wfn.org | UCC - Chile earthquake activates church's response

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

> Chile earthquake activates church's response

> Written by Gregg Brekke
> February 28, 2010

A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit central Chile Saturday, Feb.
27, causing damage throughout the South American country and
triggering tsunami warnings in the Pacific basin. As of mid-afternoon
Sunday, the death toll stood at 708 in Chile though is expected to
rise. Damage was particularly heavy in Concepción. That city, Chiles
second-largest metropolitan area, is located only 70 miles from the
earthquake's epicenter.

The United Church of Christ and its Global Ministries partners working
in Chile are responding to requests for assistance through ACT
Alliance and Church World Service (CWS.) CWS has worked in Chile for
many years in emergency preparedness training and assistance to the
country's sizable population of Colombian émigrés. Assisting Chilean
organizations Fundacion de Ayuda Social de las Iglesia Cristianas and
the Methodist Church of Chile, CWS is immediately providing emergency
assistance such as food, water and shelter.

The Rev. Felix Ortiz-Cotto, Global Ministries Latin America and
Caribbean area executive, sent a letter shortly after the quake to
partners in Chile. Addressed to the Rev. Ulises Muñoz, bishop of the
Pentecostal Church of Chile; Rosario Castillo, director of EPES
(Popular Education of Health); and Dora Canales, rector of the
Evangelical Theological Community of Chile, the letter expressed
concern and best wishes on behalf of Global Ministries of the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the UCC. Ortiz-Cotto said,
"We know about your witness of perseverance in hard times," and
offered assurances that God will be with them.

Week of Compassion of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and
One Great Hour of Sharing of the UCC are sending the initial emergency
support of $2,500 each to the three partners organizations in Chile.

Global Ministries received good news regarding Elena Huegel,
missionary to Chile, who was with a group of leaders of the
Pentecostal Church of Chile at the Shalom Center when the earthquake
struck. Speaking by radio to Bishop Munoz, she said she and the group
were fine. CWS emergency staff have been in contact with colleagues on
the ground in Chile, who report their people are safe.

Jose Abumohor, of Chile's national emergency center, said efforts were
already under way to restore public services. "The aim is as soon as
possible that we manage to reach a state of normality," he said.
Foreign Minister Mariano Fernandez said Chile did not want aid offers
to be "a distraction", adding: "Any aid that arrives without having
been determined to be needed really helps very little." General
Secretary of ACT Alliance, John Nduna, agreed. "Our members will try
to supplement the effort of the government, specially in communities
where our local partners have been operating for years," he said.

Donna Derr, emergency response coordinator for Church World Service,
says, "Chile has a pretty strong national emergency management system
in place and has dealt in the past with a number of catastrophic
disasters." said Donna Derr.

"While there are historic areas in the country which are certainly
most extremely vulnerable in events such as earthquakes, most of the
newer housing has been built to earthquake mitigation standards which
are now required there," added Derr. "There is also a strong regional
system in place for provision of resources, such as search and rescue
operational assistance between Chile and its neighbors."

The UCC's Disaster Ministries has posted a resource page where regular
updates on the response to this tragedy will be posted along with
links to giving opportunities through One Great Hour of Sharing.

Compiled with the assistance of CWS and ACT Alliance reports.