Disasters in Asia Keep CRWRC Busy

CRWRC Newsroom | October 2, 2009

CRWRC is providing immediate, emergency aid in Asia in response to a sequence of catastrophic disasters that occurred over the last week.

There has been a typhoon and flooding in the Philippines and a large earthquake in Indonesia and a tsunami that hit American Samoa. CRWRC is helping all of these countries.

PHILIPPINES: With local churches and Christian Reformed World Missions, CRWRC is distributing food, water, blankets, and clothing to hundreds of Typhoon Ketsana survivors in settlements in and around Manila. CRWRC International Relief Managers will join development staff on the ground as soon as possible to assess needs for medical, rehabilitation, and livelihood interventions.

“Thousands of Philippine families have been severely affected by the storm,” says CRWRC staff, Lem Rosselon, from Manila. “People are in danger from the cold, from hunger, and from drowning and sickness. Many roads are still flooded, but we are able to intervene, doing what we can to help save lives.”

CRWRC is also monitoring the situation as Typhoon Parma heads toward Manila this weekend and may cause additional damage.

INDONESIA: CRWRC staff members Nick Armstrong and Mona Saroingsong are to meet with local partners in Padang, Sumatra, to organize emergency response to the September 30th earthquake that caused extensive damage on the island. CRWRC has trained local congregations in disaster preparedness and response, allowing for quick distribution of food, water, and shelter when the quake hit.

With disaster experience in Padang in response to a March 2007 earthquake, CRWRC has been able to act quickly to meet the needs of survivors through its partners there. The organization is deploying International Relief Managers to Padang to work with local organizations to implement a response to this week’s devastation..

CRWRC will also likely be working on the Indonesian island of Java, Tasikmalaya, reconstructing houses after an earthquake hit there on September 2, 2009, displacing 180,000 people. CRWRC previously worked on Java in 2006 when an earthquake destroyed most of Jogjakarta. The agency built 900 core houses in Jogjakarta at that time.

SAMOA: CRWRC Disaster Response Director Bill Adams is working with the Federal Emergency Management agency (FEMA) to provide skilled volunteers for rehabilitation and reconstruction on American Samoa, where an earthquake and resulting tsunami wreaked havoc on September 29th. President Obama declared the U.S. Territory a federal disaster area yesterday, freeing up federal funding for disaster response there, and offering assistance as well to the nearby independent island of Samoa.

Please support CRWRC in this response.  Donate online:  US | Canada

Checks, marked “Philippines/Asia Floods 2009” or "Indonesia Earthquakes 2009" can also be sent to:

To inquire about CRWRC Work Teams in the Philippines responding to flooding on Mindanao Island where CRWRC will build 15 homes in 12 months, go to www.crwrc.org/volunteer or email servicelearning@crcna.org.