Church reaches out to disaster victims in Turkey, other nations
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The Church is sending blankets and other relief supplies in response to a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Van, Turkey, Oct. 23 — killing hundreds, trapping hundreds more beneath the rubble and injuring thousands.
All Church members in the country — 221 members in four branches — are safe.
Lynn Samsel, the Church's director of humanitarian emergency response, said local leaders are in communication with the Turkish government. Also, the Church is working with the Turkish Red Crescent to provide blankets — needed because of cold weather in the region.
In addition to efforts in Turkey, the Church is responding to other disasters and emergencies around the world. Some of the efforts include:
Thailand
The Church sent food, water and other supplies to northern Thailand after runoffs from a tropical depression caused the worst flooding in the country's history. At least 75 percent of the provinces in the country were impacted; flooding displaced more than 2 million people. In addition, flooding severely damaged the infrastructure throughout the country, caused heavy losses in the farming and agriculture industry and left 2,300 schools submerged in water.
The flooding, which began in September and still continues, affected 73 member families in the Pathumthani Thailand District and Bangkok North District. Church buildings in Ayutthaya and Lop Buri, Thailand, were sandbagged and received some damage.
Responding to the disaster, local Church members assembled 2,400 food kits and 4,000 sanitation kits for members and others in the community affected by the floods.
Brother Samsel said the Church continues to monitor the situation and will send additional aid as flood water reaches Bangkok. "We are going to provide blankets and clothing," Brother Samsel said.
"We have provided an initial response," he said. "We will expand our relief efforts as area leaders determine."
He said the Church is also making preparations to help the members in Bangkok. "We are making sure they are safe and prepared and have necessary food and other supplies," he said.
Africa
More than 13 million people in Eastern Africa need assistance due to severe drought and famine in the area. In response the Church is:
Working through partners to fund the purchase and distribution of food to 3,000 families living in camps in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Working to provide emergency water solutions to seven villages (14,000 people) and medications to 15 hospitals and clinics in the region of Gedo, Somalia, which borders Ethiopia.
Providing water tanks and platforms, water trucking services, sanitation supplies and hygiene training services to 15 villages (31,000 people) in Somali, Ethiopia. In addition, the Church is sending supplemental food to 8,700 malnourished children in 23 villages in the same region.
Providing nutrition centers and sanitation facilities to 64,000 Somali refugees living in the Dollo Ado camps in Ethiopia.
Working with partner organizations in Kenya to provide medical care and food to 90,000 refugees.
Donating five containers of Atmit — nutritional porridge formulated by LDS Charities — to be distributed to approximately 20,000 drought victims in Uganda.
Brother Samsel said local Church members in Africa have assembled 5,000 hygiene kits for families in refugee camps. Long term they hope to help villages in the famine-stricken area by providing birkats — structures that capture and store rain water that can be used in the dry season, he said.
Philippines
Two typhoons struck the northern Philippine island of Luzon the last week of September — impacting hundreds of thousands and causing widespread damage to several provinces north of Manila. The damage to infrastructure and agriculture as a result of the disaster is expected to exceed $200 million.
All missionaries are safe and accounted for. Local leaders are continuing efforts to account for all Church members in the region.
Many Church member homes were damaged or destroyed in the typhoons; several Church buildings in the affected area were used as shelters for members and others.
Brother Samsel said the Church is continuing to "work with the government and Catholic Relief to provide food and clothing there."
Japan
In the seven months since a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in northern Japan, more than 18,000 Church members have volunteered more than 160,000 hours to help victims of the disaster, which left 15,547 people dead, displaced thousands and destroyed more than 551,000 homes, according to the National Police Agency. To date more than 5,000 people remain missing.
Immediately after the disaster, the Church sent water, food, blankets and fuel to the disaster zone.
In addition, the Church donated funds to each of the three prefectures impacted most by the disaster and to the Red Cross. Funds were also used to purchase eye glasses for the many who lost their prescription glasses in the tsunami.
In May the Church donated five vans to the city of Onagawa. The vans are now being used to transport villagers for shopping, to visit public baths and to see their doctors.
Today efforts are underway to help the fishing and agriculture industry in the country, said Brother Samsel. For example, the Church provided the Miyagi Prefecture Fishing Cooperative with an ice maker and other supplies.
