All The World (July 2014)

Partnership in JORDAN INDIA – a local response Conflict across AFRICA recovery comparison

THE MANY

FACES

OF EMERGENCY OCTOBER–DECEMBER 2010 JULY–SEPTEMBER 2014

VOL 52 48 NO 3 4

EMERGENCY SERVICES SPECIAL ISSUE

CONTENTS

JULY–SEPTEMBER 2014

03

EMERGENCY SERVICES SPECIAL ISSUE

4

Visit ALL THE WORLD at: www.salvationarmy.org/alltheworld UPFRONT From the Editor

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04 THE PHILIPPINES

Responding to Typhoon Yolanda

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06 USA/THE PHILIPPINES

Moving on to recovery 08 HOME AND AWAY

Reflections from here and there

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10 AFRICA

Conflict across a continent 15 A DAY IN THE LIFE ...

of an Emergency Services Coordinator

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16 JORDAN

A partner’s perspective 19 INDIA

In-country assistance

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22

20

Name

(Miss, Mrs, Ms, Mr)

22 SNAPSHOTS

Emergency news from

around the world

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FRO M T H E E DITOR

Blessed and impressed I’VE not experienced any major emergencies or disasters in my life (thank the Lord!). I’ve suffered three broken wrists (left wrist twice, right wrist once – I don’t have three wrists!) and a few cuts and bruises, but nothing lifethreatening. I’ve witnessed the tail-end of a hurricane in Florida, been shaken awake by an earthquake in California and kept awake by an earth tremor in Cornwall, UK. I’ve driven through flooded roads and had a large tree fall across my garden on two separate occasions – some of which caused nuisance and anxiety, but nothing that brought about any deep suffering or trauma.

Of course, like anyone, I’ve had to deal with loss, illness of loved ones, disappointments and worries. That’s just the way life goes, and being a Christian shouldn’t mean I expect everything to be easy – far from it. My faith gives me strength when things go wrong, but it doesn’t insulate me from the icy grip of reality.

On the whole, though, I’m very blessed. I was born in and live in a country that doesn’t serve up dangerous weather or deadly creatures, which is free from war, where I can worship freely and know that I have access to

excellent health services or education for my children that doesn’t need me to pay at the point of delivery. I’m quite aware that I really do have it good!

What this means, of course, is that it’s difficult for me to understand what millions of people around the world are going through every day. I have no idea what it must be like to be forced from my home because of war or see my family and friends killed or injured in a natural disaster. And this is where the articles in this special emergency services issue come in – I may not experience these things in person, but I ought to be aware of them, and of what can be done – and is being done – to alleviate the suffering of my fellow human beings.

‘I may not experience these things in person, but I ought to be aware of them’

Kevin Sims, Editor

The Salvation Army has been responding to emergency situations for more than a century, but today’s responses worldwide are carried out more professionally than ever before.

(But don’t mistake ‘professional’ as suggesting efficiency without compassion.)

You may see in this issue some aspects of Salvation Army ministry that you didn’t know existed – carpentry and tailoring training for people in India who lost their livelihoods through flooding, for instance, or Happy Hours for children in Chile whose homes were destroyed in an earthquake. As I’ve worked on the articles I’ve been amazed and impressed by the imaginative and compassionate ways in which The Salvation Army is providing for the needs of people affected by disaster.

Through the articles over the next 20 pages, I hope you will begin to understand the amazing breadth of ministry. The Salvation Army responds quickly when disasters strike, often because it has people who are part of the affected community, but it always tries to take a long-term view. It doesn’t leave when people are back on their feet – rather, it walks alongside them on the road to recovery and even takes steps to prevent similar emergencies happening again.

I hope and pray that I will never find myself in the terrible situations that are written about on these pages – but I also pray that The Salvation Army will never move away from its mission to ‘meet human needs without discrimination’ in Christ’s name.

Editor Kevin Sims

Founder William Booth

design and Artwork Berni Georges

General André Cox

Editorial Office The Salvation Army International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4EH, United Kingdom

COMMUNICATIONS SECRETARY Major John Murray

© The General of The Salvation Army 2014

Tel: [44] (0)20 7332 0101; fax: [44] (0)20 7332 8079

Published by André Cox, General of The Salvation Army

Email: IHQ-alltheworld@salvationarmy.org

Printed in the UK by Lamport Gilbert Printers Ltd

J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2014 | ALL THE WORLD |

3

Response

THE PHILIPPINES

Rebuilding lives torn apart

by Envoy Wim Kanis

by Yolanda

T

HE super typhoon that hit The Philippines on 8 November 2013 was known internationally as Haiyan, but locally people speak about ‘Yolanda’. The devastation caused overnight by Yolanda was enormous, particularly on the islands that make up the country’s Eastern Visayas Province.

The Salvation Army, which has been working in The Philippines since 1937, was quick to put in place an emergency response on the islands of Cebu, Samar and Leyte. On Leyte the operations still continue, more than six months after the typhoon hit.

Compared to the days immediately after the storm, things have changed – mostly for the better. It is amazing to see how the Filipinos have got on with their lives. They are active and find ways to survive, sometimes on as little as US$2 a day.

The emergency aid phase has come to an end and early recovery has begun.

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The time for handing out survival kits has ended – now is the time to ‘build back better’.

Since the disaster happened The Salvation Army’s The Philippines Territory has been assisted by staff and deployees from all over the world, through its partnership with International Emergency Services. Deployees have come from the United Kingdom, Australia, USA, The Netherlands, Canada and Germany.

Together with local volunteers, officers and soldiers of The Salvation Army responded to the emergency, assisting with the distribution of goods, seeds for planting and food items, and the provision of emergency medical care.

Now, six months later, deployees are assisting with programmes that will help people rebuild their lives. These include the partial repair of houses and helping

farmers to replant coconut trees in the town of Dulag, livelihood projects in the devastated community of Tacloban, which was the focus of the world’s attention in the aftermath of Yolanda, and the reconstruction of school and municipal buildings in Santa Fe. These programmes first have to be designed, approved by the various Salvation Army levels, local and international, and agreed upon by donors.

This takes time. It can appear to be a slow process, involving as it does negotiations with local government authorities and non-governmental organisation (NGO) ‘clusters’, frequent discussions with individual NGOs and, of course, in-depth conversations with the victims of Yolanda.

The Filipino Government wants to ensure that help is provided in a certain

‘There is a massive amount of rebuilding needed, and more people than before have little or no income’

THE PHILIPPINES

Opposite page: Envoy Wim Kanis with Filipino children at an agricultural project; right: a Filipino emergency worker with a beneficiary; below: assessing damage at a coconut farm

way. The clusters set standards and help to avoid any duplication or competition between agencies. Staff need to be hired because, six months after Yolanda, normal Salvation Army activities in The Philippines have to continue, so local staff have had to return to their usual roles.

