ADRA-UK News Update

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has delivered more than 10 million liters (2.6 million gallons) of purified water to thousands of earthquake survivors in the devastated Haitian capital city of Port-au-Prince and nearby areas.

Between January 12 and March 31, hundreds of thousands of people have received access to clean drinking water as a result of the joint efforts of ADRA and Canada-based GlobalMedic, who have primarily focused water purification and distribution activities in Port-au-Prince and the city’s southwestern neighborhood of Carrefour.

“This is an important achievement,” said Matt Capobianco, emergency programs manager for ADRA partner GlobalMedic. “Especially considering that before the earthquake hit, access to clean water was very low. Currently, more people in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas now have access to more clean drinking water than before the earthquake happened.”

With the onset of Haiti’s rainy season and the upcoming hurricane season looming, added Capobianco, it is extremely important that the focus is kept on ensuring people continue to receive access to clean drinking water, in order to fend off diseases among the displaced population.

Within days of the deadly earthquake, ADRA began providing emergency relief to survivors in and around the devastated capital, in particular water, which quickly became a priority. In collaboration with GlobalMedic, ADRA has since installed a total of 46 water distribution points throughout the affected region, and distributed more than 5 million water treatment tablets, approximately 110,000 water purification sachets, and 61,200 sachets of oral rehydration solution.

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Source: ADRA International

More than 2,000 people have benefited from ADRA’s emergency response in the villages of Masulula and Bugwe, in the Butaleja District. According to the United Nations, more than 33,000 households have been affected by the floods. (Photo Credit: ADRA Uganda)

Deadly landslides and heavy flooding in eastern Uganda displaced thousands of local residents prompting the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to respond, the agency reported.

On March 21, ADRA completed an emergency aid distribution in the villages of Masulula and Bugwe in the Butaleja District, which are among the most remote communities in the affected region. Through this response, 410 affected families received basic supplies, including blankets, mosquito nets, tarpaulins, bath soap, laundry soap, water purification tablets, water containers, saucepans, plastic cups, and plastic plates.

Households with vulnerable members, among them pregnant mothers, new mothers, infants, the elderly, and those living with HIV/AIDS, were given priority.

To implement the response, ADRA worked closely with the office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda, the District Disaster Management Committee, local leaders, and representatives from the flood victims.

This relief effort was funded with the support from ADRA International, ADRA Denmark, ADRA Sweden, ADRA Canada, ADRA Netherlands, ADRA United Kingdom, the ADRA Africa Regional Office, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, and ADRA Uganda. The project is valued at an estimated $50,000.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 33,000 households have been affected by the floods.

To support ADRA’s immediate response send your contribution to the Emergency Response Fund here!

Source: ADRA International

On Monday, March 8, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) began a second large-scale food distribution that will feed an estimated 300,000 people in Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.

According to officials, ADRA will help feed an estimated 2,500 families a day by providing food baskets containing 119 pounds (54 kilograms) of rice, corn-soy blend, beans, vegetable oil, and salt. Approximately 1,296 metric tons of food will be distributed across nine zones in the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Carrefour, with an estimated 50,000 households receiving emergency food supplies.

ADRA, which is handling the second largest allocation of food from UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) in Haiti and will distribute 17 percent of WFP’s food, is one of 10 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in this large distribution.

“Several of the zones targeted are in the foothills and mountains of Carrefour, and will receive food aid for the first time since the earthquake hit,” said Andrew Lucas, program director for ADRA’s Emergency Response Center in Haiti.

The current effort, which follows a massive food distribution that provided some 3 million meals to survivors, will give another 2 million meals by March 30.

In an effort to engage local communities in the disaster response, the Haitian government has implemented a system of committees in the affected areas. In Carrefour, where ADRA is working, the committee consists of the mayor of Carrefour, a member of the local civil society organization, a representative of the national government in Carrefour, and ADRA.

Food distribution points and beneficiaries were selected by these committees, with priority given to those most vulnerable, such as families with children under the age of five, and displaced residents living in camps or on the streets.

In February during an initial large-scale food distribution , ADRA provided food for more than 10,000 beneficiaries a day during a 15-day period. The project is part of a massive operation implemented by the Haitian government, in collaboration with the U.N. Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the WFP and other partners, to meet the needs of survivors throughout the quake-affected region.

To learn more about what it takes for one food ration to arrive in the hands of a beneficiary, click here.

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Source: ADRA International

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chilean President-elect Sebastian Piñera pose for a photo with ADRA Chile volunteers during ADRA’s relief activities at Santiago’s international airport, Tuesday, March 2. (Photo Credit: ADRA Chile)

SILVER SPRING, Md. —In response to the devastating earthquake in Chile, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is continuing to provide assistance for survivors, with the distribution of emergency food supplies in the quake-affected region.

Part of these relief activities were caught on tape by Chilean television news station, TV Nacional, during their coverage of Tuesday morning’s news conference held by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chilean President Michelle Bachelet at Santiago’s international airport. During the conference, ADRA volunteers can be seen packing food items for survivors to assist the Chilean National Office of Emergencies and Information (ONEMI).

