Church World Service begins large-scale response to Iran earthquake.

Responding to the immediate need for medical supplies in earthquake-ravaged Bam, Iran, Church World Service (CWS) announced this week that it will airlift medical supplies to serve 1,000 people for three months, as well as 5,000 hygiene kits. The 20-foot container shipment is expected to leave for Iran on Jan. 6.

The shipment launches a long-range response commitment for CWS, which announced on Monday a $500,000 appeal for survivors of the devastating Dec. 26 earthquake, estimated to have killed more than 30,000 people according to news reports. Some 200,000 people live in and around Bam and about 70 percent of the houses in Bam were destroyed by the 6.6-magnitude quake, Iranian State Television reported.

CWS also issued an emergency grant immediately following the earthquake for the purchase and distribution of emergency shelter materials for Bam's survivors. CWS is responding to a direct request from the Iranian Red Crescent through the Middle East Council of Churches.

“Medical and hygiene supplies are vitally needed now by the thousands of survivors still struggling and unprotected in what is essentially a demolished city,” CWS Emergency Response Program director Rick Augsburger said. “We are acting immediately.”

The airlift's shipment contains 100 Interchurch Medical Assistance medicine boxes, valued at $3,500 each. The boxes contain medicines for adults and children including pain relievers, vitamin/mineral supplements, gauze bandages and pads, adhesives, medicine for intestinal worm infection, Amoxicillin, topical antibiotic and antifungal agents, oral rehydration salts, aminophylline for asthma, atini-infective/anti-protozoals for adults and children, antianemia drugs, antiseptic, antihistamine, and Cefzil (for treatment of bacterial infections).

The approximately 5,000 Church World Service health kits each include one hand towel , one washcloth, one comb, one metal nail file or nail clipper, one bar of soap (bath size), one toothbrush, one tube of toothpaste (4-7 ounces), and six Band-Aids. Details on creating the kits can be found at www.churchworldservice.org.

Augsburger said that complete recovery from the earthquake “will take several years.” This latest emergency response in Iran is part of CWS' longstanding presence in the Middle East, including support to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Source: Newsline 1/02/2004
top