Monday, December 27 – As the death toll from Sunday’s devastating tsunami soars past the 24,000 mark, communities in the affected areas are doing their best to cope with the needs of the survivors. The Salvation Army is in the thick of the action, meeting human need where it is greatest.
In India, The Salvation Army has set up mass feeding centres at its facilities in several locations. Salvation Army corps (community churches) and institutions are operating around the clock to provide shelter, food and clothing to families who consider themselves fortunate to be alive. But from the assessment teams still in the field it is becoming quite clear that much more remains to be done.
In Sri Lanka, the government has put out an urgent plea for assistance. Clean drinking water, tents, food, clothing and medicines are all in short supply following the tragedy. Hospitals are being overrun by severely injured survivors and communities are struggling with the grim task of disposing of thousands of decaying, dead bodies. Senior government officials are publicly saying that they fear widespread disease if aid is not made available quickly.
In the midst of this almost unprecedented level of suffering, The Salvation Army is well placed to make a significant difference in the lives of many hurting people. Throughout the region, Salvation Army corps (community churches) and institutions are strategically located in many of the communities that have been hardest hit by the killer waves.
Colonel Edward Daniel reports from Colombo, "We are concerned about people on the east coast and in the south especially. Our assessment team has already left Colombo to visit the southern coastal areas taking initial relief supplies of food items and water. Our emergency coordinator has requested that all Army centres in the coastal areas accommodate displaced people, provide them with cooked food and clothing, and offer counselling as necessary".
While Salvationists were among the very first to respond to the tragedy, their local resources are quickly being exhausted. There is an urgent need to ensure additional supplies reach the front lines of this disaster very quickly.
Meanwhile, in the U.K., The Salvation Army’s airport chaplains are providing practical and pastoral support for holidaymakers returning home from this popular resort area, which was struck at the height of its tourist season. In Manchester a number of charter planes are expected to land this evening, conveying hundreds of British survivors who were enjoying a Christmas break before the tsunami struck. Many of these survivors escaped with little more than the clothes they were wearing, as hotels and resorts were destroyed. The Salvation Army will be providing winter clothing to these men, women and children as soon as the planes touch down.
The coverage of this disaster is widespread and many countries have been impacted. The Emergency Services section at International Headquarters (IHQ) is coordinating the release of resources.
As the full extent of the disaster continues to be revealed, The Salvation Army is putting out an urgent appeal for funds with which to serve the victims of this devastating tragedy.
International Emergency Services Field Operations Officer
