (Huria Kristen Batak Protestan, HKBP), a companion church of the ELCA, is also assessing the needs of people.

Southeast Asia

The ELCA sent an initial $30,000 to Christian Aid, which is working to meet the needs of people affected by Typhoon Ketsana and subsequent storms in the Philippines.

By the morning of Sept. 30, Typhoon Ketsana (also known as "Ondoy" in the Philippines) caused death and destruction in Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam.

"The ELCA continues to assess the situation (in these areas), caring for companions and preparing response," said Megan E. Bradfield, associate director for international development, ELCA Global Mission.

In the Philippines, the storms killed more than 240 people. Nearly 2 million people are affected and 375,000 have abandoned their homes as floodwaters, produced by the storms, rose quickly. "There was very little lead time for many to evacuate," Bradfield said. About 80 percent of Manila was under water.

A new "super typhoon" is expected to strike the Philippines by Oct. 3.

Typhoon Ketsana continued on to Vietnam, striking the coast near the city of Da Nang. Church World Service (CWS) is assessing the needs of people, particularly families in poor rural and urban areas of Vietnam. The ELCA participates in the work of CWS, a U.S.-based ecumenical organization.

The Samoas

The ELCA is providing $20,000 to support the relief efforts of CWS in the Samoas.

A sub-sea earthquake may be the cause of a tsunami that struck the Samoan Islands Sept. 29. More than 100 people are confirmed dead in the Independent State of Samoa, and lives were also lost in the neighboring U.S. territory of American Samoa. Officials are expecting the death toll to rise on the islands, once rescue workers reach outlying areas.

ELCA funds, coordinated by ELCA Global Mission, are given to international church organizations and relief agencies to help meet the emergency needs of survivors of disasters.

The ELCA, along with Christian Aid, CWS and YAKKUM, are members of Action by Churches Together – a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergency situations. It is based in Geneva with the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). The ELCA is a member of the LWF and WCC.

ELCA News Service