Category: Humanitarian Relief and Disaster Risk Reduction Projects

Response to the Wayanad Landslide in India

On 30 July 2024, multiple landslides occurred in the northern part of the Wayanad district of Kerala state in India. As of 9 August, the disaster resulted in the killing of 427 people, with 131 being reported missing. According to the authority’s figure, on 13 August, over 1,700 people were sheltered in 15 relief camps. The affected region received 570mm of rainfall in the two days leading up to the tragedy. This landslide was marked as one of the worst-hit disasters in the history of Kerala. The research conducted by World Weather Attribution, an international group of researchers, revealed that the heavy rainfall during the early hours of 30 July, which caused the landslides, is the third heaviest

Assam Flood Response

The Assam state of India has experienced unprecedented floods this year, with unexpected timing and intensity. The deluge was caused by incessant rainfall in late June, which affected millions and devastated vast areas. According to The Hindu, as of 21 July 2024, the death toll in this year’s flood, lightning and storm had increased to 113. In early July, the government had set up 489 relief camps and distribution centres in 21 districts, providing shelter to 286,776 people. Karimganj district was one of the worst hit by the flood, with 300 villages affected. Countless homes have been damaged, and families have been displaced. They face critical food shortages and urgent medical needs. The affected communities are confronted with

Afghanistan Flood and Bangladesh Cyclone Relief

On 10 and 11 May 2024, the northeastern provinces of Afghanistan, including Badakhshan, Baghlan, and Takhar, were hit by heavy rain and flash floods. At least 180 people have lost their lives, 242 have been injured, and a total of 8,975 houses have been destroyed or damaged, with 80% of the fatalities concentrated in Baghlan province. Bangladesh’s first tropical cyclone of the year, Cyclone Remal, made landfall in southern Bangladesh on the evening of Sunday, 26 May 2024. The adjacent western part of India was also affected, with wind speeds reaching up to 135 km/h. The cyclone resulted in at least 23 deaths and nearly one million people were evacuated to about 9,000 shelters. Over 8.4 million people,

Assistance to Myanmar Refugees

Myanmar has long been suffering from internal conflicts, and the Kachin State in the north has become a critical conflict zone between the military junta and the ethnic militias. Recently, the conflict has spread throughout the state, with airstrikes bombing many areas, forcing over 100,000 civilians to flee their homes and become internally displaced persons in Kachin state. You might go to a reliable place like a hospital or police station; meanwhile, villagers in Kachin State face increasingly dire situations, flocking to churches for shelter. ‘Three days ago, I gave birth to my child, and my body hadn’t fully recovered when suddenly there was a massive explosion. Soon, the entire village was engulfed in flames. To escape the

India Cyclone Michaung Relief

Last December, Cyclone Michaung wreaked havoc in India, causing widespread rainfall-induced disasters in the southern regions. The floods resulted in at least 25 deaths and extensive collapse and inundation of homes. A significant number of affected families had to be urgently evacuated from low-lying areas to safer locations, leaving their lives in disarray. In the severely affected Tamil Nadu state, torrential rain flooded multiple buildings, including government hospitals, railway stations, and residential homes. Numerous roads were damaged due to the floods. The strong winds caused many makeshift houses to collapse, forcing the residents to seek temporary shelter in tents. There is an urgent need for food support for these displaced individuals. Additionally, the floods submerged extensive farmlands, and

Rural Development Project in Mon State, Myanmar

Project Name Rural Development Project in Mon State, Myanmar Project Location Myanmar Project Natures Urban and Rural Development Peace and Reconciliation Humanitarian Relief and Disaster Risk Reduction Project Objectives Promote the integral development of children and youth, focusing on their physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being in target communities. Bring hope to the community, particularly to the younger generation during times of conflict. Beneficiaries Community members including children and teachers, field leaders, youths No. of Beneficiaries 831 Key Activities Children’s Education: 150 students receiving education allowances for stationery and books, and covering the salaries of 3 teachers. Youth Development: integral development training, living allowances for youths, and leadership training. Health: health workshops, medical support, and counselling workshops. Income

Rural Development Project in Karen State, Myanmar

Project Name Rural Development Project in Karen State, Myanmar Project Location Myanmar Project Natures Urban and Rural Development Peace and Reconciliation Humanitarian Relief and Disaster Risk Reduction Project Objectives Improve the living standards of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the target areas through house repairs, community farms, income-generating activities (IGA), and animal husbandry training. Secure learning opportunities for the children and youth from poor families by providing education sponsorship and skill training. Beneficiaries Community members including children and teachers, field leaders, youths No. of Beneficiaries 1,276 Key Activities House Repairing: 8 IDP houses refurbished Economic Development: IGA for women; vocational training for youth Farming and Husbandry: Sustainable farming training; provision of seeds; livestock given to 10 IDP families

