Death Toll Rises

Saturday, January 22, A.D. 2005

The death toll across tsunami-stricken south Asia continues to rise. The latest figures jumped this week to more than 225,000 as the Indonesian government changed the status of tens of thousands of missing to dead. Still, the fate of thousands remains unknown, and many survivors are facing the risk of disease and hunger. Four weeks after the the disastrous events of December 26, the unimaginable damage - physical and psychological - is only beginning to sink in.

In spite of the enormous odds facing the relief efforts - the magnitude of the calamity itself; the destruction of ports, runways, roads, bridges, communications lines; growing security concerns - progress continues to be made. Our church partners across the affected regions - an area spanning the size of the continental U.S. - continue to provide emergency food, shelter, water and sanitation, and medical care to thousands of survivors. Our ecumenical church partner in India, CASA, is assisting 50,000 families (some 250,000 people) with basic emergency services. Church World Service Indonesia not only is providing basic relief aid to thousands but also is establishing a critically needed psycho-social program for traumatized survivors, including orphaned children, in hard-hit Aceh province. CWS's 20 years of work in Indonesia and well-established infrastructure have positioned it well to respond to both immediate relief and long-term recovery needs in the country.

The response of Disciples congregations, members and friends across the U.S. and Canada continues to be a remarkable expression of generosity, concern and support. The outpouring of designated gifts has enabled Week of Compassion to provide already more than $300,000 in support of the urgent appeals we have received from Action by Churches Together, Church World Service and numerous local partners in the region. The response is such that Week of Compassion is confident it will meet a goal of one million dollars recently proposed by the WOC Committee for both relief and recovery needs. Disciples have responded with enormous energy and effort to replenish CWS's depleted stocks of health, school and kids kits and provide critically needed medicines through the WOC/IMA medicine box program. Below is a list of new and ongoing opportunities to aid your congregation's response.

> CWS Tsunami Fact Sheet. An 8x10 full color update on CWS's response. Available while stock lasts. Email or call: 317.713.2442 or ecleveland@woc.disciples.org.

> Tsunami PowerPoint presentation. A visual summary of the needs in the region and WOC's response to date. This is a large file - 2.0MB

> "Welcome Tents for Kits." An excellent way for children here to respond to needs of the children there.

> CWS "Gift of the Heart" Kits. As CWS begins to move toward recovery work and as its psycho-social program develops, the greatest need now is for school kits and the new kids kits.

> CASA Video. A video report of the work of CASA (Churches Auxiliary for Social Action), ACT member and long-time Disciples and CWS partner in India.

> WOC/IMA Medicine Box. One box will provide urgently needed medicines for 2-3 thousand people for a month.

> And additional stories, photos and other information.


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While WOC continues its response to the enormous needs in southern Asia and indeed, while much of the world's attention remains focused on the crisis there, there are significant needs elsewhere. WOC has responded in the past few days to flooding requests from congregations in Illinois, Ohio and West Virginia and anticipates an appeal from CWS in response to the severe winter weather that has wreaked havoc from California to the East Coast. We have significant appeals from church partners before us right now for assistance for humanitarian needs in Sudan, Liberia, Angola, Burundi, Haiti, Colombia and Palestine. WOC is deeply grateful for the strong ongoing support we are receiving from our congregations and members across the whole church that enables us to respond Around the World - Around the Year. Thanks and God bless.