ADRA was contacted by ONEMI immediately after the disaster hit Saturday morning, and asked to assist with distribution of food and water supplies for earthquake survivors. As part of that response, Saturday afternoon, ADRA dispatched a truckload of water to provide clean water for affected persons in the cities of Talca and Concepción, which according to disaster officials are desperately in need of clean drinking water. ADRA is also collecting other emergency supplies, such as mattresses, blankets, and other necessities.

To view TV Nacional’s clip of the news conference, as well as ADRA’s relief activities there, click here.

Within hours following the quake, ADRA began assessing the needs of survivors in the region in preparation for an initial response worth at least $105,000. Funders of that response include ADRA International, the South American Regional office, the Adventist Church in Chile, and ADRA Canada.

More information about ADRA’s response to the recent earthquake will be released as it becomes available.

To support ADRA’s immediate response send your contribution to the Emergency Response Fund here!

Source: ADRA International

Women cry next to a destroyed building in Talca some 300 km (186 miles) south of Santiago February 27, 2010.(Photo Credit: REUTERS/Victor Ruiz Caballero, courtesy www.alertnet.org)

Following a deadly 8.8-magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest ever recorded, the extent of the humanitarian crisis in some of the worse hit areas in south-central Chile is becoming apparent, reports the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), which is coordinating with disaster response authorities to provide assistance.

The Chilean National Office of Emergencies and Information (ONEMI) has called ADRA to assist immediately with food and water distribution. Agency officials have already met with ONEMI to coordinate the aid. As a result, ADRA dispatched a truckload of water, which left Saturday afternoon from the capital Santiago on its way to Talca and Concepción, two cities close to the quake’s epicenter. Mattresses, blankets, and other basic necessities are also being procured for distribution.

Meanwhile, residents in affected areas, including the cities of Curicó, Chillán, Talca, Concepción, and Los Angeles, remain jittery as aftershocks continue to occur. So far, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has recorded more than 105 aftershocks stronger than 5.0 magnitude since the quake happened Saturday at 3:34 a.m. local time (1:34 a.m. EST / 6:34 UTC).

“People are out of their homes, and many are thinking of sleeping outside for fear of the aftershocks,” said Jorge Alé, country director for ADRA Chile.

According to ONEMI, which continues to survey the affected areas with the support of the Army and the National Police, the human death toll has risen to more than 700, an estimated 500,000 homes have been destroyed and 1.5 million others have suffered various degrees of damage.

“The number of victims could get higher,” said President-Elect Sebastian Piñera, who will take office in March.

The cities of Curicó, Talca, Chillán, Concepción, and Los Ángeles, which suffered the brunt of the quake’s force, remain without access to clean drinking water, according to disaster officials. In addition, approximately two million people have been directly affected, President Michelle Bachellet announced during a televised interview Saturday.

“The forces of nature have badly affected our country,” said Ms. Bachelet.

The quake, ranked seventh in recorded history and the strongest since the 2004 quake that triggered the Asian tsunami, caused widespread fear among residents. It was the most powerful earthquake to strike Chile since the 9.5-magnitude 1960 earthquake.

“The ground was moving like ocean waves,” said Nancy Roa Vidal, an ADRA supporter from Santiago. “[The earthquake] lasted approximately two minutes. We’re in a state of catastrophe.”

Within hours following the quake, ADRA began assessing the needs of survivors in the region in preparation for an initial response worth at least $105,000. Funders include ADRA International, the South American Regional office, the Adventist Church in Chile, and ADRA Canada.

More information about ADRA’s response will be released as it becomes available.

To support ADRA’s immediate response send your contribution to the Emergency Response Fund here!

Source: ADRA International

Early Saturday, a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake shook south-central Chile killing at least 120, damaging infrastructure, and triggering a tsunami. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is assessing the needs in the worst hit areas and coordinating with authorities, the agency reported.

“Our staff in Chile are already in the affected areas to see first hand the extent of the earthquake damage and identify the communities that are worst hit,” said Mario Ochoa, Executive Vice President for ADRA International. “A quake of this magnitude can have a devastating impact in a wide area.”

ADRA is currently conducting an extensive assessment in the region, including in the southern cities of Talca, Temuco and Concepción, in preparation for an initial response worth at least $105,000. Funders include ADRA International, the South American Regional office, the Adventist Church in Chile, and ADRA Canada. As part of this initial emergency response, ADRA expects to provide jerry cans, tents, mattresses, and blankets. Canada-based Global Medic, which will be in Chile within 24 hours, is partnering with ADRA to set up water purification points.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck 56 miles (90 km) northeast of the city of Concepción at a depth of 22 miles (35 km) at 3:34 am local time (1:34 am EST / 6:34 GMT) affecting seven regions in Chile, including of Valparaíso, Metropolitan, O’Higgins, Maule, Bíobío, Araucanía, and Los Ríos. The seism could be felt as far as Argentina. Since the quake, USGS has reported more than 30 aftershocks above magnitude 5.0, many happening minutes from each other. Numerous tsunami waves have been reported in the Pacific, with one reaching as high as 7.7 feet in the central Chile coastal town of Talcahuano.

The capital Santiago, located 200 miles (320 km) north of the epicenter, was hit hard, destroying infrastructure and downing power and telephone lines, media reports said. Authorities closed the city’s international airport as the quake destroyed passenger walkways and caused other damage to the terminal.

To support ADRA’s immediate response send your contribution to the Emergency Response Fund here!

Source: ADRA International