"I
wish to express heartfelt sympathy with the Taiwanese
people who are suffering in the wake of typhoon and
tropical storm Morakot,"
said the General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of
Wales in a message to the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan.
Ifan Roberts said that the Welsh Church is praying for
those who are suffering following the disaster as well
as those who are trying to rescue and offer relief.
South
Taiwan is worst affected: some areas had the equivalent
of a year's worth of rain in two days and the worst
floods recorded in 50 years.
According to the
Presbyterian Church of Taiwan (PCT), it is difficult to
assess the true extent of the damage until the water has
receded. Roads and bridges have been damages and
electricity and phone links broken so it is difficult to
contact isolated villages. According to PCT, "It is really devastating
- the clean up will be horrendous and it will be
necessary to monitor and control any infections that
could arise from dirty water, debris, dead animals and
so on."
Carys Humphreys, a
missionary from the Prebyterian Church of Wales who
works for PCT in Taipei, said, "It's very, very
depressing for the South and the East. PCT has been busy
since the weekend getting organised and doing its part
as usual in the resuce and relief work.
"Some villages still
haven't been reached, so we don't know the final
statistics. PCT has set up six centres in the south to
help and a number of local chapels are also offering
help and volunteers are coming and going. The phone in
the office rings all day long: people wanting to offer
practical help or gifts; a number of them aren't
Christian."
"Please keep the
country in your prayers - there is loss of life and
grief here, and a big challenge to be faced once the
water recedes."
In a news release, the PCT said:
"On
behalf of the PCT and the people of Taiwan we express
our deep appreciation for your concern and ask that you
hold the victims of this major disaster in your prayers
as well as those involved in the daunting task of rescue
and relief in the weeks to come.
"We
appreciate and welcome your financial support as you
partner with us in reaching
out to those affected by the storm with God’s love." To
make a donation, click
here, or you can send any inquiries to
gs@mail.pct.org.tw.