Some projects may take a year of preparation before they can start, during which time new projects can become necessary! Sometimes these will lead to a long-term development project, supported not by International Emergency Services but by International Projects and Development.

On the ground, the people of The Philippines are very grateful for the help they get. Whenever the Salvation Army Shield is noted on a shirt or vest, it’s common for people to approach and say: ‘Thank you, Salvation Army people, for your help.’

We have seen the results of some of the early emergency assistance that was given, particularly the vegetables which have been grown from seeds distributed

by The Salvation Army in Dulag. One woman told us she had been able to eat from her vegetable garden and that she also was able to sell the excess for US$100 in the local market. This additional family income can be so important in helping people to get back on their feet.

Some projects fit in perfectly with Salvation Army activities, with the aim of changing lives over the long term. In Tacloban, there was a basic livelihood project which was already in place before Yolanda. Initiated by the mayor’s wife, and funded by the municipality, hundreds of unemployed people were taught basic skills, received a toolkit and could then earn enough money to sustain their families.

Because of the resources that went into clearing up after Yolanda, the municipal income dwindled and the programme had to stop. And yet, more skilled workers are needed then ever before. There is a massive amount of rebuilding needed, and more people than before have little or no income. The Salvation Army has responded to requests for help, providing toolkits and supporting the trainers. There are even plans to help to rebuild the livelihood training centre.

I arrived in The Philippines in April, as a deployee for International Emergency Services. Because of previous emergency response experience, I felt that I ought to

go and help, even though I didn’t know exactly what to expect.

I was welcomed at Manila Airport by Lieut-Colonels Alex and Joyce Genabe. It is always so good to see the familiar Army uniform and smiling faces welcoming you! The next day I flew to Tacloban, where again I found a warm welcome.

We went to the staff house in Nula Tula, which had been the field office since November 2013. It was a bit of a shock to me to find, amidst soaring temperatures, that there was no electricity, no running water and rats in the kitchen!

I was introduced to the programme by fellow International Emergency Services deployee John Berglund, director of the Salvation Army’s Emergency Services in New York. Major Jessie Mosquera and Tonton Delacruz were the two Filipino Salvationists who helped us to get around, translating and providing a valued local understanding of the cultural situation.

We had a wonderful time meeting the people and trying to design future programmes. Since then John has returned to New York and Major Jessie was replaced by Major Carlito Alacar.

Tonton is the constant factor. Now I am joined by Carolynn Barkhouse, from Calgary in Canada. Together we are here to keep the network going, making preparations for the distribution of 36,000 roofing sheets and 230,000 coconut seeds and intercrop seeds. The other programmes, as identified by us, are still in the approval process.

The Salvation Army in The Philippines may need the assistance of the Army world for years to come. I am sure it can count on help in realising its mission to support the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

Envoy Wim Kanis is from The Salvation Army’s The Netherlands and Czech Republic Territory

J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2014 | ALL THE WORLD |

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Recovery

USA/THE PHILIPPINES

From response to recovery – f­rom Sandy to Haiyan

by John Berglund ‘He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. remain and often fester, especially Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and when emergency funds dry up, relief agencies pull up stakes and government took care of him’ (Luke 10:34 New International Version)

T

HE Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches the directive to provide humanitarian relief to those in need, without discrimination. The parable throws a strong light on an unlikely relief worker, moved by compassion, who responds immediately with emergency aid. Surprisingly, he then goes the extra mile by mapping out a recovery plan for the survivor. In essence, the Good Samaritan was a relief worker as well as a disaster case manager. He was involved in both the response and recovery phases, utilising a holistic approach to healing.

Salvation Army Emergency Services around the world are known for emergency response, a quick and agile reaction to alleviate human suffering.

Response initiatives, however, are just one vital component among many along the road to recovery. Emergency

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management is a phased process, and The Salvation Army responds to individuals and communities in crisis during all phases, often committing to recovery projects that support survivors for years following a disaster.

On any disaster site today, there are a myriad of response agencies, both faith-based and secular, rushing in to find their niche. Breaking news alerts and social media quickly permeate the global village, demanding worldwide attention and support. As response teams have become more professional over the past few decades, so too has recovery awareness increased. The reality is that as emergency crews and television cameras leave the scene, survivor needs

programmes flounder.

For The Salvation Army, at least, mission mandates that a caring eye be kept on the long-term needs of survivors.

Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall on the east coast of the USA one year before Typhoon Haiyan tore through the east of The Philippines, was the most devastating hurricane to hit the upper US eastern seaboard since 1938. Bringing hurricane-force winds of 175 miles per hour, Sandy left 7.9 million businesses and households without power in 15 states. New York City was shut down for days, including the New York Stock Exchange, the United Nations and all of Broadway. More than 350,000 people registered for government assistance.

The death toll in New York State was less than 50, but the damage for people living in New York City and Long Island

‘Recovery work for any catastrophic incident is a multi-year commitment’

USA/THE PHILIPPINES

Opposite page: Captain Antonio Rosamilia visits a hurricane-hit community in the USA; left: Captain Rosamilia helps with the clean-up operation; above: temporary housing in The Philippines

was substantial. The Salvation Army responded by providing emergency relief supplies, offering feeding in special needs shelters, trucking, and emotional and spiritual care.

Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record, was also the deadliest, killing at least 6,200 people just in The Philippines.

The storm’s winds, blowing at 170 miles per hour, affected 11 million people, leaving 1.9 million homeless and more than 600,000 displaced. A 19-foot storm surge devastated Tacloban City on Leyte, destroying roughly 90 per cent of the city. The Salvation Army responded by providing emergency relief supplies, emergency feeding, medical services, and spiritual and emotional care.

Recovery work for any catastrophic incident is a multi-year commitment within an ever-changing, highly competitive environment. It requires keen situational awareness and a pocketful of patience.

The challenges currently affecting New York City’s recovery from Hurricane Sandy are almost identical to those still facing Tacloban City as it recovers from Typhoon Haiyan. Both Salvation Army territories experienced similar early recovery phases as they watched the field, assessed the needs, listened to survivors, and continued to fill the service gaps.

Both territories are currently involved in

long-term recovery efforts, as there is no exit plan for The Salvation Army while service gaps remain.

In the Greater New York Division, part of the USA Eastern Territory, recovery efforts will most likely continue through to December 2015. Recovery offices in Island Park, Long Island, and Far Rockaway, Queens (NYC) were established to provide disaster case management, working one-on-one with individuals and families, creating personalised recovery plans and advocating for survivor support. With the goal of helping the most vulnerable people to repair their homes, The Salvation Army has provided building materials, contractor services, mental health counselling, information and referral services, and financial assistance to thousands of individuals.

