December 27, 2004      

A UMNS Report
By Jan Snider*

Thousands of people in South and Southeast Asia have been killed in what is being called one of the worst earthquakes in a century.  The quake triggered massive tsunamis (tidal waves) that destroyed entire villages.

The death toll is expected to rise above the now estimated 23,000 people. Thousands more are missing, and tens of thousands are displaced. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is joining with other faith-based disaster relief agencies to aid the victims quickly. 

The Rev. R. Randy Day, chief staff executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, appealed to United Methodists to support relief efforts generously. “Jesus Christ calls us to express our love for him by providing aid in his name to those in need,� Day said. “Let us show the people of Southeast Asia our Christmas love by our response to the UMCOR appeal.�

The undersea earthquake, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, struck in the morning hours on Dec. 26 in the Andaman Islands. It sent 20-foot tidal waves surging across the Indian Ocean. The coastal regions of Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh and Malaysia were pounded by the tidal waves, which also swept through the low-lying islands that make up the Maldives.

The full extent of the disaster is still being assessed according to the Rev. Kristin L. Sachen, head of UMCOR’s international emergency services. “I just can’t emphasize enough how important it is that we respond to this disaster. I know that United Methodists will not turn their backs on the people who have suffered from this devastation,� Sachen said.

“We have some initial funds to send this week,� she said, but the long-term support will depend on the offerings local churches receive in response to the disaster.

UMCOR will work closely with the Action for Churches Together (ACT), a coordinating agency. ACT “helps the churches from around the world plan our responses in ways that don’t overlap,� Sachen said. UMCOR is one of the founding members of the organization that will help local agencies develop a coordinated response. 

ACT is expected to issue a formal appeal for aid within the next three or four days. It is not known if material resources, such as health kits, will be needed, but it is clear that ACT will seek substantial financial contributions to help survivors. 

Sri Lanka is one of the hardest hit countries with more than 10,000 people killed and more than a million left homeless. UMCOR will work with the National Council of Churches of Sri Lanka.

Assistance in Indonesia will be coordinated through Church World Service.

In India, UMCOR is partnering with the Christian Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA), which already has 12 teams in the field. CASA estimates it can serve 50,000 families. “We will require strong support from you in undertaking this massive program, which will still be small when compared to the magnitude of the devastation,� CASA Director  Sushant Agrawal said in an e-mail to Sachen.  CASA estimates that it will need over $6 million and is appealing to the ACT Consortium for the funds. CASA provides “excellent immediate relief as well as very thoughtful long term recovery that involves rebuilding with a lot of involvement from the local community,� Sachen said.

Local faith communities and relief agencies are providing the first assistance to survivors. Churches in the stricken areas are turning over Christmas offerings for relief work. Shelter, food and water is being provided to the homeless in the sanctuaries, temples and mosques. 

Donations to UMCOR’s “South Asia Emergency� relief efforts can be made through local churches with checks designated for UMCOR Advance #274305.  Gifts can also be sent to UMCOR, 475 Riverside Drive, Room 330, New York, NY 10015, marked “South Asia Emergency.� Credit card donations may be made by calling 1-800-554-8583.

*Snider is a freelance producer for United Methodist News Service in Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Ginny Underwood, United Methodist News Service, Nashville, Tenn., 615-742-5124, or .

UMC Donate Online to the South Asia Emergency Fund

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