Episcopal and Anglican relief organizations have rushed to aid the millions of people injured, displaced, and without food or water in the aftermath of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunamis in south Asia and Africa.

World Health Organization officials have estimated that 500,000 people were injured by the tidal waves, and warned that without an immediate aid response, outbreaks of disease such as cholera could claim another 50,000 lives. In Indonesia alone, more than 270,000 people crowded refugee camps.

Within the first week following the disaster, the United Nations had received $1.5 billion in donations, with another $500 million promised. But while governments like Japan ($500 million) and the United States ($350 million) are capable of the largest gifts, private funds often reach aid groups and victims faster. The dramatic and heart-rending nature of the tragedy has sparked unprecedented levels of private giving to well-known aid organizations including the American Red Cross ($79 million), Catholic Relief Services ($15 million), Save the Children ($14 million), and Oxfam America ($12 million).

Within the first week of the crisis, Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) had received more than $1.2 million in donations and delivered $273,000 in emergency funds to affected areas in what it characterized as the beginning of a long-term response to rebuild lives in the devastated region. ERD purchased 1,000 water-resistant temporary shelters for use in the Diocese of Colombo in the Church of Ceylon, Sri Lanka. The air shipment was made in direct response to the need expressed by the Bishop of Colombo, the Rt. Rev. Duleep da Chickera.

“We are struggling to meet the massive needs in the diocese, but Sri Lankans are responding amazingly well,” he said. “People of all faiths are working together to respond to this unprecedented challenge.”

ERD’s rapid response was aided in large part by a $146,000 gift from All Saints’ Church, Pasadena, Calif. The parish’s rector, the Rev. Ed Bacon, announced the gift following Sunday services on Jan. 2. Many more congregations and dioceses have responded immediately and generously to ERD’s appeals to help survivors and aid workers, with donations arriving at a rate of up to $10,000 an hour.

“Our 64 years of experience working with people in the Anglican Communion means that we have reliable partners already in place,” said ERD President Sandra Swan. “In the case of South Asia, our long-term and ongoing relationship with Anglican partners has enabled our response to be effective, efficient, and immediate.”

The Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF), an aid organization launched in September 2004 as an affiliate of the Anglican Communion Network [TLC, Oct. 31], is also working to provide assistance to the Church of Ceylon, as well as the Province of South East Asia and the Church of South India. The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh and moderator of the Anglican Communion Network, made the announcement within days of the tragedy.

Dr. Kerk Burbank, ARDF’s director, said “our phones have been ringing off the hook with inquiries about the disasters. As a very young organization we have few reserves and are dependent on designated contributions, but at the current rate of support it seems likely we’re looking at $50,000 in immediate contributions and maybe more.” Dr. Burbank said the organization is urging donors to consider long-term pledges to aid in the recovery process.

Helpless, vulnerable

Around the world, Church leaders struggled to deal with the impact of the tragedy, and to help fellow Christians make sense of the events.

“The magnitude of the disaster is difficult to comprehend, mainly because of its unexpected nature and also because of a lack of exact statistics,” wrote Bishop Thomas Samuel of the Diocese of Madhya Kerala in the Church of South India. In a message to Oregon Bishop Johncy Itty, who was born in India, Bishop Samuel said, “This tragedy has suddenly made us not only challenged into rising up to the situation, but also made us realize our insufficiency and vulnerability.”

The situation is especially grave, Bishop Samuel wrote, because so many heavily populated coastal areas were affected. “We could have epidemics within a few days unless we get health systems up and running,” he said. “Our diocesan pastors and leaders have rushed to the disaster areas with food, clothing, and medicine. Many camps have been set up to accommodate thousands of homeless people.”

In the hard-hit Indian state of Tamil-Nadu, Bishop V. Devasahayam of the Diocese of Chennai said the tsunami was devastating to fisher-folk, many of whom were on their boats at the time the waves hit. The bishop said his diocese has set up relief stations in many of its churches.

The Most Rev. Datuk Yong Ping Chung, Primate of the Province of South East Asia, noted that as a result of the “extraordinary, tragic disaster of unprecedented magnitude,” the region “was turned into weeping and great mourning.

“On behalf of our diocese and our province, I want to thank all Christian brothers and sisters and friends from around the world for praying for us,” he said. “It is times like this we know we are not alone. We are so thankful to all of you. Please continue to pray for our areas.”

In Australia, Archbishop Peter Watson of Melbourne pleaded for prayer and material support, noting that the Australian AngliCORD aid agency was coordinating an appeal to direct funds through Actions by Churches Together. “Although the human spirit can be daunted by the magnitude of what has happened, it can also rise to impressive levels of generosity and care,” Archbishop Watson said.

“The question: ‘How can you believe in a God who permits suffering on this scale?’ is very much around the moment,” admitted the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. Rowan Williams, to England’s Sunday Telegraph newspaper. “It would be surprising if it weren’t; indeed, it would be wrong if it weren’t.”

How You Can Help

Episcopal Relief and Development: P.O. Box 12043, Newark, NJ 07101. Checks payable to Episcopal Relief and Development, memo line notation: South Asia Relief Fund. Contributions also accepted online at www.er-d.org.

Anglican Relief and Development Fund: 905 Oliver Building, 535 Smithfield St., Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Checks payable to Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, memo line notation: ARDF-Asian Crisis.

Episcopal News Service contributed to this report.