Action Alert: Help Nepal!
Dear Friends,
By now you’ve likely been not only seen, but also been rather overwhelmed by, the images of the devastation caused by the earthquake in Nepal. The toll it has taken on the population – with more than 5000 confirmed dead – as well as on the infrastructure of the country is immense.
But while such images are overwhelming, they do not have to be paralyzing. We – each of us – can make a difference. I am once again so grateful for my association with Lutheran World Relief, an experienced, extremely competent, and committed relief agency that is reliably at the forefront of the humanitarian and Christian response to such tragedies. Once more, LWR is on the scene with staff already in place and others who have joined who are working with other relief agencies to help care for “the least of these” as Jesus commanded.
And you and I can help LWR in this important work by making a donation to this emergency effort. You can find more information about LWR’s response by clicking here, and you can make an immediate donation by going here.
To fill you in a bit on the work of LWR and the situation of the Nepalese suffering the devastation of this quake and it’s aftershocks, I am going to share excepts from two communications provided by the President of LWR, Daniel Speckhard. The first is from a letter sent on Saturday:
We’ve been in touch with our local staff this morning, and they have informed us that hospitals are overwhelmed with injured patients, and initial reports say hundreds of people are known to have died. That number is expected to rise as many more are feared to be trapped under rubble. Houses have been flattened and huge craters and cracks on roads in the capital city Kathmandu sent people out of their offices and homes.
Our Technical Advisor for Emergency Capacity Building, Subhashis Roy, said this morning, “I just talked to one [staff] member in Nepal. Everyone is safe. There is massive damage in Nepal and some parts of Bihar — including causalities.” I had the opportunity to visit our work in in Bihar last month. Great progress has been made, yet many remain beyond the margins. Our response to their need is critical. Together, we are hands and feet of Christ in the midst of this significant disaster.
LWR staff are safe and are currently on the ground and assessing this dire situation. We are working with our local partners and the international relief community to plan our early emergency response and will continue to communicate as our plans take shape.
To be able to respond quickly and robustly to this devastating disaster, we need everyone’s help.
The second is an update I received yesterday:
I am extremely proud of the way our staff here and those in Nepal have persevered, and we have kept up very positive momentum in our response to the devastating earthquake. I want to thank all of you who have shared with me that you lifted up LWR’s response with your congregations this weekend, as those sorts of personal endorsements go a long way in getting the word out about what we are doing and how people who so desperately want to help can make a difference.
The situation in Nepal is still unfolding. I’ve attached our latest Situation Report, which we are updating daily while things remain fluid in these early days of the crisis. The latest report is always posted on our website at www.lwr.org/nepalearthquake, and you may share any of the information in these reports with friends and family, members of your congregation, or anyone else. Highlights from today’s report include the following:
–LWR is committing an initial $500,000 to the response effort.
–We are preparing a shipment of 9,240 Quilts, 1000 Personal Care Kits, and 100 community water filters to be delivered ASAP. The items are currently pre-positioned in a UN depot in Dubai, a short flight away from Kathmandu. The items will be distributed in the worst-affected areas of Kathmandu with partners Lutheran World Federation and the Nepal Red Cross.
–We are exploring options for a response in the Lamjung area with our local partner COPPADES. LWR and COPPADES were already working together in Lamjung, near the epicenter of the earthquake, and as many as 75% of the homes there have been destroyed.
–Staff from LWR’s Emergency Operations Unit arrived in Kathmandu today to support the response effort.
As you can see, much is being done in the name of Christ to relieve the suffering of so many and to restore some semblance of normalcy and safety to lives that have been shattered by this disaster. I hope you will consider helping in this critical effort by donating now. I also hope you will spread the word in your congregations and among your friends. You can find a pdf print-friend copy of LWR’s Nepal Action Alert here. Also, you can participate in a “virtual town hall meeting” on May 5, at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) to learn more the situation in Nepal and LWR’s response. If you’re interested, sign up here.
Thank you. Thank God for you. And may God use all of us to care for the people of Nepal.
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