Via the Anglican Communion News Service:
The Anglican Church in Peru has established the ‘Help us to help Others’ commission,’ to mobilise financial support for the most vulnerable and neglected communities amid ongoing floods and mudslides. During the first months of 2017 the “Niño” phenomenon has brought heavy rains to the Andean regions of Peru. More than 100 people have been killed and an estimated 118,000 have been seriously affected. Over 28,000 homes are either severely affected or uninhabitable and much of the country’s infrastructure is damaged.
The Church in Peru believes that it is in a position to continue assisting people beyond the emergency relief offered in the first moments of crisis.
The church has established a ‘Plan of Action’ to support small communities that have been impacted particularly badly by the floods and are no longer receiving aid from other sources. The plan states, “The Anglican Church has visited the affected areas close to Lima, the capital of Peru, and has found that there are small communities of around 75 people that have received initial help but are now left on their own. Their homes and small businesses have been either destroyed or severely damaged, many losing most of their belongings. Some have received some help with temporary accommodation but some still don’t have this basic need met. There are no toilet facilities provided, increasing health risks. Most have no means of cooking and water supplies are limited. We expect that, as access to other parts of Peru improves, other communities will be found with similar needs.”
It costs around $10,000 to provide such assistance to each small community for 1-2 months, and the Peruvian church is appealing to the broader Communion for help.
Meanwhile, Anglican agencies and churches in partnership with the Diocese of Peru are coming forward to offer support. The Anglican Alliance trustees visited Peru in 2016 for their annual board meeting. Meeting with the church leadership and visiting local community initiatives, it was clear that this is a vibrant and growing church, deeply committed to the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable. The Anglican churches are spread across the country, ministering in places of great poverty even before the current crisis.
Revd Rachel Carnegie, Anglican Alliance Co-Executive Director said: “We experienced first hand last year the profound commitment of the Church in Peru to serve the poorest communities and promote social justice. At this time of great trial for the country, we stand alongside the Church in Peru and pray that the Communion will help them to help those in need through prayer and practical support.”
If you would like to support this cause and help the Church in Peru to help the most vulnerable, please contact the Anglican Alliance Relief Manager, Dr Janice Proud at Janice.Pround@aco.org
Read the full ACNS story here.
Photo: temporary shelters house around 8 people at a time (Anglican Alliance via anglicannews.org)