One of the outstanding service gaps throughout the Greater New York Division was the need for new beds. To fill that gap, The Salvation Army initiated a Hurricane Sandy bed programme that distributed $1.5 million-worth of new beds to 2,000 survivors as they returned to their homes. Similar programmes were created to fill additional recovery gaps for appliances, furniture, holiday assistance and winter clothing.

In The Philippines, long-term recovery efforts are just getting underway, and they

include a variety of programmes, from the provision of roofing materials to school refurbishment to livelihood projects.

One of the most progressive endeavours to date is the purchase, distribution and planting of 230,000 coconut seeds.

Working in partnership with the Philippine Coconut Authority and the Visayas State University Research Center, The Salvation Army is supporting coconut farmers as they rebuild their lives. It takes seven years for a coconut tree to mature, but the project is an investment for the next generation – for those Filipino children whose environment was so adversely affected.

Long-term recovery is often the forgotten phase of disasters. For survivors, it is just as vital as receiving immediate humanitarian assistance, if not more so.

Following Hurricane Sandy and Typhoon Haiyan, The Salvation Army’s USA Eastern and The Philippines Territories remain committed to long-term recovery projects because that’s where the greatest need remains, just like in the story that was told 2,000 years ago about an emergency response offered on the very treacherous and difficult road from Jerusalem down to Jericho.

John Berglund is Director of Emergency Services for the Greater New York Division of The Salvation Army’s USA Eastern Territory J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2014 | ALL THE WORLD |

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HO U MN E TARNYDOARWTAHYE M E C

A series looking at the thoughts and experiences of people working for The Salvation Army in their country of birth and others giving service abroad

Anaël Jambers SWITZERLAND

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I am the Asia desk projects coordinator in the Mission and Development team of The Salvation Army’s Switzerland, Austria and Hungary Territory.

What would be your typical day?

A mix of meetings, emails, administrative issues and – of course – coffees. I travel overseas quite often.

During my time abroad every day is different!

HOME

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

My parents were friends of The Salvation Army and I went to a children’s club as a child.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

My high school maths teacher. He is one of the most intelligent men I know and opened my angle of vision – even to some theological questions.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Philippians 4:4-6: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God’ (New International Version). Because the joy does not come from external circumstances but is a present from God. What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

‘They Shall Come from the East’ by John Gowans and John Larsson (No 170, The Song Book of The Salvation Army): ‘They shall come from the east, they shall come from the west, and sit down in the Kingdom of God ... To be met by their Father and welcomed and blessed.’

How do you think working in Switzerland differs from working elsewhere?

Well, we never have power cuts!

What do you like most about Switzerland?

Raclette Valaisanne (a traditional hot cheese dish) and chocolate with almonds. Our mountains and public transport.

What aspects of another country’s culture do you wish were present in Switzerland?

Hospitality and flexibility.

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Anaël Jambers on a community visit in Pakistan

If you were elected General, what would be the first thing you would change?

The current General is great and I support his focus on integrity and accountability.

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army anywhere else, where would you choose and why?

I would go to a country where The Salvation Army is very small and has just begun its work. There I would try to support the initial endeavours with innovative and flexible steps, in an integrated mission approach.

What skills do you use most in your work?

Languages (working in English, French and German on a daily basis), being creative, negotiating, diplomacy, conceptualising, intercultural communication, capacity building and providing support on different levels to the people I work with.

How would you like to be remembered?

With a smile on the face of the person remembering!

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

Its holistic approach and integrated mission, plus the way it meets people who are on the margins of society. In Switzerland, what makes it special are the many faithful, wise, kind and spirited elderly people.

What does The Salvation Army bring to an emergency response?

Usually, The Salvation Army was there before and will be there long after the emergency; this is a strength of our emergency work. There is also an approach to the person as a holistic being and a focus on dignity.

&

away

CAPTAIN JEREMY LAM originally from Hong Kong, CAPTAIN JEREMY LAM currently works for The Salvation Army in China.

&AWAY

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I am the China Development Secretary.

This means I am responsible for all of The Salvation Army’s community development work, education programmes and emergency relief projects in China. In my department there are three project offices – in Beijing, Kunming and Hong Kong. These offices are all under my supervision. My office is in Beijing.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

When I was a primary school student, a daughter of a friend of my mother invited me and my sister to attend the Joy Hour programme at Wah Fu Corps (church), Hong Kong. I went on to attend the children’s choir and Sunday school. After that I became a junior soldier, corps cadet and senior soldier (full member of The Salvation Army).

&AWAY

What is your favourite Bible verse?

1 Peter 5:2, 3: ‘Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock’ (New International Version).

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

‘All My Days and All My Hours’ (chorus 32 in The Song Book of The Salvation Army).

How do you think that working in China differs from working elsewhere?

According to the law and regulations in China, our work cannot contain a religious component. We have not been allowed to develop corps/church ministry in China.

What do you like most about China?

China is a big country and has many ethnic minorities.

I enjoy travelling around the county so I can learn and experience different cultures.

What do you miss most about Hong Kong?

We do not have Salvation Army corps in China, so I miss the Army meetings very much.

Captain Jeremy Lam (right) with Lieut-Colonel Gracia Matondo (formerly projects officer, but now territorial secretary for business administration, Uganda Territory) at a team leaders’ workshop in Uganda

What skills do you use most in your work?

This is my second time working in China. The first time, I was a project officer. I learned to use my skills as a community development worker in our projects. At the moment, in a management role in our department, my previous project experience helps me to understand and monitor our project operations.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

The way the Army works is a good role model in China.

We are really concerned with people’s needs and look to respond appropriately. Although we cannot have religious activities in China, we try our best to provide a holistic mission (looking after people’s physical and spiritual needs).

What does The Salvation Army bring to an emergency response?

We do the emergency relief, providing food and living facilities to the victims. After that, we will move on to a recovery project, rebuilding village clinics, water systems or whatever is needed to make life normal again.

&AWAY

UL EPPTE BE 2014 | | ALL JJUL M YY–O–SNSETH –TE MMM OBE N TH RR2014 2012 ALLTHE THEWORLD WORLD | |

99

Conflict

AFRICA

Central African Republic Mali

South Sudan Uganda

Republic of Congo

Kenya

Democratic Republic of Congo

Conflict in Africa

by Damaris Frick

Responding across a continent

Rebekka and Adoor South Sudanese refugees in Uganda Date of conflict: since December 2013 Number of deaths: tens of thousands People displaced: more than a million

Adjumani, North Uganda, near the South Sudanese border I met Rebekka, a South Sudanese woman, in one of the transit camps in Northern Uganda. I chatted with her and told her that I have a sister with the same name, which made her smile. A few weeks ago she fled the fighting in her home country with her newborn baby and another child.

Like more than 100,000 others, mainly women, children and the elderly, she ran away from massacres and fighting in South Sudan to the safety of neighbouring Uganda, taking with her only the things she could carry.

