Photo by Rana Chatterjee
South Asia (MNN) ― World Vision has joined the Bangladesh and India governments to help some of the 30 million victims of severe flooding in South Asia.
In Bangladesh, there's been a lull in the rains, causing the teams to redouble their efforts to reach 2,600 families with supplies. Recipients of the two relief packages are provided with lentils, vegetable oil, salt, rice, candles, matches and soap. World Vision is also providing a rescue operation with local hired motorboats. They're looking for marooned and flood-affected people trapped in low-lying areas.
In India, over 12 million people have been affected in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states. The floods destroyed over 30,000 houses. World Vision is gearing up to provide aid to 5,000 families throughout the region.
World Vision's Franklin Joseph says they're providing immediate food aid that should last until the waters recede. "We hope they would have moved back into the community. Even there we need to provide help. We have a plan to provide help buying food, buying clothing, buying utensils and providing housing materials. This would help the community, even when they go to their respective homes after the water recedes."
Longer-term recovery will include building supplies. He says, "We can provide housing materials and roofing materials. We can give bricks and cement."
Joseph says there's more at stake than the physical needs. There's a lot of ministry, too. "When we enter into any village, we make it clear that we are Christian. That identity is always given so the community knows that we are Christian. Secondly, unlike other people, we really always love the community and treat them with dignity. That is another thing that people feel: 'This NGO is quite different from others.'"
World Vision's Bangladesh project has 30,000 children who are sponsored by American donors. The team has a national office in India that operates programs providing school supplies and educational facilities, construction of wells to reduce waterborne diseases, and agricultural training for farmers.
Pray that God would provide needed resources as the flood repairs begin. And pray for hearts to be opened to the Gospel through this work.
