Disaster Relief: Mennonites to Contribute Over S$1M

Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009 Posted: 1:16:41AM HKT

As floods due to natural disasters wreaked havoc in southern India and Cambodia and earthquakes in Indonesia, the Mennonite Church has increased its total funding to over one million dollars.

The increased appeal of nearly $350,000 will enable the Mennonite Central Committee and its partners to respond to extensive flooding damage in southern India and Cambodia and provide permanent housing for people in Indonesia, where earthquakes have devastated entire villages.

This appeal, initially launched on October 2, includes relief for flooding in the Philippines and Vietnam caused by Typhoon Ketsana and short-term relief and temporary housing for Indonesian earthquake survivors, according to the MCC.

In addition to that, MCC is contributing nearly $670,000 from its account at the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, giving a total of just over $1,000,000.

Money from the bank will be used to buy 1,000 metric tonnes of rice, which will be distributed by MCC partner Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action in a food-for-work programme for longer-term projects including repairing huts and houses, de-silting agricultural land, cleaning wells and repairing roads.

MCC is working with another partner, Mennonite Christian Service Fellowship of India, to provide immediate distribution of rice, lentils and blankets to families affected by flooding which killed more than 250 people and left some 2.5 million homeless and destroyed crops and livestock.

In Indonesia, MCC will rebuild the homes in the village of Guci, where about 95 percent of the homes were destroyed, and in the city of Padang. MCC’s partner Mennonite Diakonial Service, the disaster response arm of the Muria Mennonite Synod, is providing relief packets of food and other necessities.

The Church’s representatives in Southeast Asia are working with partner organisations to determine the best way to help flooding victims in Cambodia, which experienced destructive flooding from Typhoon Ketsana, killing more than 40 people and destroying tens of thousands of rice paddies.

MCC is continuing to monitor needs in Laos, consulting with the Integrated Mennonite Churches of the Philippines to determine the best way to provide relief in the Philippines, and continuing to assess the need in Vietnam in cooperation with potential partners.

While MCC works with partners to provide immediate emergency assistance in the case of disasters like this, MCC’s mid-term and long-term disaster responses are just as important, said William Reimer, director of MCC’s Food, Development and Material Resources programmes.

“After the flood waters recede, then we have to deal with the big disasters of hunger, disease and joblessness,” he said.

“For example, in response to the Indonesian earthquake, MCC is providing immediate relief but is assessing and planning carefully with our experienced partner, Mennonite Diakonial Service, for mid-term transition housing,” said Reimer. “MCC is also spending the majority of its resources designated for Indonesia on long-term housing.”

Nathanael Ng
nathanael@christianpost.com