Asked about her husband, she vaguely waved with her hand, which could mean he is dead or that he is still in South Sudan.

After being registered by UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) as a refugee and spending a couple of weeks in a transit centre, she has now been allocated a plot in a more permanent settlement, to which she will be transported with the first group of 700 families.

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This new location will be the 13th settlement that the Ugandan Government has opened in Adjumani District, each accommodating between 6,000 and 20,000 South Sudanese refugees. Upon arrival, the World Food Programme will provide Rebekka with maize and beans for a month and other agencies will give her some non-food items such as buckets, jerry-cans, pots, pans and plates, mosquito nets, mats and a tarpaulin.

The tarpaulin will act as a temporary shelter until Rebekka can build a more permanent traditional house made of poles and mud with a grass roof – which is where the Salvation Army programme comes in.

Adoor, an elderly woman, arrived at one of the other settlements a couple of months ago. In addition to her two grandchildren she looks after five ‘unaccompanied minors’. These five are some of the many children who arrive as refugees without parents or other family members. The relatives of these children are either dead, missing or fighting in the war.

Women like Adoor have no chance of securing enough resources to buy poles and the special kind of grass needed for a roof from the Ugandan host communities.

She is also too frail to build such a traditional house herself.

Because of her vulnerable state, Adoor and others like her have been selected by the community to receive assistance from The Salvation Army. The community members also helped her to

build a house, which is now her and the children’s home Nobody knows how long they will have to live in this secure but very basic dwelling. A conflict like the one in her home country could go on for years.

During the next few months Rebekka will have to build a similar house to Adoor’s, making the settlement her new home. The Ugandan government and the host communities in Uganda’s north are showing great hospitality and generosity to these refugees from South Sudan, and The Salvation Army in Uganda is providing vital assistance to those who need it most.

Almost five million people in South Sudan are in need of humanitarian assistance; about 300,000 of them are now refugees in other countries. The numbers are daunting but each one is a real person, like Rebekka or Adoor.

AFRICA

Conflict

N MINI FACTFILE There are currently 44 active conflicts in the world.

Since the end of the Second World War there have been, on average, 30 conflicts ongoing each year.

Ninety per cent of conflict casualties since 1945 have been civilians, compared to around 50 per cent of casualties in the Second World War and 10 per cent in the First World War. The number of people living as refugees from war or persecution passed 50 million in 2013 – the first time that figure had been exceeded since the Second World War. Around 33.3 million people are displaced within their own country – including 6.3 million in Syria.

Fadumata displaced within Mali Date of conflict: since January 2012 People displaced: 374,000 (144,000 refugees abroad, 230,000 internally displaced)

Bamako, Mali Mali has been in the news a fair bit in the past year. It headed a powerful empire during the Middle Ages but is now among the poorest countries in the world. In recent years it was considered as stable, democratic and peaceful, but things have changed since early 2012 with a coup

Above left: Damaris Frick at a refugee camp in Uganda with Rebekka, from South Sudan; above: a soap-making workshop for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Malawi; below, on opposite page: project officer Major William Mugeni with Adoor at a transit camp in Uganda; below left: Fadumata, an IDP who has been helped by The Salvation Army in Mali

that resulted in the president being ousted by the military.

Existing grievances of Tuareg separatist groups in the north were fuelled by outside militant religious groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb – often with their own agenda. Massive fighting erupted, resulting in the displacement of 400,000 people and the destruction of historical places such as in the ancient city of Timbuktu. French and Malian military forces intervened and recaptured some of the northern towns.

Fadumata, a widow with seven children, is one of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Originally from Timbuktu, she fled to Bamako when the fighting broke out in her home area. She met The Salvation Army when she was selected to participate in one of the income-generating workshops it facilitated for displaced people.

The soap-making workshop will provide her with skills and materials to start her own small business, which will provide an income whether she has to remain in Bamako or if one day she is able to return home to Timbuktu.

An estimated 6.3 million people are classed as long-term refugees, having been displaced for years or even decades.

The two countries with the greatest number of people to have fled abroad because of conflict are Afghanistan (2.56 million) and Syria (2.46 million).

Pakistan is host to the greatest number of refugees, with 1.8 million people seeking refuge there from a number of conflicts.

In Africa there are currently conflicts in 24 countries.

Somalia is the African country which has seen the greatest number of people flee its borders, with 1.12 million escaping the fighting caused by Islamic militia.

The Salvation Army began its ministry in Rwanda in 1994 as a result of relief work after the civil war. Today, the Rwanda and Burundi Command is home to 2,071 senior soldiers, 554 adherent members and 1,005 junior soldiers led by 27 officers in 12 corps (churches), 16 outposts and three societies.

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AFRICA

PRE-Elections conflict preparedness workshop Kenya Date of past conflict: December 2007 to February 2008 Date of elections in 2013: 4 March Date of workshop: January 2013 Above: women from Eldoret, Kenya, show a church they escaped from when it was torched – killing 30 people – in the violence that followed the 2007 elections; left and below: taking part in the disaster preparedness workshop in Nairobi, Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya After the national elections in Kenya in 2007, violence broke out. A wave of destruction and disorder led to 1,300 deaths and meant that 600,000 people were displaced from their homes.

The Salvation Army, like so many other organisations, was caught totally by surprise at the outbreak of violence.

Nonetheless, it did what it could, opening the gates of its compounds for people looking for shelter and safety. Salvation Army teams also assisted in camps and worked with the Red Cross and other groups.

In advance of the 2013 elections, aiming to be better prepared, The Salvation Army in Kenya sought assistance from International Emergency Services, based at the Army’s International Headquarters.

This led to the design and facilitation of a ‘conflict preparedness workshop’ for delegates from all potentially violent locations in the country.

Delegates explored the root causes of past problems, identified the areas with a high potential for conflict, analysed local capacities, described the relationships between groups in the weeks leading up to the coming elections and created emergency checklists for families, communities and institutions.

International Emergency Services personnel also spent time with the project teams from both Kenyan Salvation Army territories. Together they worked on a project proposal for activities related to raising awareness, peace-building and preparedness, also drawing up a disaster management plan.

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The 2007 elections left Kenyans traumatised, shocked and ashamed.

The rest of the world was horrified that something like this could happen in this beautiful country, which was normally stable. Because of this, nobody knew for certain what the 2013 elections might bring.

In the lead-up people were worried, and there were frequent demonstrations and cases of violence. Expatriates were advised to leave the country.

In contrast, others expressed hope that lessons had been learned from 2007.

The Salvation Army had certainly learned many lessons from 2007, leading to preparations being put in place in case the worst happened again. In 2013, it was not content to just wait and pray (although Salvationists did that as well!) – it strived to set an example and point the way to peace.

