Get updates from the ELCA Disaster Response website and blog.
China Earthquake Relief
On April 14, a 6.9-magnitude quake struck with the epicentre approximately 50km (31 miles) west of Jiegu, the main town of Yushu County, about 800km away from Xining, the capital of the province. Yushu County is located in the Qinghai Province of China.As of April 19, 1,706 people were reported dead, more than 13,000 injured and 100,000 homeless.
Because Yushu sits at about 13,000 ft (4,000 m), it is difficult for teams not used to the high altitude to work for long periods of time. Numerous aftershocks continue to make relief work challenging. The quake knocked out phone and power lines, and triggered landslides. Survivors shivered through Wednesday night in the open as temperatures fell below freezing.
In the township of Jiegu, 85% of buildings have been destroyed. Several schools collapsed and at least 66 pupils and 10 teachers were among the dead. The Chinese president has called for an all-out emergency effort and some 5,000 rescuers, including 700 soldiers, have been sent to the area. Ethnically, Han Chinese account for about 55% of the population, while Tibetans make up about 21% and Hui 16%, according to estimates.
ELCA Response:
ELCA companions in China are engaged in immediate responses to earthquake survivors, even as they develop longer-term plans to respond to the crisis in the weeks and months ahead. ELCA-GM is in close communication with these partners, and International Disaster Response donations will be used to support their work. For example, the ELCA works with the Sichuan Council of Churches and will not only provide a matching grant to locally raised funds (thus further enabling the regional church to respond) but also provide funds to further the inter-church (Sichuan <> Qinghai) relief work that is anticipated.
The ELCA has commtited $50,000 for the Yushu earthquake through its partner, Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance which will be implemented through Amity Foundation, the Sichuan Council of Churches, in coordination with the Qinghai Council of Churches and local partners such as Luzhou City Church; and Plateau Perspectives.
The ELCA has already been in contact with companions in Chile in support of their response. ELCA Disaster Response is working with and through two historical companions with presence in earthquake affected areas:
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile (Iglesia Evangelica Luterana en Chile - IELCH), a church that carries out its mission in the context of people living in situations of poverty and marginalization including work in Concepcion and Santiago.
- Educacion Popular en Salud (EPES) - With roots as an emergency response organization, EPES is now a leader for access and provision of systematic community health services.
Both the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile and EPES are well located and equipped for this earthquake response.
Haiti Earthquake ReliefA magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked the island country of Haiti on Tuesday, January 12. Buildings are destroyed, the search for survivors is intense and the streets of Haiti are filled with people in shock and searching for loved ones among the rubble. ELCA Disaster Response partners have survived the quake and are already working to serve the people of Haiti.
Your help is needed today to bring immediate relief and continued hope for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. About 3 million people, one-third of Haiti’s population, were affected by this earthquake.
Ways to Give:
ELCA Disaster Response
39330 Treasury Center
Chicago, IL 60694-9300
write "Haiti [or Chile or China] Earthquake Relief" on your check's
memo line.
