wfn.org | Church World Service Sends Aid, Teams to Tsunami Disaster Area

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Church World Service Deploys Regional Teams, Sends $900,000
In Initial Supplies To Aid In South Asia Tsunami Disaster

CONTACTS:
Christina Bahamonde Ali/CWS/New York
Phone: (212) 870-2658
e-mail: cbahamonde@churchworldservice.org

Jan Dragin/New York/Boston - 24/7
Phone: (212) 870-2654
e-mail: jdragin@gis.net

NEW YORK - Wed December 29-  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 remember that 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 www.churchworldservice.org

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

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