AFRICA

Therese displaced within the Democratic Republic of Congo Date of conflict: 2004 to 2009 (Phase 1), April 2012 to November 2013 (Phase 2), some fighting still ongoing Number of deaths: more than 5.4 million People displaced: two million

Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo Therese lives in Mugunga III, a camp for displaced people in Goma. Eastern Congo has been volatile since 1994 as a result of the genocide in neighbouring Rwanda, and a war rages between government soldiers and various rebel groups. It is probably one of the worst places on earth to be a woman.

In Therese’s home area it got particularly bad in 2008 so she and her family fled to Goma and lived in the camp. In the years since that she has returned home twice, only to lose all her family members and become a victim of sexual violence. She is now on her own.

She told me: ‘I am too tired to go back; I will just stay in the camp for the rest of my life.’

Therese is by no means unique. The United Nations estimates that since 1998 more than half a million women have become victims of sexual violence as a result of the ongoing conflict. But Therese didn’t give up. She is now the vicepresident of the camp committee and is also in charge of a group of women like her, victims of rape and sexual violence.

Together, they produce soap which they sell at the local market.

Last year the violence flared up again and the camp saw a huge influx of IDPs. Shelter and food were major issues, so The Salvation Army provided tarpaulins to 2,000 families in this camp and food for 2,750 families in another.

Adewande, an elderly woman, was one of the first recipients of a tarpaulin.

She takes care of her two grandchildren because their parents were killed in the ongoing war.

When I asked in the camp what the people need most the answer was simple: peace. Even though every individual can contribute to peace by means of small

Above: Elise Belcher, from International Projects and Development, with Therese in front of a community centre for women in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo; right: Damaris and Major Dieudonné Tsilulu speak with displaced people at an IDP camp in Goma

and bigger acts of humanity, much more than such isolated contributions is needed to bring sustainable peace into one of the most complex and difficult areas of the world.

In the meantime The Salvation Army provides assistance to the affected population in the camps, but also to those who have managed to return home, including an agricultural project for 500 families who returned to an area that was considered relatively safe.

Earlier this year a peace contract was written. How long the peace in this area will remain, no one knows. There is no guarantee that the people will have the opportunity to enjoy even more than one harvest – after all, they had to flee before. The Salvation Army personnel are aware of this – and it is frustrating. But it doesn’t keep them from doing whatever they can for people who are grabbing the opportunities that this fragile peace offers.

‘When I asked in the camp what the people need most the answer was simple: peace’

Refugees from the Central African Republic in the Republic of Congo Date: since December 2012 Number of deaths: at least 2,000 civilians People displaced: 643,000 internally displaced persons, and 300,000 now living in neighbouring countries.

Betou, Republic of Congo Since rebel groups seized several towns in the Central African Republic (CAR) in late 2012 the violent crisis in the country has escalated. CAR is surrounded by other conflict areas and has a long history of coups and authoritarian rule. Existing or perceived religious tensions between the Christian majority and Muslim minority have been used by national or regional agitators for their own agendas, which have then contributed to the conflict.

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AFRICA

Recently, a series of retaliatory attacks by government and rebel forces has caused the crisis to worsen.

There is no Salvation Army presence in CAR itself, but refugees flooded into the neighbouring countries of the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, both of which have a strong Salvation Army presence.

The Salvation Army’s headquarters in Brazzaville is some distance away from the camps, which are near the border between CAR and the Republic of Congo, but the plight of the refugees convinced a team of Salvationists to undertake the long and perilous journey to see what assistance they could provide.

The team travelled from Brazzaville by plane, car and eventually canoe to reach the border region of Betou, where refugees are hosted in various camps.

They faced enormous difficulties on the river, especially when a storm damaged

the engine and the team had to spend the night on the canoe!

To date, 717 CAR refugees living on the site in Betou – known as ‘April 15th’ – have been provided with food items and clothing from The Salvation Army.

The need is still great, and The Salvation Army is currently working on a new proposal which will target the most vulnerable victims of the conflict – babies and children.

‘They faced enormous difficulties on the river ... the team had to spend the night on the canoe!’

Right: a refugee from the Central African Republic who received assistance from The Salvation Army in the Republic of Congo

Nigeria, Boko Haram conflict Date: 1999 to present Number of deaths: more than 15,000 People displaced: thousands of civilians The establishment of sharia law in 1999 in some Muslim-majority states of northern Nigeria marked the start of an often-violent breakdown of relationships between the Muslim and Christian communities, with sporadic riots leading to large loss of life. Since 2009, when the Islamist group Boko Haram started an armed rebellion against the secular government of Nigeria, the conflict has become more violent.

In 2010, 55 people were killed in claimed or suspected Boko Haram attacks. By 2013, the annual death toll exceeded 1,000, with a further sharp increase occurring in early 2014. Boko Haram also claimed responsibility for the mass kidnapping of more than 270 school girls – an act that has been condemned worldwide.

Over the years The Salvation Army has responded several times to outbreaks of violence and has supported civilian families affected by the conflict. It has tried to coordinate with both Christian and Muslim authorities and groups, responding to people based on need alone, no matter what faith they follow.

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Above: food distribution in Nigeria

After one distribution Major Comfort Adepoju, the project and emergency officer, reported: ‘The distribution has promoted unity and peace accord between the two major religions (Christianity and Islam) which may prevent or reduce future religious crises in the area. At the Muslim distribution centre, the Chief Imam declared his support and said that he will begin to allow Christian and Muslim association to

begin to exist in Maiduguri because of the way The Salvation Army has generously supported their Muslim brethren affected

by Boko Haram. He prayed to God for blessings to continue to be poured more and more on The Salvation Army.’

Damaris Frick is Field Officer for The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services

I nternational H ead q uarters

of an International Emergency Services Coordinator Major Ray Brown was appointed as International Emergency Services Coordinator in 2012. He takes All the World through a typical Thursday at International Headquarters.

5.20 am

Above: the International Emergenc y Services team – (from left) Majo r Ray Brown, Cheryl Manners, Major Brad Caldwell and Damaris Frick; top: Major Ray Brown checks out a forklift truck provided to a fishing community in Japan

Wake up

nal On Thursday a 5.20 am alarm is necessary in order to arrive at Internatio Meeting!

Prayer e Worldwid the for time in Headquarters (IHQ)

7.15

up’my computer Arrive at the off ice and boot routed to my allocated smartphone,

Most important messages will have been focus but in the world of emergency services one email can totally change the day. of the

7.30

Worldwide Prayer Meeting

Chief The Worldwide Prayer Meeting at IHQ is conducted by the General or the office.

General’s the outside just Chapel, nal of Staff in the beautiful Internatio Army It makes us at IHQ part of a wave of prayer that encircles the Salvation moving and up wakes Pacific western the when world every Thursday, starting around the world from time zone to time zone.

