The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) has sent aid to the Philippines, West Sumatra and islands in the Pacific. All three regions were hit by devastating natural disasters at the end of September.On Sept. 26, tropical storm “Ketsana” (locally known as “Ondoy”) hit the Philippines, unleashing torrential rains for nine hours, flooding 80 per cent of Metro Manila and neighbouring provinces. The National Disaster Co-ordination Council reported 337 deaths, 308 injured and 37 people missing. More than 450,000 people were driven from their homes and 16,500 houses were reported destroyed. The same storm was also reported to have killed 74 people in Vietnam and 11 in Cambodia. The Philippine government declared a “state of calamity” for Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.A series of four tsunamis struck Samoa, American Samoa and some of the smaller islands of Tonga on Sept. 29, following a massive undersea earthquake in the South Pacific. Officials said the death toll was 146 people, according to information from Action by Churches Together (ACT), a coalition of church-based organizations that responds to natural disasters and humanitarian crises.”The whole population of Samoa is in mourning as survivors continue to search for their missing loved ones. Bodies are being found buried in the sand and washed up into the trees by the huge waves; 32,000 people are homeless…,” ACT said on its website.On Sept. 30, a 7.6 earthquake killed more than 1,000 people in West Sumatra, mainly in Padang and Pariaman cities. ACT says it will focus its activities in Padang Pariaman district, where over 10,000 houses collapsed or burned to the ground following the quake. According to information from the ecumenical organization, hospitals throughout Padang city were severely damaged, including its largest and only hospital with full surgery facilities. PWRDF released an initial grant of $15,000 for relief efforts in the Philippines, and two initial grants of $10,000 each for victims of the tsunamis and West Sumatra earthquake,.This was done through ACT, of which PWRDF is a member. Contributions to PWRDF’s appeal can be made online at the Canada Helps website and designated for “Philippines floods,” “Pacific tsunamis” or “West Sumatra.” For credit card donations, contact Ricky de Castro at (416) 924-9192 ext. 318 or at 1-866-308-7973. Please do not send your credit card number by e-mail or fax. Donations can also be sent to PWRDF at 80 Hayden St., Toronto, Ont.,
M4Y 3G2.