Tsunami aid begins through Episcopal Relief
and
Development
[ENS: Bulletin, December 28, 2004] -- With numbers of dead and homeless
rising across southern Asia in the wake of December 26th's unprecedented
Indian Ocean
tsunami, Episcopal Relief and Development has begun emergency response efforts
and welcomes financial contributions to aid these initiatives.
ERD representatives request that contributions be directed to Episcopal Relief
and Development, South Asia Relief Fund, P.O. Box 12043, Newark, NJ 07101. Contributions
may also be forwarded on-line ( http://www.er-d.org ).
Devastation is reported worst in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India among other southern
Asian countries.
The retired Anglican bishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka, the Rt. Rev. Kenneth Fernando,
was the first to reach the Episcopal News Service with comment by electronic
mail December 27: "We have received many inquiries about the situation
in Sri Lanka after the disaster. It has been a very heavy disaster. Most of
those
affected are the poor who live in little shanties by the sea. They have lost
everything.
"Our churches are being used as temporary camps and the government, and
NGO's (non-governmental organizations) are beginning to function.
"Since we live near a lake only a few miles from the sea, we had a few anxious
moments as I thought the water level of the lake would rise. But there has
been no change at all."
Fernando -- who is well known for building Buddhist-Christian-Muslim dialogue
and has served the Anglican Communion as head of its NIFCON effort to build
interfaith dialogue with the use of technology among other strategies -- said
that various
relief agencies, including OXFAM and the World Council of Churches, had begun
helping Sri Lanka.
"Many thanks for your concern for us," he added. "We are hoping
there will be no after shocks, The people are very frightened."
Meanwhile, from the Church of South India, Bishop Thomas Samuel of the Diocese
of Madhya Kerala, sent the following message to Oregon Bishop Johncy Itty:
"It is with deep distress and immense grief that I share with you the terrible
tragedy that has hit the coastal regions of Tamil-Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala
and Sri Lanka. The magnitude of the disaster is difficult to comprehend mainly
becasuse of its unexpected nature and also because of lack of exact statistics.
The figure of the death toll in South India has gone up to 15,000. This tragedy
has suddenly made us not only challenged into rising up to the situation but
also made us realize our insufficiency and vulnerability.
"The worst-hit Alappuzha and Kollam are in Madhya Kerala Diocese where thousands
were rendered homeless and many were reported missing. Many in these
areas were caught and crushed and washed away before they even knew what
was happening. There is no electricity and borewells put for drinking water
supply were also destroyed. This is the worst national disaster in recent history
because
it is affecting so many heavily populated coastal areas. We could have epidemics
within a few days unless we get health systems up and
runing.
"Our diocesan pastors and leaders have rushed to the disaster areas with
food, clothing, medicine etc. Our focus is on supply of drinking water, food
and clothing. Sanitation is a big problem. Many camps have been set up to accommodate
thousands of homeless people.
"We would greatly appreciate if you would kindly extend your generous support
to the relief work. Please do remember us in your prayers."
Also in Tamil-Nadu, Bishop V. Devasahayam of India's Diocese of Chennai, a
port center, concurred in a phone interview reported to ERD that the worst
damage
was in Tamil-Nadu, south of Madras. He said among the hardest hit were fisher-folk,
many of whom were fishing at the time of the tsunami. Some 2,000 power boats
and 20,000 catamarans were lost, he said. Many of the islands have been
washed out. The bishop said his diocese has set up relief stations in many
of the churches. He said the local cathedral complex survived as did many of
the
churches, including St. Mary's by-the-Sea.
How
to help
- Send checks to Diocese of Southeast Florida, 525 NE 15 St.,
Miami, FL 33132, marked for “South Asia tsunami relief”, or donate
online at www.diosef.org (click
on “donations” and scroll down to “other contribution” to indicate
that your donation is for tsunami victims).
updated
12/30/04
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