Lutherans Help Provide Aid to Earthquake Survivors in India

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) contributed $20,000 to the church's International Disaster Response fund to provide emergency aid to survivors in western India, after an earthquake and its aftershocks killed thousands there Jan. 26.
The most damaged area is Bhuj, a city on the border of India's Kutch district, said the Rev. Y. Franklin Ishida, director for international communication, ELCA Division for Global Mission. The city was located about 15 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake, he said.
"There are reports that as many as 5,000 people have died in Bhuj. The destruction of the hospital there has made relief work difficult," Ishida said. Medical treatment for injured people is taking place under open tents and other makeshift structures, he said.
"Rescue and relief operations are also hampered due to power shortages. The entire Kutch district remains without power and water, and there is a shortage of medical aid and other relief necessities," he said.
Many relief teams cannot access the hardest-hit areas, because rubble is blocking the way, Ishida said. "Firefighters are using chainsaws and drills to reach survivors trapped in the rubble. Many residents are still waiting for help to arrive."
Ahmedabad is the capital of Gujarat, a state in western India. It is home to one of India's largest gold markets and is an oilseed trading center, as well as a production site for textiles and chemicals, said Ishida.
"More than 200 aftershocks have caused much fear among the people in western India. As a result, many are camped in tents after being ordered to stay away from their homes," Ishida said.
The funds sent by the ELCA will help support relief efforts coordinated through Action by Churches Together (ACT), a worldwide network of churches and related agencies meeting human need through coordinated emergency response. ACT is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. The ELCA is a member of both the WCC and LWF.
Coordinated through the ELCA Division for Global Mission, International Disaster Response helps relief agencies provide funds for food, medicine, drinking water, emergency shelter and other materials and supplies. Funds are also used to rebuild communities and to repair structures destroyed by major disasters.
According to a news release, international members of ACT have pledged for more than $2 million to support relief efforts in Gujarat. An ACT appeal of more than $3 million will be issued soon. Funds sent through ACT will be implemented by the LWF World Service - India.
Lutheran World Relief (LWR) is providing $25,000 to support relief efforts and planning, as specific needs continue to be assessed. LWR, the overseas relief and development agency of the ELCA and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is helping to purchase and distribute food, blankets and other relief items. LWR is a member of ACT.
Members of ACT have also contacted Churches Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) working in India to retrieve more information about earthquake damages and the needs of survivors, Ishida said. CASA, Church World Service, and Protestant and Catholic churches are helping to provide shelter, food, water and other relief items.
"Relief groups are urging individuals who want to help to send cash donations and not materials goods, since most supplies can be purchased locally," Ishida said.

INTERNATIONAL DISASTERS:

Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds for aid to
survivors of major disasters outside the United States, Puerto Rico or
the U.S. Virgin Islands, please include:

ELCA International Disaster Response
PO Box 71764
Chicago, IL 60694-1764
1-800-638-3522

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html