'Major' disaster response underway for Philippines
Print View - Go Back

 Sep 29, 2009 

MANILA, Philippines – Southern Baptists are gearing up a major disaster response in the wake of a typhoon that flooded nearly 2 million homes in the Philippines.

Typhoon Ketsana slammed into Manila and surrounding provinces Sept. 26, dumping a month's worth of rain in just 12 hours. Relief organizations say it is the country's worst flooding in 40 years. At least 284 people have been reported dead or missing and nearly 380,000 people have sought shelter in evacuation centers, according to news reports.

Southern Baptists are assessing ways to address relief needs in the wake of the storm, said Jim Brown, U.S. director for Baptist Global Response. The organization is communicating with ministry partners in the Philippines and interacting with Southern Baptist disaster relief teams on standby for emergency response.

"Local ministry partners went to work immediately after the storm, providing emergency food and water provided by the Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund," Brown said. "After receiving preliminary assessment information from local field partners, we are gearing up for a major response in the wake of this typhoon."

Contributions toward the relief effort can be made here. Updates on relief efforts can be monitored by signing up for BGR's AlertNet newsletter on our home page.
 

News Archives