Burma (MNN) — Cyclone Giri came ashore
on the west coast of the state of Rakhine in Burma on October 22 and 23. It washed over one of the poorest areas of
Burma, where many people live in flimsy bamboo huts. 27 people died in the disaster, and almost 3,000 homes were destroyed, leaving an estimated 20,000 people homeless.
Local pastors supported by Gospel for Asia have been traveling to the area where most of
the displaced survivors are concentrated to deliver aid — even though one of
the pastor's church was also damaged by the storm. Clean drinking water, emergency food rations,
and household necessities make a huge difference in the lives of people who
have lost everything.
"These are people who are really
suffering," said Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan. "They do
not have much, and now it is all gone. Right now we're helping them with their
emergency needs. And we'll work with them for as long as it takes to get their
lives back to normal."
Two years ago, GFA missionaries
ministered to the survivors of Cyclone Nargis which killed 130,000 people in
the worst natural disaster in the country's recorded history. Unlike missionaries who had to get permission
to enter the country before they could help survivors, GFA-supported
missionaries were already there and at the ready to offer their
assistance.
"Our missionaries played a crucial
role in serving the survivors of Cyclone Nargis, and they will be doing the same
thing for those who are now devastated by Giri," Yohannan explained.
"They need to know that Jesus cares for them, and so do we."
