Dear Colleagues and Friends,
I have just returned from a visit to some of the tsunami affected areas in Sri Lanka and India. I am pleased to inform you that with me were the President and General Secretary of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs, representatives from the YMCAs of Japan, Korea, Singapore, USA and Y Care International, UK.
We met with the leaders of the National Council of YMCAs of Sri Lanka and some of the local YMCA leadership in the worst affected areas. After discussions with them, it was agreed that in the case of Sri Lanka, the emergency and short-term programmes will continue for another couple of weeks because of the urgent need there. An appropriate allocation of funds for this has been committed from the total amount raised through our global appeal. In the meantime, the National Council of YMCAs of Sri Lanka is drawing up a long-term plan which will include construction of shelters, supply of necessary equipment like fishing boats and nets, trauma counselling, and appropriate sustainable community building activities.
In the case of India, a long-term plan is also being drawn-up by the National Council of YMCAs of India, involving the stakeholders in the affected areas.
It is expected that in both these places a Partners' Meeting will be held soon coordinated by the World Alliance of YMCAs to study the long-term plans and to seek participation of the global family of YMCAs in support of the plans.
As regards the work in Indonesia, the General Secretary of the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs has had meetings with leaders of the YMCA in Medan, and a realistic long-term plan is also in the making.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank the world-wide family of YMCAs for the expression of solidarity and commitment of financial and other support for the victims of this unprecedented disaster. We are also very encouraged that several major YMCAs have embarked on national-wide fund raising campaigns within their national movements for supporting the long-term plans. We are also thankful to all the volunteers and staff who are working incessantly in the affected areas.
It was very painful to see the immense destruction of life and property that this tsunami caused. But what is so inspiring is to see how quickly people are engaged in rebuilding life. We seek your continued prayers and support in bringing hope amidst this loss and despair.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Bart Shaha
Secretary General
World Alliance of YMCAs
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Many individuals and YMCAs from around the world have contacted the World Alliance with queries about how best they can help, or to offer expertise or to volunteer for a certain time period working for one of the affected YMCAs.
At this stage, financial support is what is most needed.
In our effort to utilise all relief resources effectively, we may not be able to facilitate placements of volunteers immediately, as the current critical situation limits YMCAs receiving people who are trying to help. Nevertheless, the World Alliance will be collecting and saving these offers of assistance and support in a database for future use. These volunteers will no doubt be greatly appreciated at specific times and in specific places in the coming months.
The YMCAs in Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka continue with immediate emergency response efforts through their volunteers and staff, while at the same time they are analysing the needs and producing plans for the rehabilitation phase, the long-term response to disaster that YMCAs in the community are in a unique position to deliver.
The response by the international YMCA family to the suffering and destruction caused by the tsunami is overwhelming. To the YMCAs in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, so many messages and expression of solidarity were sent, be it from Zimbabwe or Australia, from St.Vincent or Finland. It is indeed comforting to see so many people responding to this tragedy.
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World Alliance of YMCAs / Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs Joint Appeal
YMCAs were already established in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia and Thailand before the tsunami disaster. They understand the needs of the affected communities. Any money you give will go directly to the YMCAs in the affected countries for relief and rehabilitation work.
You can send a cheque or make a bank transfer to the World Alliance, or give via your National YMCA Movement. To send money direct to YMCAs in the affected countries please mark your payment "Tsunami Fund." If you wish to support World Alliance / Asia and Pacific Alliance coordination work, please mark your payment:
"Tsunami Coordination."
Bank: UBS SA, PO Box 2600, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Account number : 0240-617775.10L
IBAN Code : CH780024024061777510 L
Please make cheques payable to World Alliance of YMCAs, 12 Clos Belmont, 1208 Geneva, Switzerland
There are 3 phases of YMCA action :
Immediate emergency relief
The emergency relief which is now going on includes the distribution of food, medicine and other materials to help victims survive. It will hopefully conclude by mid-January.
Interim restoration
This aims to ease communities back into normal living, e.g. by providing temporary shelter and trauma counselling.
Long term rehabilitation and reconstruction
This work includes supporting victims to rebuild basic homes and essential infrastructure and could include counselling and programmes for children and young people.
Thank you for your support.
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To: National General Secretaries, Executive Committee Members, Area Executives, YMCA International Secretaries
Dear Friends and Colleagues
Further to the Appeal we made on Monday, 27 December for support of the victims of Tsunami disaster, we are pleased to inform you that several YMCAs around the world have responded positively offering support, among them the YMCAs in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Norway, Canada, USA, Honduras, Argentina, Denmark and Y Care International, UK. We are sure many more YMCAs will respond as the offices open after Christmas and New Year's break. In Norway, the YMCA/YWCA participated in a prayer service yesterday afternoon in the Oslo Cathedral, where several hundred people together with the King and the Queen, with Cabinet and Parliament members and representatives from embassies attended. A prayer written by Sri Lanka YMCA was read.
As we write, reports place the confirmed dead at 80,000 people, killed by the giant tidal waves and millions more are homeless. It is feared that the final death toll could reach or go beyond 100,000. Since last Sunday, many YMCAs in the affected countries started immediately with relief programs:
On the part of the Sri Lanka YMCA, the leaders and members rallied around for help, leadership and relief and have gathered the much needed meals, dry rations, water, milk powder, baby-care items for distribution. All local YMCAs are working either as Collecting Centres or Distribution Centres. Chrisantha Hettiaratchi, the national general secretary is coordinating the relief work after visiting four affected YMCAs in the South (Negombo, Dehiwela, Moratuwa and Galle). A team of volunteers and staff are now in the Eastern Provinces (Ampara, Kalmunai, Kallar and Batticaloa) distributing emergency relief to those in need.