PARIBARTAN – Climate change adaptation and transforming gender relationships in Patuakhali district, Bangladesh

Project Name PARIBARTAN – Climate change adaptation and transforming gender relationships in Patuakhali district, Bangladesh Project Location Bangladesh Project Natures Humanitarian Relief and Disaster Risk Reduction Livelihood Development Project Objectives Empowering communities to enhance their ability to resist disaster risks and climate change. Reducing gender-based violence and promoting gender equality through the practice of the Transforming Masculinities approach. Promoting climate-adaptive agricultural techniques and training to increase livelihood options. Beneficiaries Community members in 123 villages in the Kalapara region, including members of minority religious groups within the most vulnerable groups (such as farmers, fishermen, temporary workers, children, victims and survivors of gender-based violence, and people with disabilities) No. of Beneficiaries 3,815 Key Activities With the support of the local

EARTHQUAKE EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN SYRIA

「去年冬天，我和家人凍得要死了。我們買不起木材或燃料來取暖。我們唯有燒掉所有可以燃燒的東西，從尼龍布到鞋子。每次下雨，雨水都會從屋頂漏進屋內，我們不得不到處放水桶。在暴風雪中，我們的屋頂在雪的重壓下倒塌。」在香港生活，我們未必能夠親身感受寒冬如何致命，但透過以上文字，我們都可以知道，寒冬時刻為貧窮人帶來威脅。 Khadija（化名）的慘痛不只以上描述、在冬天掙扎求存。她和家人原本居住在敘利亞，生活安全而且一無所缺。直至2011年敘利亞爆發內戰，她的家園被毀，連同她和家人的美滿生活都毀於一旦。2014年她和孩子逃到黎巴嫩，期間由坐車改為徒步翻山越嶺，因為兩國間的邊境已經關閉。幾經辛苦，她和孩子逃到黎巴嫩，但家庭已經分散，因為丈夫年老，亦有孩子太年幼，他們都無法逃走。Khadija自此沒有見過留在敘利亞的家人。她和家人在黎巴嫩東部的難民營生活，要自行──以木頭和防水帆布──搭建帳篷，合共八人就這樣在異地住了下來。期間，Khadija的兒子和媳婦誕下兩個女兒。Khadija每日都要為家庭的開銷苦惱。沒有固定的收入來源，Khadija和家人只能依靠援助生活。例如聯合國會向個別已登記的難民每人每月發放折合約港幣$97的現金（以受訪時的匯率計算），每個家庭以六個人為上限。換言之，Khadija一家八口只有靠約港幣$580度日（編按：據施達在當地的夥伴所說，聯合國將會減少援助總數約四分之一的難民家庭，如果Khadija不幸失去這分援助，她的情況就更嚴峻了）。當夏天的時候，Khadija可以做散工，賺取每日折合約港幣$11的工資，而到了冬天就連賺取微薄收入的機會也沒有；但是她們有恆常的開支，例如租金需要港幣$58，而公共電力費用需要港幣$97──這裏已佔Khadija家庭四分之一的收入。加上黎巴嫩通貨膨脹失控，日常生活開銷急劇增加，令Khadija承受巨大的財政壓力。「營地的生活愈來愈難以忍受。我們需要的大部分東西，我們都無法得到，甚至麵包也變得太貴了……沒有甚麼東西是我們不需要的。」難民營的生活令人難以忍受，Khadija和家人要節衣縮食才能糊口，她們一天只可以食一餐，而且只有麵包；讓孩子入學更加是遙不可及的夢。Khadija亦因為沒有足夠金錢，所以病了也無法購買藥物治病。至於供應家庭電力的發電機，他們更加不可能有餘裕購買（當地政府每日只有數小時供電）。當地教會弟兄對Khadija的家庭伸出援手，例如曾經提供食物盒（過去一年已經停止），而且屋頂塌陷教會的弟兄也會幫手修補。然而，現實始終令Khadija無法心安：「我們非常擔心即將到來的冬天，它可能像上一個冬天一樣糟糕，甚至更糟。我們急切需要床墊和毛毯，你看我們這裏連一件都沒有。我的兒子和他的妻子只有兩條小毯子，儘管他們有兩個孩子，並且正懷着第三個孩子。我們無法讓所有人都保持溫暖。今年的物價比往年更貴，我們甚麼都買不起。」 Khadija一家不單要面對流離失所，物價騰貴，更令人覺得心酸是在寒冬中他們只能瑟縮家裏；但這個家的屋頂可能隨時被積雪的重量壓垮，因為去年屋頂就曾經倒塌，幸好沒有人因此受傷。可是又一個凜冬將至，Khadija和家人要再次面對冬寒刺骨的威脅。施達今年仍然會與當地夥伴合作，撥款港幣$234,000支援在敘利亞和黎巴嫩因為戰火而陷入困境的貧窮人，預計總共幫助47,950人次。面對冬寒他們無可奈何，但我們住在香港吃得飽、穿得暖的同時，願意為他們奉獻微小的關愛，讓在困境和威脅中的難民及當地貧民有得到溫飽的機會嗎？項目詳情：敘利亞：在12個地區向貧窮家庭派發：毛毯、靴子、帽子、保暖衣，預計幫助26,950人次。黎巴嫩：在4個地區向貧窮家庭派發：毛毯、床墊、保暖衣、應急照明燈、防水帆布、地毯、燃料券，預計幫助21,000人次。請支持貧窮家庭，你可以奉獻：每月港幣$200 為1個家庭提供毛毯及床墊每月港幣$400 為1個家庭提供靴子、帽子及保暖衣每月港幣$900 為2個家庭提供應急照明燈、防水帆布及地毯每月港幣$1,200 為5個家庭提供燃料劵網上奉獻事工報告敘利亞寒冬送暖2021-22事工報告奉獻方法（請註明：「敘利亞寒冬送暖」2022-23）如籌得奉獻金額超出以上資助撥款，餘款將撥入本會設立的「緊急救援及災前預防儲備金」，以助我們日後迅速回應各地的災難，減輕災難對社區的影響。

ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINIAN REFUGEES

第二階段援助（2022年5月12日更新）俄烏戰爭已經進行超過兩個月，聯合國於5月11日發表數據，指烏克蘭的傷亡人數，截至5月10日，已達7,256人（其中3,496人死亡，3,760人受傷）；另有超過590萬人逃離國境。難民主要逃往波蘭、斯洛伐克、匈牙利、羅馬尼亞等地。在戰爭爆發之初，施達已經撥款約港幣24萬元支持夥伴到波蘭及烏克蘭邊界，為難民提供援助。可惜戰事尚未平息，難民的需要刻不容緩。因此，我們已再撥款約港幣78萬元，支持另一個夥伴機構，到烏克蘭、波蘭、斯洛伐克三地為難民提供援助。是次項目，除了支援境外難民，亦會援助境內流徙人士，他們同樣面對難以找到食物，欠缺藥物和醫療設備等困境。項目詳情波蘭及斯洛伐克：協助難民解決住宿問題、幫助難民取得政府援助、設立熱線提供資訊、財政援助、為收容難民家庭提供支援、開展教育工作幫助難民融入當地社區。烏克蘭：派發糧食及其他物資、現金、提供心理輔導，以及向4間診所或醫院派發藥物及醫療物資。網上奉獻第一階段援助 2022年2月24日，俄羅斯正式對烏克蘭發動軍事行動，由最初北、東、南三方發動攻擊，至今戰火已經蔓延全國。聯合國難民署指出，自俄烏戰爭爆發，截至3月下旬已有350多萬人逃離家園，而傷亡人數多達2,000以上（3月21日的數字）。國內大量民用設施遭到破壞，造成斷水斷電的情況，醫院服務面臨持續停電，人民要同時面對戰爭和新冠肺炎的威脅。由戰爭開始，大量平民往西到鄰近國家避難，其中以波蘭收容難民數目最多。由聯合國難民署發放的數據顯示，截至3月21日，該國已經接收超過200萬名難民，華沙、克拉科夫等大城市收容能力亦開始見頂，需要疏導人潮。施達夥伴在3月1日已經抵達波蘭及烏克蘭邊界為難民提供人道救援物資、健康衛生服務，以及心理和情緒支援。夥伴在波蘭，亦為收容難民的家庭提供支援，例如派發生活必需品，又在收容中心設立資訊站，為逃亡至當地的烏克蘭人提供服務，以及財政援助等。施達決定撥款約港幣$24萬，支持海外夥伴為逃難人民提供醫療協助。我們呼籲大家祈禱讓烏克蘭人能平安地逃離戰區，並求主幫助不同機構能盡快順利開展救援工作。項目詳情施達夥伴在烏克蘭邊境及波蘭，向難民提供毛毯、保暖衣、日常衛生物資、情緒支援、金錢援助、設立資訊站。網上奉獻橫額照片：© Jana Čavojská 奉獻方法（請註明：烏克蘭緊急救援工作）如籌得奉獻金額超出以上資助撥款，餘款將撥入本會設立的「緊急救援及災前預防儲備金」，以助我們日後迅速回應各地的災難，減輕災難對社區的影響。