Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Help those affected by the earthquake in Nepal


[from Episcopal Relief & Development]  Episcopal Relief & Development is working with the ecumenical ACT Alliance in Nepal and local partners in northern India and southwest China regarding urgent needs and assessment efforts following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck near Kathmandu on the morning of April 25.

The earthquake was centered east of Nepal's capital, near the town of Pokhara, though the initial quake and subsequent aftershocks were felt as far away as Pakistan, more than 800 miles away.
 
The death toll reported late April 27 exceeds 5,000, including 17 who died in an avalanche on Mt. Everest, with the number expected to rise over the coming days.  Due to the rough terrain and isolated nature of communities in Nepal and across the Himalayas, search and rescue efforts are being carried out on foot and by helicopter.  Communications are still down across wide areas of the region, further hampering assessment and rescue efforts.

"The mountain communities that we suspect are in most need of help are also the hardest to get to, accessible only by foot under normal circumstances," said Nagulan Nesiah, Episcopal Relief & Development's Senior Program Officer for Disaster Response and Risk Reduction.  "Getting assessment teams there to gather information will be a challenge, as will transporting the relief supplies that are needed so urgently." Click here to read more updates from Episcopal Relief & Development. 

Donations to the Nepal Earthquake relief fund may be made online here.
 
A Prayer for First Responders
Blessed are you, Lord, God of mercy, who through your Son gave us a marvelous example of charity and the great commandment of love for one another. Send down your blessings on these your servants, who so generously devote themselves to helping others. Grant them courage when they are afraid, wisdom when they must make quick decisions, strength when they are weary, and compassion in all their work. When the alarm sounds and they are called to aid both friend and stranger, let them faithfully serve you in their neighbor. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Adapted from the Book of Blessings, #587, by Diana Macalintal)
 

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