CURRENT EMERGENCY RESPONSES

February 2013

Kenya: The Salvation Army is preparing for the upcoming elections. This includes preparedness activities, training and activities promoting peace. As a well-known church and organisation in Kenya the Army wants to contribute to peaceful elections in March.

India Eastern: Ten thousand familes living in camps due to ethnic clashes are being supported by The Salvation Army with blankets, clothing, tarpaulins annd hygiene articles.

Philippines: The Salvation Army is still busy with relief and recovery efforts after Typhoon Bopha caused destruction. So far, 1,820 families have already received food and non-food items. More

Mozambique: More than 200,000 people are affected by heavy floods. The Salvaton Army met with the local Government and other stakeholders and visited the affected areas. It is now planning to provide food, non-food items and construction materials for people displaced by this disaster. In addition to these activities the Army is thinking about providing school items in order to get children back to school.

January 2013

India Northern: This winter is particularly harsh in northern India, where 150 people have died due to severe weather conditions. Many of the dead could not afford a place to live. To respond to this situation The Salvation Army is providing blankets and relief food to 2,500 of the most most vulnerable families in Moradabad, Bareilly and Delhi.

Indonesia: Severe floods – the worst since 2007 – have blocked roads and forced business centres and schools in the capital, Jakarta, to close. The transportation system has been paralysed. The Salvation Army provided emergency food, drinks, boats and medication to flood victims. Medical assistance was given out of temporary clinics set up and operated by Salvation Army teams. These were made up of staff, members (including doctors and nurses) and volunteers.

Mali: Due to fighting in the north of the country, thousands of people have been displaced. Some moved to neighnouring countries but many also fled to the south of Mali. The Salvation Army is only small in this country but it has started to provide hospitals with food items for war-wounded members of the population.

December 2012

Argentina: A group of 50 enthusiastic Salvation Army pastors from Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay came to a PREPARE training course in Buenos Aires. The Salvation Army's International Emergency Services department facilitates these courses all over the world in order to train our people in disaster preparedness and response. We covered topics such as human rights, standards in disaster response, needs assessment, coordination etc.

Philippines: Typhoon Bopha ploughed across Mindanao island, flattening whole towns in its path as hurricane-force winds brought torrential rain that triggered a deadly combination of floods and landslides. The storm destroyed homes, farms and livelihoods. Initial reports indicate that nearly 200,000 people are homeless and 475 confirmed dead after the Philippines' worst typhoon this year.  This was the same area that suffered devastating floods last year with the loss of 1500 lives. The government is appealing for international help and our Mindanao Island Division is responding to this island-wide catastrophe. A team is providing initial food relief as well as bedding and other material to the people in the affected areas.

November 2012

Cuba: Hurricane Sandy crossed eastern Cuba. After arriving in the Greater Antilles, the storm become a Category 2 hurricane, with sustained winds of up to 175 km per hour. The hurricane left the island by the province of Holguin, about five hours after touching down in Santiago de Cuba and brought heavy rain, strong winds and flooding in almost the entire eastern region of the island.

Heavy material damage was reported, especially in Santiago de Cuba. Thousands of people were evacuated throughout eastern Cuba. The authorities ordered the transfer of animals to safe areas and food storage and preparation of medical brigades. The Civil Defence department had prepared measures for the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. Coastal areas experienced waves several metres high.

The Salvation Army provided relief food as well as temporary shelter materials to over 1000 people.

Caribbean: Hurricane Sandy moved across the Caribbean affecting the islands of Jamaica, Haiti and the Bahamas. 70 people were killed and it caused significant damage to property and livelihoods. The Salvation Army is working with other organisations and provided food, hygiene supplies and shelter support to people in need. 

USA: The Salvation Army had desks in New York's Emergency Operation Centre under the oversight of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and alongside groups such as the NYPD (New York Police Department), FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), the National Guard, the American Red Cross etc. On 12 sites allocated by the Mayor’s office, The Salvation Army - alongside other stakeholders - provided food, water, cleaning and hygiene kits to the people affected. In addition, The Salvation Army brought food to people with special needs in shelters or their homes. Many of them were without electricity for up to 10 days which meant no lifts either - difficult for many who live in tower blocks. After the immediate relief efforts, plans were made for longer term support.

Guatemala: The Salvation Army has been serving the community of San Cristobal, Cucho, after the devastating 7.4 earthquake that damaged badly most of San Marcos (near the Mexican border), Solola, Quetzaltenango and Guatemala City. The Salvation Army has served to date more than 130 families and 657 individuals with water, dry food, clothing and blankets. Most of the inhabitants of San Cristobal are descendants of native Mayan people who speak the Mam language and live as farmers in small hamlets in the mountains. Besides water, the need for blankets and sweaters is significant as San Cristobal Cucho annual median temperature is between 5° to 20°C (32°F to 68°F) and temperatures keep dropping as winds from the north sweep through the mountains.

September 2012

Salvation Army teams in Indonesia continue to offer support to communities affected by an earthquake in the Central Sulawesi Province. More.

