Southern Baptists continue to provide relief in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and China following catastrophic disasters in the two Asian countries in May. Contributions to the Southern Baptist World Hunger and General Relief funds have made these efforts possible.
More than 130,000 people died or are missing in Myanmar after a cyclone ripped through the country May 2. An earthquake shook China’s Sichuan province a few days later, killing more than 70,000. Millions in both countries have been left homeless.
Despite restrictions in both countries, the International Mission Board (IMB) has provided $600,000 in relief funds. These funds supplied food, water filters and purification systems, sanitation systems, building materials and health care. More gifts to these funds are needed to continue this work around the world.
World Hunger funds received through the IMB are used to meet food-related needs — assisting people with receiving food, buying food and growing food. General Relief funds provide shelter, clothing, construction materials and transportation.
Southern Baptists have a long history of responding to those whose lives have been impacted by natural disasters, poverty, famine, wars and other struggles. They recently helped the people of Zimbabwe who are struggling with a collapsing economy and food shortages. A shipment of 3,900 packages of food — rice, dry beans, wheat flour, cooking oil, salt, powdered milk, canned corned beef, sugar and tea — was sent to that country.
One of the more notable responses followed the deadly tsunami that hit the southern Asia region in December 2004, killing more than 230,000 people and leaving millions homeless. Southern Baptists gave more than $17 million to relief efforts that provided food, shelter and various projects designed to improve quality of life. As a result, hundreds of new churches were planted in that region. (BP)
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