Aid granted to countries devastated by hurricanes

The World Mission Group has responded to the devastationcaused by a torrent of hurricanes in the Caribbean with a £26,000grant.

Church leaders in the Turks and Caicos, Haiti, Jamaica, theBahamas, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the Dominican Republicmade contact with Rev Tom Quenet, Partnership Coordinator for WorldChurch Relationships, to explain the extent of the crisis, whichleft hundreds dead and thousands homeless.

The Dominican Republic, one of the poorest countries in theregion, suffered hundreds of millions of pounds worth of damage tobuildings and more than 250,000 people lost their homes.

Hundreds died in Haiti following floods that left 650,000 peoplehomeless. Despite storm management planning in Cuba, 19 people werekilled when Hurricane Ike ripped through the country.

Rev Derek Browne, Superintendent Presbyter of the Turks and CaicosIslands Circuit, said: "The Islands of Grand Turks, Salt Cay andSouth Caicos were devastated. Over 80 per cent of homes andbusinesses were severely damaged or destroyed. Some buildings justcollapsed, roofs completely blown off in some cases, sheetrockceilings collapsed and destroyed and furniture destroyed byflooding.

"There will also be a need for counselling, the children inparticular, but also many others who were traumatized by theeffects of the storm. Lives and communities have changedforever."

In Puerto Rico, thousands of poorly constructed homes in ruralcommunities have been washed away by six weeks of constanttorrential rain. On September 23, a tropical depression hangingover the island shed 25 inches of rain in 24 hours.

Hurricane Gustav destroyed several rural churches and manses beingused as shelters in Jamaica. Diseases have spread throughcontaminated water in the low-lying parts of Central America andthe Caribbean Coast of Latin America where residents have also losthomes and livestock.

The £26,000 donation granted by the World Mission Group this weekwill be divided between churches in the crisis areas left byhurricanes and tropical storms Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike andJosephine.

Tom, who works with churches in Latin America and the Caribbean,said: "The need is so vast that it is clear we can't meet itoutright. But this grant from the Fund For World Mission will makea difference and is an expression of our solidarity. We wouldencourage Methodists everywhere to hold the people of the region intheir thoughts and prayers."

Anyone wishing to support the grant should contact Tom at the FundFor World Mission on 020 7467 5160 or via emailquenett@methodistchurch.org.uk.

Photos corresponding with this story can be downloaded fromthe following link: clickhere