June 2012

Nigeria: The Salvation Army in Nigeria is responding after a plane crashed into a residential area near Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Sunday 3 June. More

May 2012

Georgia: The Salvation Army in Georgia is providing assistance to families affected by floods. More

Democratic Republic of Congo: The Salvation Army in central Africa is responding to a growing humanitarian crisis. Many have fled their homes because of fighting between DRC troops and rebels. More

Pakistan: UPDATE Hyderabad was badly hit by the 2010 flood but the flood of 2011 took a different route and has affected several communities, including some where there is a Salvation Army presence. The Pakistan Territory was able to help some with foodstuffs financed through International Emergency Services in communities identified with the most urgent need. However, the territory is now seeing the need for shelter solutions and feels that it would be good to assist families to find a permanent solution.

In a community-driven process 148 families were identified as the most vulnerable. Training in brick-laying will take place for those available so they can assist with the rebuild as well as learn transferable skills. The projects officers will also facilitate the contribution of families to this project. With contribution from each affected family, the plan is to build one room. The family can later add additional rooms to this. The territory has a Sustainable Livelihood Project in this area and has already established a strong development approach and is therefore confident that this approach will work well.

Italy: Two earthquakes took place in Mirandola and Finale Emilia and affected a population of 24,000 individuals. These people are now living in various camps and due to ongoing tremors people they it is estimated that they'll have to stay there until October. After meetings with the local authorities and the civil defence, The Salvation Army was asked to support these affected people with food items.

Angola: The area bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo has seen an influx of returning refugees. These people left Angola 27 years ago due to the civil war but are now asked to resettle back in their home country. An estimated 3000 people per week are arriving in transit camps. Food assistance and sleeping mats are provided by The Salvation Army in coordination with other stakeholders.

April 2012

Fiji: Salvation Army staff and volunteers are at work in flood-ravaged Fiji as the island nation braces itself for a tropical storm predicted to intensify to cyclone force. More

March 2012

Republic of Congo: A Salvation Army team is investigating how best to help people forced from their homes by a series of massive explosions in Mpila, near Brazzaville. More

USA: The Salvation Army is providing aid to people affected by tornadoes in the USA. More

Australia: Salvation Army Emergency Services teams have been working in areas of New South Wales which have experienced the worst flooding in 150 years. More

Sierra Leone: On 29 March a fire broke out in Freetown City very near to The Salvation Army's headquarters. Five big houses burnt down completely which resulted in nine families loosing their homes and all their possessions. After speaking with the disaster victims the biggest needs were identified as mattresses, clothes, cooking utensils and food.

February 2012

Ukraine: As severe cold weather spreads across much of Eastern Europe, one of the worst-affected countries is Ukraine, where temperatures have dropped as low as -36°C. More

January 2012

Mozambique/Malawi: In January, a storm in Mozambique and heavy rains in the southern region of Malawi caused water to rise in streams and branches of the Shire River. Many houses were destroyed and the affected households sought refuge with relatives or in camps set up by the local government. The Salvation Army distributed food, blankets and shelter material to meet the needs of the people in the weeks immediately after the incident. Some communities were told that they can’t go back; the government wants to relocate them away from the dangerous flood zone. However, the problem is that there is no infrastructure in the new location; no water, schools, hospitals or anything. So people are reluctant to go… The needs are still great both for the people who stay and slowly rebuild their lives as well as for the people who will eventually move.

December 2011

Indonesia: Flash flooding and landslides have affected parts of Central Sulawesi. Emergency services teams from four Salvation Army divisions responded immediately. More

Philippines: The Salvation Army in The Philippines is responding to the flash flooding that brought devastation to the island of Mindanao. More than 1,000 people are known to have died. More

New Zealand: Salvation Army teams responded quickly on 23 December to provide emergency assistance to those affected by the latest severe earthquakes to strike Christchurch. More

November 2011

Central America: The Salvation Army in Central America is providing assistance to people affected by severe flooding. Heavy rains that started in October have caused more than 90 deaths in the region. More

October 2011

Haiti: Nearly 700 students started the school year in newly repaired Salvation Army school buildings. The Haiti Recovery and Development School Renovation and Construction team worked hard during the summer. More

Kenya: Turkana, in NW Kenya, remains the major focal point for drought response activities. Short-term relief programmes are being delivered for struggling communities. More

September 2011

India South Western: Heavy rains affected 113 villages in Kerala. 12 people lost their lives, a bridge collapsed and 700 houses were severely damaged. People were forced to move to safer places and are now living in 10 relief camps. The Salvation Army coordinated with the local Government and other NGOs, providing relief food and non-food items (such as mats and cooking utensils) to 750 families.

July 2011

Argentina: Due to the Volcanic Ash falling from the Puyehue Volcano in Chile, the city of Bariloche, Argentina, where The Salvation Army has a Corps, is in a state of emergency. Other communities closer to the volcano have been or are being evacuated. Both in Bariloche and in the other nearby communities, the emergent needs are for non-perishable food and practical support to reinforce the structure of precarious houses, mainly the replacement of sheets in the case of corrugated iron roofs. The community has asked the Salvation Army for help, specially those small towns near Bariloche, where there is no so much media coverage. A district team made of three volunteers and the District Officer went for several days to help the people with their houses. The community members worked alongside the local and district teams in the building repair tasks.

March 2011

Japan: The Salvation Army in Japan is responding to the earthquake and tsunami that brought devastation to the north of the country. More