South Asia Catastrophe Update 6

As aid agencies, supported by generous donations from the public and governments around the world, step up their relief programmes in the wake of the South Asia tsunami disaster, The Salvation Army is preparing to move into stage two of its own response. This will be its biggest-ever programme of relief and reconstruction in its 135-year history as an international movement.

From day one of the present emergency, on-the-spot Salvationist teams in the countries affected have been engaged in immediate rescue and relief. This will continue as long as is necessary.

In addition, representatives of the Emergency Services section at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London are now moving into place in Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka to support a sustained programme of reconstruction in the affected areas.

The aim, in addition to relieving immediate distress, is to help enable the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their homes and livelihood – and often many members of their families – to resume something approaching their previous life as soon as possible.

As well as reconstructing properties, The Salvation Army will work hard at helping those affected to reconstruct their emotional wellbeing, through the provision of spiritual comfort, pastoral support and professional psychological counselling, where appropriate.

Large sums of money have been pledged from Salvationists around the world towards the cost of this mammoth effort, in addition to generous donations from the public, who have responded as never before to the Movement’s appeals.