8.00

Caffeine!

banter On the stroke of eight I line up with the ‘usual suspects’, enjoying some – facility staff our also is that cafe public the – 101 Café in staff with the friendly as they prepare our morning coffee orders.

To-do list

08.10

to Review my ‘to-do’ list for today. I have a briefing with a returning deployee I’m and make to calls with, deal to emails present, to lectures to, look forward in the middle of final preparation for a monitoring trip to Japan – we leave on Sunday!

08.15

Emails

Start working through 70-plus emails. Some will require close attention others, thankfully, are just for my information.

08.30

Deployee returns

08.45

South American crisis

09.00

IHQ family prayers

while

Debrief (recorded for social media)

10.45

Team photograph

Department for a Gather with the rest of the Programme Resources International Secretary, our to ted presen be will that graph photo group issioner Eva Marseille, Commissioner Gerrit Marseille, and his wife, Comm ean Territory.

Caribb the of ship leader up take to leave they when

12.00 pm

Lunch with the chaplain

Meet up with the IHQ Chaplain (my wife, Major joined by Major Ray Mackereth.

12.30

ICO day

1.00

More emails

Pat Brown) for lunch,

staff meet to present The Programme Resources section leaders and other the world, giving an around from tes an introductory session to ICO delega Services is just one of ency Emerg l ationa Intern ment. depart the of overview tment. The others are Projects the sections in the Programme Resources Depar ions (including editorial). unicat Comm and es Servic Health , pment and Develo ministries and sports ls, schoo for The department also has responsibility ces. mission resour ation on our planned Emails are about a range of subjects. There’s inform ahead of the monitoring sorted be to details inute training in Rwanda, last-m – including requests for input World the All of issue this for work Japan, to trip , Kevin Sims. from various contributors as agreed with the Editor

ICO lectures

Services with the ICO Lead two sessions about International Emergency discussion ensued. good a and delegates – my lectures are well received

huge

IHQ family prayers commences, led by the ICO delegates who have arrived from the college’s new home at Sunbury Court. There is always an excellent attendance at prayers, but today the meeting room is full to overflowing.

09.30

Daily contact

ines that is responding to Make daily contact with the team in The Philipp Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan.

2.40 and 3.20

Major Ray Mackereth arrives at IHQ. He is just back in the UK from a deployment for International Emergency Services in Malawi.

Discuss a request for help from The Salvation Army in Chile following a fire involving at least 2,000 families.

10.30

Commence debrief with Major Mackereth. We are noticed by Major John Murray (IHQ Communications Secretary) who posts photographs of our meeting on Facebook and Twitter!

4.00

Skype call

4.45

Notes

Skype call to a United Nations representative in Humanitarian Summit in 2016.

New York regarding the World

Make notes and a to-do list regarding the call.

5.15

Home time

6.15

Arrive home

I’m not totally off-duty – Head for the railway station, and home, though encies across the world. emerg new any to me alert to on my phone is always Ready for it all to start again tomorrow!

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Partnership

JORDAN

Working together – a partner’s perspective

M

Y first links with The Salvation Army came about in February 2012.

I was working with an international non-profit organisation called the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) providing assistance to Syrian refugees who had fled the fighting in their country and come to seek safety in my home country of Jordan.

I first worked for IOCC as a project manager in Iraq after the 2003 Iraq war.

We provided food and hygiene parcels to Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs), rehabilitating 16 schools and establishing 14 vocational training centres. In 2006 I moved back to Jordan where I became project coordinator at IOCC’s Jordan office, assisting Iraqi refugees in Jordan.

In February 2012 a delegation from The Salvation Army led by Major Ray

by Dr Saad Gedeon

Brown (International Emergency Services Coordinator) visited IOCC in Amman.

I spoke to the visitors about the IOCC mission in Jordan to assist Syrian refugees, giving an overview of the organisation’s humanitarian activities and programmes and its coordination with other NGOs (non-governmental organisations) through UNHCR, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

The Salvation Army representatives gave a brief explanation about the Army and its mission. They told us about the reason for their visit to Jordan, which was to find the best way to help alleviate the growing refugee crisis.

At the end of that meeting the two parties showed their interest, willingness and appreciation for what each other could bring. It was clear even then that we would be able to cooperate with each other in assisting Syrian refugees in Jordan.

It was agreed that IOCC would represent The Salvation Army in ‘It is good teamwork that Jordan, since IOCC was already leads to such [good] results’ established and – importantly – 16 | ALL THE WORLD |

JULY–SEPTEM BER 2014

it was registered with the Ministry of Development and Social Affairs, which made arrangements run much more smoothly. The Salvation Army would secure funds so that, using its emergency response expertise, it could work with IOCC to help the Syrian refugees.

I was left to contact IOCC headquarters in the USA to get the approval on this initial verbal agreement.

I accompanied the Salvation Army team to a suburb of Amman, where we visited three Syrian refugee families. The Salvation Army team saw the conditions these families were living in and also gained a better idea as to exactly what type of support it could provide.

Having conducted this assessment visit, we agreed on activities that The Salvation Army would support, such as providing hygiene parcels. We also considered ways that they could improve the houses – or even outbuildings – that were being rented by Syrian refugees.

It was all going well but, despite our best efforts, my headquarters decided not

JORDAN

Opposite page: (from left) Major Cedric Hills, Dr Saad Gedeon and Major Ray Brown meet two staff members from a Jordanian non-governmental organisation, the Princess Basma Centre for Community; below: Dr Gedeon shows International Emergency Services personnel the living conditions of some Syrian refugees

Above: Major Hank van Hatten arranges the distribution of heaters; below: on a school building site visit with Mr Ashraf, a construction engineer for the Lutheran World Federation

to give approval so, with regret, at that time I could not implement the project.

That, however, was not the end of the story.

Four months later, I was offered the role of project manager at the Amman office of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).

I decided to take up the offer and joined LWF in June 2013. After one month working with LWF, remembering the earlier proposal that hadn’t worked out, I informed our headquarters in Geneva – through our emergency programme manager – about the Salvation Army team I had met before, and its willingness to assist Syrian refugees in Jordan.

Within a few days we had an answer.

Headquarters informed our office in Jordan that it was willing to collaborate and cooperate with The Salvation Army. Quickly, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the two parties, with the agreement that LWF would be the representative and implementing partner for The Salvation Army in Jordan. Again, LWF’s pre-existing registration meant that it was able to work smoothly with the government and local authorities.

The first proposal that was developed and approved by the two parties was put in place in September 2013. Syrian refugees in Al Mafraq and Irbid were provided with gas heaters, gas refill canisters and carpets. The winter was

expected to be particularly harsh, and many refugees were living in unheated rooms or buildings. We also ensured that poor, vulnerable families from the host Jordanian communities were given help, because the influx of thousands of people had pushed up the prices of essentials such as food.

