PWS&D emergency appeals
Active appeals
A 7.6 earthquake in Indonesia has rocked the islands and caused widespread destruction.
Photo: ACT International
Haiti Earthquake Appeal
A massive 7.0 earthquake hit the capital city of Haiti in early January 2010, leaving thousands dead and causing millions of dollars of damage. Relief workers are scrambling to pull people from the rubble of collapsed buildings. PWS&D is responding through the Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance.
Appeal for Asia
Three major natural disasters have hit Asia in recent weeks, claiming hundreds of lives, causing widespread damage and forcing people from their homes and communities. More than 150,000 people are displaced in the Philippines following flooding from Typhoon Ketsana, 32,000 people are homeless in Samoa after tsunamis slammed into the island and over 6,000 people are living in tents in Indonesia after a 7.6 earthquake hit the islands. PWS&D is responding to the urgent needs of victims through the Action by Churches Together international network with food, drinking water and medical and shelter supplies.
Taiwan Typhoon Relief
Typhoon Morakot slammed into Taiwan on 7-10 August 2009, causing loss of life, extensive flooding and killing millions of livestock. PWS&D is working with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan to help provide food, emergency relief, education, counselling and continue with rescue and clean up efforts. Relief centres have been established and over 1,000 people have been evacuated and housed by local churches.
Internally displaced people in Pakistan.
Photo: CWS-ACT International
Pakistan Conflict and Displacement
Over 4 million people have been displaced by violence between the Pakistan military and militants since May. Displaced people face a crisis in food, clean water, shelter and medical care. Conditions of extreme heat are exacerbating the humanitarian situation, especially for children. PWS&D is providing food aid, mobile health clinics, shelter kits and emergency supplies through Canadian Foodgrains Bank and the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International network.
Zimbabwe: Food aid
Food is distributed at a school in Zimbabwe.
Photo: ACT International
A major food crisis is emerging in Zimbabwe with 2.9 million people requiring food aid over the next year. In addition to drought which has affected the southern part of the country, the food crisis is exacerbated by the country’s unprecedented economic decline, very high unemployment (80%) and the impact of HIV and AIDS. Inflation is running anywhere from 2,000 - 7,000 percent. The majority of the population is subsisting below the poverty line of US$1/day. Most basic commodities and services (food, fuel, transport, electricity, health, etc.) are in short supply and are too expensive for ordinary people. PWS&D is providing food aid, small livestock and farmer training to vulnerable households. PWS&D has provided $20,000 through Action by Churches Together and another $25,000 through Canadian Foodgrains Bank.
Gaza Crisis
Violence has escalated between Gaza and Israel since late December 2008. PWS&D is working to bring aid to the tens of thousands displaced by providing food, medicine, blankets and trauma counselors through the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International network.
Displaced children sleep on the dirt floor of a Baptist Church Sunday School classroom, and are looked after by the church's congregation.
Photo: Paul Jeffrey, ACT International
Democratic Republic of Congo
Violence and insecurity displaced hundreds of thousands of residents in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in September and October of 2008. PWS&D is responding through the Action by Churches Together International network.
Sudan: Darfur
Insecurity has continued to escalate in the Darfur region of Sudan (western part of the country) despite the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement in 2006. PWS&D and other members of Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) have sent lifesaving food shipments. PWS&D is also supporting a massive relief program lead jointly by Action by Churches Together (ACT) and Caritas Internationalis (the international network of Catholic relief agencies). Bringing together the vast majority of the humanitarian response of the world's Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches, the ACT-Caritas program is one of the largest non-governmental responses in Darfur.
China Earthquake
Jacob Ogodo, a resident of Mathare slum of Nairobi. His business has stayed open, but many others are closed out of fear of further looting and destruction.
Photo: Stephen H. Padre, ACT International
PWS&D is supporting the Amity Foundation in response to the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Central China on May 12, 2008. The quake hit mainly the Wenchuan County of Sichuan Province, while some other provinces were also heavily affected. PWS&D is helping to provide food, quilts and plastic cloth for shelter from continuing rains.
Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone
Responding to the increasingly critical need for humanitarian relief in Myanmar (Burma), Presbyterian World Service & Development (PWS&D) is supporting ACT International’s preliminary appeal for over US $5.1 million to provide emergency assistance for up to 1.3 million cyclone-affected people.
Kenya: Post-election violence
Rising tensions and violence following the disputed result of the recent presidential election has resulted in looting, destruction of property, injuries and deaths. An estimated 70,000 to 100,000 Kenyans have been uprooted by the violence, with some people fleeing to nearby Uganda and Tanzania. PWS&D is helping to provide displaced families with food through Action by Churches Together.