Asia: easing suffering on a continent of disaster
Flooded former sex-workers, the cold in Bangladesh and the traumatised in the Philippines: BMS World Mission has given relief grants to aid those affected by disasters in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.
Home repairs for former sex-workers, protection from the cold in Bangladesh, floods that leave psychological scars and weather emulating war: relief work in Asia is often not what you’d expect. With your support, BMS is there to help.
The images are familiar to us all. Villagers row boats past the roofs of their flooded homes. Trees and crops rise out of submerged fields as if in a surrealist painting. Mothers grieve for lost children in the ruins of huts torn apart by wind or shaking earth. And so often these images come to us from Asia. Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Thailand and Burma are so regularly on our TV screens because of some natural disaster that we might at times be forgiven for losing track of the devastation. But BMS does not.
Through our network of churches, Christian NGOs and partner organisations across the continent, BMS is able to provide support and essential funding for long-term recovery as well as immediate relief when disaster strikes Asia. This means we are there years after the world’s focus has moved on to another crisis.
Recently, BMS has made seven grants for relief work in Asia. Some of the amounts involved have been small but vital, others more substantial and equally important. Some have been for aiding the continuing recovery from disasters that happened years ago, while others are for crises that are all too fresh in the minds of those affected. Every single one was made because people like you decided to give their own money to help strangers in desperate situations. And every one has made a difference.
Standing saltwater in Pakistan
In Pakistan, BMS recently gave £23,000 to help families who forgotten by government aid distribution following terrible floods in 2010. The long-term effects of the flooding are still being felt by the poorest people in that country. Many are still suffering as significant amounts of saltwater have damaged the fertility of their land and created a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Through your giving, BMS provided about 460 packs of food, soap, candles and mosquito repellent, as well as over 700 mosquito nets, to those who had received little help to date.
Future-proofing in Burma
In Burma, a relatively small amount can do big things, even years later. In 2008, the delta region of Burma was flooded by Hurricane Nargis and BMS responded through partners by rebuilding homes and establishing fresh water supplies. Late in 2011, BMS gave a grant of just over £500 to trusted partners on the Thai-Burma border to investigate how resilience to future harsh weather might be built for those who suffered most. It is an initial step, but one that will no doubt result in more work and a better life for those in the path of future disasters.
Weather after war in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a country torn apart by civil war and ethnic conflict. In November 2011, severe weather added to Sri Lanka’s problems, flooding paddy fields, bringing down power lines and destroying roads. With 66,000 people affected by the destruction, the resulting need has been profound. Through long-time partners in the country, BMS provided tarpaulins for shelter, water purification and sanitation kits, medical supplies, mosquito nets, emergency lamps and essential household items to 140 families, many of whom had been made homeless.
Home repairs for sex-trade survivors in Thailand
In Thailand, one of BMS’ partners is involved in helping women escape the sex-trade. Just before Christmas, severe flooding that killed 430 people and ruined homes and businesses also affected some of these young women. A small grant of £1,100 from BMS made it possible for five of them to have their houses returned to a liveable condition after flood-damage.
Cold weather in Bangladesh
Bangladesh may not be a country one associates with dangerously cold weather, but cold snaps in the hill regions can be dangerous to the elderly, disabled and the young. A grant of about £1,500 was enough to provide warm clothing and blankets to 500 of the most vulnerable people identified by local BMS partners.
Psychological trauma in the Philippines
The consequences of disasters are not limited to the physical. Over 1,200 people were killed by flooding in the Philippines in December 2011. About 118,000 families were affected many having been left homeless. A BMS grant to the local Baptist convention provided trauma-counselling for 350 families.
The consequences of disasters are not limited to the physical. Over 1,200 people were killed by flooding in the Philippines in December 2011. About 118,000 families were affected many having been left homeless. A BMS grant to the local Baptist convention provided trauma-counselling for 350 families.BMS doesn’t just work in Asia, but all over the world.
To support BMS relief work, please make a donation today.
Photo credit: Abdul Majeed Goraya/IRIN
Back