In India, emergency relief work has been initiated by YMCAs in 4 centres in Kulachel and Nagapattinam (Tamil Nadu), in Kollam (Kerala) and Machilipatnam (A.P.). The national general secretary, T. Thomas, after visiting some of the affected areas has informed us that since food distribution has been taken care of by the Government at the relief camps, YMCAs are trying to take care of the other essentials such as clothing, medicines, sleeping mattresses, emergency lighting arrangements, etc. Operations are coordinated by YMCA national council staff under the leadership of local and regional volunteer leaders. The local YMCAs are very much involved in mobilizing local resources including funds, relief materials, medicines etc. The Gandhidham YMCA staff and volunteers have collected medicines and clothes worth US$ 3'500 and have proceeded to Kulachel in their YMCA ambulance.
The Medan YMCA in Indonesia is preparing to distribute blankets and food to victims and has plans for the provision of medicines, clothing and daily necessities in the most affected Aceh Province in the Northern part of the country.
There is no YMCA presence in Phuket and the most affected coastal areas in the South of Thailand, but the Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs is exploring the possibility of the YMCA in Thailand to engage in relief work. In Malaysia, the Penang YMCA is exploring possible steps for rehabilitation of people in the affected areas.
The World Alliance and the Asia and Pacific Alliance are developing a comprehensive work plan together with the affected YMCAs and this will be shared with the movement. As YMCAs, we see our main focus in rehabilitation and community building. So far, the following phases for YMCA action can be foreseen:
- Immediate Emergency Relief Phase: with distribution of food, medicine and other materials to individuals, families and groups to secure survival of victims; hopefully to be concluded by mid-January 2005.
- Interim Restoration Phase: for easing peoples and communities back into normalcy, e.g. in organising and providing temporary shelters until they can go back to their homes and respective places.
- Long-term Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Phase: supporting families and groups to rebuild basic homes and essential infrastructure.
The World Alliance will mobilise and coordinate the global resourcing of much needed funds for all the three Phases and coordinate with the Asia and Pacific Alliance in the assessment of needs in the most affected countries. The Asia and Pacific Alliance will coordinate the follow-up work within the three Phases in close collaboration with the national movements - coordinating with Governments and other non-governmental agencies - in ensuring that all efforts will help the survivors to recover as best as they can from the severe destruction that have befallen them.
The World Alliance, jointly with Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs, are calling on all YMCA movements of the global YMCA family to join in these efforts and to support the planned action steps. We encourage those movements that have been blessed or have greater access to more resources to share them for this global effort.
Arising out of the current efforts being undertaken and all the actions that we are sure will be taken up in the days to come, we envisage the strengthening of all the YMCA movements engaged in these relief and rehabilitation processes. We believe that the YMCAs in the affected countries will emerge stronger to better serve the community. The YMCAs that have shared in the pains and the suffering of the victims, and their resources, will have been strengthened in their commitment to the Mission of the YMCA.
We take this opportunity to thank all the YMCA volunteer leaders and colleagues who are working day and night in the affected areas in very difficult situations. We also wish to thank all those YMCAs that have expressed solidarity, and responded to our Appeal and we look forward to more responses in the coming days.
Dr. Bart Shaha
Secretary General
World Alliance of YMCAs | Yip Kok Choong
General Secretary
Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCAs |
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To : National General Secretaries, Executive Committee Members, Area Executives, YMCA International Secretaries
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
By now you would have received the news of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that took place yesterday, victimizing a huge number of people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and other Asian countries. It is estimated as of today, that over 14,000 people have lost their lives in this sudden catastrophe. Already yesterday, we were able to be in contact with some of the YMCAs in the most affected areas and have expressed our deep sadness at the loss of life and property.
Today, we have received information that severe damage has occurred at many of the YMCAs in Sri Lanka as 20 of the 38 local YMCAs are in the affected region, situated in coastal areas of the country. The National General Secretary, Mr Chrisantha Hettiaratchi, has informed us that they have immediately begun relief operations and are distributing emergency aid, such as dry rations and clothing to the victims of the disaster. They have collected these rations through local YMCA leaders. Considering the magnitude of the disaster there, and the situation of the YMCA, the World Alliance is sending today an emergency fund of US$ 20,000 which includes US$ 10,00 from Y-Care International. These funds will be used for emergency relief work by the YMCAs in Sri Lanka.
In India, the coastal YMCAs in Kollam, Kerela, have already engaged in emergency relief work. The National General Secretary, Mr T. Thomas is presently visiting some of the hardest hit areas of the South-West region. He is also in touch with Southern Tamilnadu and South-East (Andhra region). He will get back to us soon to share the plan of action that is being developed by the Indian YMCA. Their President, Mr J. Alexander is also visiting some of the affected areas.
We have also been in contact with Mr Yip Kok Chong, General Secretary of the Asia Pacific Alliance of YMCAs, who has been communicating with the affected YMCAs, including the YMCAs of Indonesia, Malayasia and Thailand on this matter. There are no YMCAs in the most affected Acheh province in Indonesia; also there are no YMCAs in the Phuket area in Thailand where the disaster hit.
The World Alliance is making an appeal to the world movement in support of the responses to the affected communities, especially by the YMCAs of Sri Lanka and India. Obviously, the YMCAs in the affected areas will respond not only to emergency relief, but also to mid-term and long-term rehabilitation plans. We will keep you informed of developments. Kindly send your responses to Mr Emile Stricker, emile@ymca.int . All support you can mobilise to enable YMCA responses to this disaster will be highly appreciated. Please keep the affected people in your prayers.
With best wishes,
Dr Bart Shaha
Secretary General
World Alliance of YMCAs
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