Tsunami Updates

The Tsunami Recovery from the devastation on December 26, 2004 goes on and new relief efforts are responding to the tsunami of July 17, 2006 along the coast of Java.

The Tsunami Recovery from the devastation on December 26, 2004 goes on and new relief efforts are responding to the tsunami of July 17, 2006 along the coast of Java.

Java: July, 2006

On July 17 of this year the southern coast of Java was hit by a tsunami following an earthquake beneath the sea. Although it was not as catastrophic as the 2004 Tsunami, over 600 people were killed or are missing and many thousands are still living in tents pitched on high ground. Global Ministries’ partners in the region, the Communion of Churches of Indonesia and its disaster relief organization, Duta Wacana Christian University, and Action by Churches Together (ACT) are responding with emergency relief and are assessing the long term recovery needs. Photos are provided by ACT.

Progress Reports in the On-going Rehabilitation of Communities Devastated by the Tsunami of December, 2004

Aceh, Indonesia

Action by Churches Together reports that “A year and a half after a massive tsunami hit Indonesia’s coast, residents of a small village in the country’s Aceh province, which received the brunt of the devastation, have come home.

Festivities marked the day earlier this month in Lampu Kawat, where villagers were left homeless by the December 26, 2004, tsunami, when 124 new houses were handed over to tsunami survivors. The houses were built by Church World Service (CWS), one of three members of the global alliance Action by Churches Together (ACT) in Indonesia, which has been providing relief and rehabilitation since the tsunami.”

Village leaders acknowledged at the ceremony that they, as Muslims, were moved by the generosity of Christians. “The difference of religion does not make human beings separate from each other and unwilling to help each other. We are very proud that ACT helps us truly. Its work is evidence that humanity does not always see the difference,” said Ismail, a leader in the village, at the ceremony.

Reports claim that “humanitarian aid agencies have pledged to build 126,449 housing units in Aceh and Nias. The three ACT members in Indonesia plan to construct 1,870 housing units in Aceh and Nias. Out of this overall total, 22 percent of the housing is complete.” Photos are provided by ACT.

Kanyakumari, India

Global Ministries’ partner, Peace Trust, in Kanyakumari reports that their home and hospital based medical care and free outreach medical care and screening camps for victims of the tsunami have been found to be profoundly useful and timely. In addition, a variety of forms of educational and vocational training programs are providing assistance to youth and adults who were in desperate need of long term livelihood assistance. Three hundred women are attending the tailoring and embroidery classes. Thirty fishing families were provided with fishing nets. Land for constructing homes for those rendered homeless by the disaster has been identified and the purchase is in progress. An additional community has sought assistance and Peace Trust has expanded their proposal to include building more homes and is in the process of locating and purchasing land for building 30 new homes – seven of these are already under construction — and will be helping to repair 27 damaged homes. A Tsunami Memorial Community Center is being built at Gnanapuram.

Carr Nicobar Islands, India

There were sounds of laughter, sight of happy faces, smiles of joy, as children jumped around with excitement and zeal and organized themselves for the inauguration programme of four permanent schools in Car Nicobar. To them it was not just an event, not just a function, but in their own words, “We are all so happy today, because now we have our own schools, a place of our own.”, says Celina even as one of their teachers adds, “A proper school building means better space for children, and also a safe place where children spend maximum hours of their day besides their home. We are indeed happy to get back to normal school life.”

The Church of North India as a part of its intervention in the tsunami affected Andaman and Nicobar islands is constructing sixteen schools in Nicobar District. The first four schools namely Government Primary School Kimyus, Government Primary School Kinyuka, Government Secondary School Mus and Government Senior Secondary School Big Lapathy were inaugurated by The Rt. Rev. P. S. P Raju, President, Disaster Management Committee, Church of North India and Bishop of the Diocese of Calcutta on 22nd July, 2006 in the presence of Mr. Uddipta Ray, Secretary, Education, A & N Administration, Ms.Ankita Mishra, Deputy Commissioner, Nicobar, Mr. Rajkumar, Director, Education and Mr. Sudipta Singh, Secretary, Disaster Management Committee, Church of North India, Director Programmes, CNI and several other dignitaries and over hundreds of children and community people.

Thumaplai East, Sri Lanka

The Christian Theological Seminary at Jaffna, Sri Lanka had difficulty locating and purchasing land for the construction of new villages which were required to relocate away from the sea. Land has been acquired and more is being purchased. Global Ministries has committed to funding the construction of 159 houses. Fourteen have been built and others are under construction.

At Punithanagar, livelihood assistance in the form of poultry and goats has been provided for 45 families. A Vocational Training Center is also planned as soon as the land acquisition is completed.

Missionary Tim Fonderlin and Habitat for Humanity

Tim has been working with Habitat for Humanity to replace homes lost in Aceh and more recently in India. Here are a couple of the homes he has helped build.