Water Missions International Mobilizes Relief for Indonesia
Nonprofit organization responds to vital need for safe water.
Charleston, SC, June 06, 2006 --(PR.com)-- Water Missions International (www.watermissions.org) has mobilized a relief operation to provide safe water to tens of thousands of people affected by the magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck central Indonesia on May 27.
The death toll from the quake is currently 5,782, with injury estimates as high as 57,790. News services have reported that sanitary conditions are rapidly deteriorating among the more than 600,000 people who lost their homes and are living in makeshift shelters without toilets or running water. Doctors say that wells and streams in many villages have become polluted because of the poor sanitary conditions.
"There are still many who are sick, some with skin diseases because of poor sanitation," said Dr. Hendra, a government doctor who has been traveling around the quake zone in a medical van, according to the AP. "The water for washing is dirty and many patients are not taking proper care of their wounds."
U.N. spokeswoman Amanda Pitt said in an AP report that sanitation and the provision of clean water to the homeless "remain a key concern."
Missionaries tell WMI that they have seen first-hand the desperate need for water. As they drove through the hard-hit district of Jetis in Bantul, people on the street were begging, not for money but for water. The missionaries gave out the bottled water they had in their vehicle, and it was gone within ten minutes.
Water Missions International (WMI) is in the process of moving three Living Water(TM) Treatment Systems from other parts of Indonesia to the earthquake-devastated region. Each water system can purify 10,000 gallons of water per day, enough for 3,000 to 5,000 people. WMI is also preparing to ship 10 to 20 Living Water(TM) Treatment Systems from its Charleston, SC production facility.
"We are asking the public to support our efforts in Indonesia, as they did so generously after the December 2004 tsunami," said WMI President and co-founder Molly Greene. "The outpouring of support after the tsunami allowed us to make clean water available to more than 126,000 tsunami survivors in Indonesia and 171,000 in Sri Lanka."
Greene also said that in addition to funding, WMI needs assistance with transporting Living Water(TM) Treatment Systems from Charleston to Indonesia.
"After the tsunami, several organizations stepped forward to ship Living Water(TM) Treatment Systems to South Asia by air. This was such a blessing, as air freight can be prohibitively expensive, yet in a disaster situation it’s vital to move supplies quickly. Ocean freight costs much less, but it takes weeks. Hundreds of thousands of people need safe water, and they need it now. We would like to invite any organization with the ability to ship our systems by air freight to join with us to provide safe water," said Greene.
WMI shipped 108 Living Water(TM) Treatment Systems to South Asia following the tsunami, 42 of which were installed in Indonesia. These systems, suitable for both disaster relief and community development, currently provide a sustainable source of safe water in rural villages, many of which lacked access to safe water even before the tsunami.
About Water Missions International:
Water Missions International (WMI) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit Christian engineering organization, providing appropriate, sustainable safe-water solutions in some of the world’s poorest countries. WMI’s mission is to provide sustainable access to safe water and an opportunity to hear the “Living Water” message in developing countries and disaster areas. WMI provides assistance without regard to political or religious association, age, or ethnicity. Since 1998, WMI has made safe water available to more than a million people in 22 countries and two U.S. states.
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The death toll from the quake is currently 5,782, with injury estimates as high as 57,790. News services have reported that sanitary conditions are rapidly deteriorating among the more than 600,000 people who lost their homes and are living in makeshift shelters without toilets or running water. Doctors say that wells and streams in many villages have become polluted because of the poor sanitary conditions.
"There are still many who are sick, some with skin diseases because of poor sanitation," said Dr. Hendra, a government doctor who has been traveling around the quake zone in a medical van, according to the AP. "The water for washing is dirty and many patients are not taking proper care of their wounds."
U.N. spokeswoman Amanda Pitt said in an AP report that sanitation and the provision of clean water to the homeless "remain a key concern."
Missionaries tell WMI that they have seen first-hand the desperate need for water. As they drove through the hard-hit district of Jetis in Bantul, people on the street were begging, not for money but for water. The missionaries gave out the bottled water they had in their vehicle, and it was gone within ten minutes.
Water Missions International (WMI) is in the process of moving three Living Water(TM) Treatment Systems from other parts of Indonesia to the earthquake-devastated region. Each water system can purify 10,000 gallons of water per day, enough for 3,000 to 5,000 people. WMI is also preparing to ship 10 to 20 Living Water(TM) Treatment Systems from its Charleston, SC production facility.
"We are asking the public to support our efforts in Indonesia, as they did so generously after the December 2004 tsunami," said WMI President and co-founder Molly Greene. "The outpouring of support after the tsunami allowed us to make clean water available to more than 126,000 tsunami survivors in Indonesia and 171,000 in Sri Lanka."
Greene also said that in addition to funding, WMI needs assistance with transporting Living Water(TM) Treatment Systems from Charleston to Indonesia.
"After the tsunami, several organizations stepped forward to ship Living Water(TM) Treatment Systems to South Asia by air. This was such a blessing, as air freight can be prohibitively expensive, yet in a disaster situation it’s vital to move supplies quickly. Ocean freight costs much less, but it takes weeks. Hundreds of thousands of people need safe water, and they need it now. We would like to invite any organization with the ability to ship our systems by air freight to join with us to provide safe water," said Greene.
WMI shipped 108 Living Water(TM) Treatment Systems to South Asia following the tsunami, 42 of which were installed in Indonesia. These systems, suitable for both disaster relief and community development, currently provide a sustainable source of safe water in rural villages, many of which lacked access to safe water even before the tsunami.
About Water Missions International:
Water Missions International (WMI) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit Christian engineering organization, providing appropriate, sustainable safe-water solutions in some of the world’s poorest countries. WMI’s mission is to provide sustainable access to safe water and an opportunity to hear the “Living Water” message in developing countries and disaster areas. WMI provides assistance without regard to political or religious association, age, or ethnicity. Since 1998, WMI has made safe water available to more than a million people in 22 countries and two U.S. states.
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Contact
Water Missions International
Lelani Rowland
843-769-7395
www.watermissions.org
Lelani Rowland
843-769-7395
www.watermissions.org
Contact
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