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:
View
slideshow prepared by volunteer Martha Retallick after she participated
on a construction team to Mississippi.