Asian Emergencies

SCIAF pledged £50,000 to help tens of thousands of people following a series of natural disasters in Asia. Working with our partners in Caritas Internationalis, we immediately sent help to those most in need.

On Saturday 26 September 2009, a tropical storm hit the Philippines. One month’s rain fell in just 12 hours and submerged 80% of capital Manila. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes and over 1000 were killed.

SCIAF sent help to over 10,000 families in five of the worst hit areas. Communities were given food and water, temporary shelters, medicines, blankets, soap and cooking equipment.

On Tuesday 29th, Typhoon Kesta hit Cambodia, leaving 21 people dead and displacing almost 6,000 families. Poor rural communities were worst hit. Many homes were badly damaged, hundreds of farm animals killed and much of the rice crop destroyed.

Money donated by SCIAF was used to help provide 3,000 families in four of the worst hit provinces with food rations, shelter, mosquito nets, clothes, blankets, water containers and cooking utensils. Ten mobile clinics providing survivors with medical treatment and trauma counseling were also stocked with medical supplies.

The same day, the Pacific islands of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga were hit by an earthquake and tsunami. Money donated by SCIAF is helping to provide families that have been left homeless with temporary shelters and clean, safe drinking water. It will also help to repair damaged houses and train counselors to help communities left traumatised by the disaster.

On Wednesday 30th a deadly earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra, leaving thousands homeless and claiming over 1000 lives. A second smaller earthquake followed the next morning. Through Caritas we provided 700 tents to people how had lost their homes and supplies tarpaulins, plastic mats and other emergency aid to help protect survivors from the monsoon rains.