Disastrous Sumatra Earthquakes

On September 30th, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck just offshore of the town of Padang in Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake toppled buildings and started many landslides, smashing homes and swallowing up entire villages. The following day, as rescue workers arrived and residents tried their best to dig out and help the survivors, another unrelated quake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck in neighboring Jambi.

Thousands were left severely injured by the earthquakes and thousands more are either missing or trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Currently the death toll is more than 1,100 and rising rapidly. Electricity is non-existent hampering life saving rescue efforts and life maintaining activities including the provision of clean water, sanitation, and food preparation.

In response to this growing human tragedy, IRT has coordinated its relief efforts with international partners to address the most pressing needs of the affected communities. This includes the provision of emergency relief supplies including bedding, kitchen sets, Gerry cans, health and hygiene kits and sanitation supplies for women to be distributed by local relief agencies. You can help IRT continue to assist the vulnerable survivors in Sumatra by making a donation. Please click here to support this effort.

Philippines Flood Relief

Two catastrophic typhoons recently struck the Philippines in less than 2 weeks, triggering some of the worst flooding in Manila in four decades, killing almost 300 people. The needs in the Philippines are overwhelming where according to the UN an estimated 420,000 people have been rendered homeless by the storms.
In response, IRT is shipping a container of relief supplies consisting of tents, sleeping bags, water filters and non perishable foods to aid vulnerable families in storm affected areas. In addition, IRT is providing financial support to assist more than 50 children and caretakers who were forced to evacuate their flooded orphanage in Luzon, outside of Manila. To assist with relief efforts in the Philippines, please click here.

Restoring Sight in Ecuador

Cataracts, according to the World Health Organization, are the single largest cause of blindness in the world, leaving an estimated 18 million people suffering needlessly from loss of vision. Although the surgical procedure needed to remove a cataract is quick, cost effective and has a high success rate, surgical services in many developing countries are inadequate, inaccessible or too costly for those people most affected.
Throughout the years, IRT has addressed this critical issue through its cataract surgical programs that have operated in eight countries. Recently, a six member surgical team traveled to Quito, Ecuador, where they performed cataract surgery for people living in impoverished areas of the country who had no financial means to have the surgery. In addition to daily hardships and challenges, many had lost the ability to work and to care for their families. Through the generosity of our volunteers and donors, many received the gift of sight and hope for the future. Please click here to support this effort.

 

Food Aid for Families
in Guatemala

The chronic poverty that afflicts the native population in Guatemala has been exacerbated in recent years by seasonal tropical storms that have affected the rural areas of Guatemala. In 2005, with the support of the U.S. government (USAID), IRT initiated an emergency supplemental food program in those rural areas hit hardest by the tropical storms. IRT's distribution partner in Guatemala is ICADA, a well-respected nonprofit organization dealing with health and agricultural issues in Central America.

"When food crops are destroyed by storms, food scarcity reaches life and death proportions for the native population. It takes farmers many months to recover - until the next harvest, at the minimum. The supplemental food we provide helps prevent starvation until the food supply can be restored", stated Guillermo Sanchez, Ph.D., the CEO of ICADA, in explaining the importance of the program.

During the past three years, IRT and ICADA have distributed 225 metric tons of shelf-stable dehydrated food (12 million meals) in storm-affected regions of Guatemala, using a network of local health, church, civic, and nonprofit organizations to reach families in desperate need of food. Together, they have helped thousands of native Guatemalans survive in the aftermath of these storms. Please click here to contribute to this project.

 

WHAT'S NEW:

• Check out our Summer 2009 newsletter &
  2009 Annual Report!
  
  
  
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View slideshow prepared by volunteer Martha Retallick after she participated on a construction team to Mississippi.