The Salvation Army funded and monitored the project and LWF implemented the programme successfully. A team from The Salvation Army based itself in Jordan to oversee and monitor the project, from the procurement of the winterisation goods, through the tendering process, to the checking of beneficiary lists and finally the monitoring of the distribution process.

The Salvation Army also worked with LWF on the construction of nine classrooms at two schools. The new facilities will enable refugee children to continue their education while they are away from their homeland.

Nader Duqmaq, from LWF’s Jordan office, wrote to Major Brown at the conclusion of one of the projects, commenting that ‘it is good teamwork that leads to such [good] results.’

He concluded: ‘On behalf of LWF, I would like to say that we are privileged to have this opportunity to collaborate with a like-minded organisation which is committed to serving the poor during a time of great need in the region. We prefer to see this as a preface to a large book of many chapters – I am confident that such a partnership will yield significant returns and impact the lives of many.’

Major Ray Brown (International Emergency Services Coordinator) adds: ‘The partnership with the Lutheran World Federation was of huge benefit to the ministry of The Salvation Army. LWF had existing projects in Jordan and a high level of competency and professionalism. Importantly for us, it is also an organisation that shares the same aims, goals and values in working to assist conflict-affected people. A good relationship has been established and, if the opportunity arose, we would be happy to work with LWF again in the future.’

J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2014 | ALL THE WORLD |

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INDIA

Local Response

Already there! based on an article by Major Tarsem Masih

O

NE of The Salvation Army’s greatest strengths in its disaster response work is that it has a permanent presence in more than 125 countries around the world. The wellknown phrase ‘Where there’s a need, there’s The Salvation Army’ may give the impression that the Army moves in to provide assistance, but what is less-often considered is that it already has people in place – Salvationists, staff and volunteers – in most of the populated regions of the world. When disaster strikes, The Salvation Army doesn’t just head in to help – in most instances it’s already there!

The Salvation Army has been working in India since 1882, with its administration currently divided into six territories that, between them, oversee the movement’s ministry across the whole of this vast land. The India Northern Territory is one

of the largest, geographically, covering 13 states in the north and east of the country, from the Himalayas to the coast on the Bay of Bengal, with its headquarters in New Delhi. Over the centuries the region has been the scene of many natural and man-made disasters, including the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004.

Major Tarsem Masih is the Territorial Emergency and Disasters Secretary. He explains how the territory deals with a disaster: ‘After we receive information through electronic or printed media, or through

‘When disaster strikes, The Salvation Army doesn’t just head in to help – in most instances it’s already there!’

Above: teaching basket-making skills to members of a flood-hit community

our own people living nearby or at the affected areas, a team from a local division or corps (church) will visit the scene of the emergency and send a report to territorial headquarters (THQ).’

If the situation is relatively easy to access, and not involving too large a number of people, THQ will use its own limited resources to provide essentials such as food and drinking water.

If the THQ board decides that the response is beyond its financial resources the matter is brought to the notice of International Emergency Services at International Headquarters (IHQ) in London, UK. This sets in motion the Rapid Response funding process, where a formal, written request for funds is considered J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2014 | ALL THE WORLD |

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INDIA

Above: carpentry skills will enable these men to earn a living; left: Major Tarsem Masih (centre) oversees the distribution of tarpaulins, blankets and mosquito nets; opposite page: by learning tailoring skills, these women will have skills that can see them through disasters

at IHQ. If the Rapid Response request is accepted the responsibility moves back to the territory to make arrangements to purchase and distribute relief materials.

Before the funding can be sourced, a quick but thorough needs assessment takes place. Major Masih says: ‘An assessment is a very important part of the procedure, to find the most urgent need.

It is conducted by officers from THQ and from the nearby divisions along with local volunteers.’ The assessment team speaks to the local people in order to discover their immediate needs.

Using local knowledge, and involving disaster victims in the process right from the start, ensures that the right response is put in place. Sometimes, the most urgent requests are not what would be expected.

Major Masih recalls an assessment visit that followed a super cyclone in Odisha.

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‘A number of our team members were visiting the affected people,’ he recalls. ‘We went to see the Relief Commissioner in his office. While we were there we saw a middleaged woman, the principal of a school, crying in front of the Relief Commissioner’s office. When we tried to talk to her to find out her problem she cried even more loudly.

Finally she explained that she did not want any financial help but that she was in desperate need of kerosene oil for the cremation of 3,000 dead bodies she and her school staff had collected there.’

After what the major calls ‘instant relief’ – the initial emergency response – comes rehabilitation, as disaster victims are helped to return to normal life.

In Uttrakhand region, for instance, thousands of people became homeless and jobless after what the major calls a ‘cloudburst disaster’.

Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are four sites of Hindu religious pilgrimage, with devotees visiting from within the country and from abroad. People from nearby places like Guptakashi and the surrounding area work to support the pilgrimages from May to October every year, relying on the money from these months to supplement their whole year’s earnings.

In June 2013 an unprecedented ‘cloudburst’ over three days – with almost four times the usual monsoon rain falling – caused flash flooding and landslides.

Almost 6,000 people lost their lives and 100,000 pilgrims were trapped after roads and bridges were washed away.

The whole pilgrimage season came to a halt, leaving workers with no way to earn money. Some were trapped in the region, meaning that their families were left in a very precarious situation.

To meet their immediate needs The Salvation Army arranged for essential relief materials to be distributed – but then came the longer-term response.

‘The Salvation Army has always sought to help the poorest members of society’

INDIA

It was quickly realised that, because the pilgrimages provided income for so many people in the region, lots of people had not needed to learn other skills with which to earn a living. With the pilgrimages now not taking place for at least a year, this was quite a significant problem.

The Salvation Army put together training programmes for men and for women, based in Banigram, where 56 people had been killed in the cloudburst disaster. Men were taught carpentry skills and women were given the opportunity to learn tailoring and basket-making.

Housing was another pressing need. In Theture many homes had been washed away, so The Salvation Army provided houses for 23 families.

Major Masih says that while the effects of large-scale disasters are obvious, it is sometimes easy to miss the small disasters that affect individuals.

‘Disaster is disaster,’ he says. ‘It may be for an individual, a community, a state or a country. Sometimes the individuals are overlooked and they are swallowed up and don’t receive any help. The disasters that come with marriage breakdown, sickness, poverty, fraud, drug abuse – these are usually not considered so seriously.’

He remembers meeting a man at THQ in New Delhi: ‘A nicely dressed young man, who had worked in a good hotel, drawing a handsome salary,’ he recalls. ‘Due to his wife’s sickness, he

lost everything he had – and she had eventually died. He even lost his job, so he came to us for financial help.

