Salvation Army in India Assists 'Forgotten' South Asia Quake Victims
The Salvation Army’s India Northern Territory has been busy assisting families in the Kashmir region whose lives have been turned upside-down by the devastating earthquake that struck southern Asia last October.
Although the massive 7.6 quake is widely thought of as happening in Pakistan, thousands of people were severely affected on the Indian side of the border with Pakistan, according to a report by the Salvation Army.
“With spring still a long way off, the Salvation Army will continue to do all it can to help the families who have been displaced by the earthquake,” the Christian charity organization wrote in a report released earlier this week. “Donations are being sought to help continue the ministry of compassion and hope among the forgotten Indian people still suffering from the effects of October’s earthquake.”
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Salvation Army relief workers from India responded immediately to the disaster last year with deliveries of food, clothing and building materials that could provide shelter from the harsh weather so common to the region. Due to the sensitive nature of this border area, the Salvation Army has been coordinating its relief distributions with the Indian military to ensure timely delivery of much-needed supplies.
Assistance was given to more than 800 families.
According to India National Emergency Services Consultant Lieut-Colonel N. J. Vijayalakshmi, although a lot of aid has been delivered, much more is still needed.
The earthquake caused many families to leave their villages to seek shelter in temporary camps, the Salvation Army reported. Vijayalakshmi and her team recently discovered one such camp, on the banks of a contaminated lake that was housing 550 families. Responding to the desperate situation of the people, the Salvation Army reported Monday that it was making an emergency delivery of 2,500 blankets and stocks of much-needed food rations.
Online donations can be made via the Salvation Army International Headquarters web site: www.salvationarmy.org.