‘We went to his house and found his three children but no furniture or other essentials. One of the children tried to tell us they had not eaten for three days, but his elder sister forbid him to say so.’

The family was given assistance to get back on its feet, and the major says: ‘After some time the man came in and told us everything that had happened in his family since we had seen them. He said that if we had not gone to his house and given him some assistance he might have committed suicide – perhaps even killing his three children – because he had been exhausted and unable to cope with seeing his children go hungry.’

The Salvation Army has always sought to help the poorest members of society, and this is no different in India.

Around 5,000 people were left homeless when a massive fire engulfed their slum cluster in Jai Hind Camp, south of New Delhi, in April 2014. The fire, which was suspected to have been triggered by a cooking gas cylinder blast, gutted more than 600 shanty homes.

Several people suffered severe burns and were badly hurt in the stampede that followed. It took 45 fire engines and 200 fire-fighters several hours to extinguish the blaze.

The Salvation Army was quickly on the scene, providing each household with

some cooking utensils – including pots – and cloths.

The efforts and assistance were highly appreciated by the slum dwellers, who were particularly pleased that the assistance offered fulfilled their most urgent needs.

Slum resident Selima Bibi received her package from Territorial Commander Colonel Wilfred Varughese. She told Salvation Army team members that the government and other agencies had provided food grains, but that this provision was almost useless without a means to cook them.

‘Now,’ she said, ‘I can at least cook something for my children after many days.’ The local leader of the slum cluster, Imam Sanaullah, expressed his gratitude to the Salvation Army leaders and the team members who rushed to help and provide people with what they most desperately needed.

Major Masih concludes: ‘The India Northern Territory is vast geographically, with disastrous activities often occuring at one place or another. I am thankful to the international Salvation Army for its support in helping people in need. God bless The Salvation Army and its leaders, from corps (churches) to the top level!’

Major Tarsem Masih is Territorial Emergency and Disasters Secretary in The Salvation Army’s India Northern Territory J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2014 | ALL THE WORLD |

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COUNTRY OR THEME

SNAPSHOTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD Indonesia The nation of Indonesia is home to more than 180 volcanoes, 70 of which are active, so eruptions are nothing unusual.

The eruption of Mount Sinabung, however, has caused unprecedented damage and loss of life. The volcano, located on the island of Sumatra, the farthest west of the archipelago, began erupting on 15 September 2013, with a second major eruption happening in January 2014.

Since the first eruption The Salvation Army’s Indonesia Territory has been hard at work, bringing hope and help to people around the volcano who are living in fear.

The scale of the catastrophe has placed extreme pressure on the resources of The Salvation Army’s ‘Compassion in Action’ teams and local corps (churches). To date the Army has provided more than 10,000 refugees with temporary housing, food, face masks and medical aid, alongside much-needed emotional and spiritual guidance. Trauma counselling has been given to more than 6,000 people, with a further 700 having received medical care from the Army’s doctors and nurses for respiratory issues and burns.

Providing entertainment to children displaced by the volcano

Looking to the future, The Salvation Army is proposing projects to assist with the long-term recovery of the local economy and the relocation of thousands of people who have been left homeless by the disaster.

Java, with rainy ash and dust reaching territorial headquarters in Bandung – 200 kilometres away.

The disaster in North Sumatra is just one of dozens that are currently being faced

by Indonesia. The volcano caused an unprecedented rainy season which has led to major flooding throughout other islands. A second, previously dormant, volcano is awakening on the Island of

Territorial Project Officer Major James Cocker says that, despite the difficulties being faced, the country’s Salvation Army personnel ‘keep serving and keep loving people. Jesus’ name is being lifted up and the Kingdom is growing.

Praise God!’

Chile On the morning of 1 April 2014 an 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck northern Chile. It was the most powerful earthquake of the year to date. The worst-hit area was around the city of Iquique.

The municipality provided two shelters for the victims, but many people decided to sleep on the streets to guard the belongings that were still in their uninhabitable homes, forming what was known as ‘informal camps’.

The Salvation Army was allocated two of these ‘camps’: Cementerio No 3 (180 families) and La Pampilla (100 families).

The emergency response teams’ help consisted of distributing breakfast, lunch, and coffee and sandwiches at night.

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Tents, blankets, diapers/nappies and non-perishable food were also given out (see photo to the right).

Noelia Pintos, from The Salvation Army’s South America West Territory, says: ‘Spiritual help was fundamental after a catastrophe like this as many people were finding it very difficult to cope with the situation they were going through; the Word of God was very well received.

‘We set up a response in a place called Huara, where houses made of sundried brick had completely collapsed in the earthquake, leaving people totally unprotected. The Salvation Army served hot lunch and dinner, and provided children with entertainment and relaxation through Happy Hours – times of joining

together in song and fun activities (see photo opposite). The Happy Hours in particular helped to release some of the tension in the community.

‘Praise God for using us to give a helping hand to those who most need it!’

SNAPSHOTS

Japan More than three years on from the tsunami that devastated the north-east coast of Japan, killing more than 19,000 people, memories are still raw. Local fishermen in the Onagawa area told Salvation Army representatives from the Japan Territory and International Headquarters that families have moved away because of the fear of another tsunami.

The fishermen were grateful for the provision by The Salvation Army of a new patrol boat (see below), fishing boats, a forklift truck and a heavy-duty winch to pull boats from the water.

A teacher from a local primary school thanked The Salvation Army for the provision of a simple escape ramp by which pupils could access higher ground should a further tsunami warning be given.

An employee of a temporary shopping centre in Minamisanriku – built with funding from the USA-based Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO) – was anxious to show the visitors photos of the roof he and three friends had clung to in order to escape the devastation of the tsunami. He explained that he had been so convinced he was going to die that he had taken

off his tie and attached it to the telecoms mast of the building so his family would be aware of his final location.

It is clear that it will take many more years before a sense of normality can return to this devastated area. Many coastal towns lost significant numbers of their population, and the impact to both people and property was huge, but The Salvation Army in Japan continues to play a small but significant role in their recovery.

United Kingdom The UK is not a location that is known for needing large-scale emergency responses. There is no volcanic activity, little in the way of earthquakes and the weather – even at its worst – tends to be less extreme than in much of the rest of the world.

All this makes the scale of The Salvation Army’s response to the unprecedented flooding and storms that battered the south of England in late 2013 and early 2014 even more remarkable. A report by Major Muriel McClenahan, Territorial Emergency Services Officer for The Salvation Army’s United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland, shows that assistance was given in at least 25 separate locations!

The response varied from support for the emergency services to providing essentials or a place of safety to people who were forced from their homes.

The major concludes her report: ‘Many of these emergency responses have been to the local community.

As The Salvation Army is located within the local community, the support provided will continue in the days and months ahead.’

J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2014 | ALL THE WORLD |

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