On the morning of December 26 at 9:33 a.m., a series of waves crushed through Sri Lanka’s southern tip and several other Asian and African nations, killing more than 162,000 people.
The series of tsunamis followed a magnitude 9.0 earthquake on the floor of the Indian Ocean.
The devastation and death has sparked a global relief and recovery effort including $25-million put up so far by Catholic Relief Services.
“It’s one of those things. You can never plan an emergency ahead of time,” said Kathy Brown, the Community Engagement Director for CRS, during a recent appearance on Catholic Views, the weekly diocesan radio program.
“We just never know when they are going to be happening and of course this is such a devastating situation for the people over in the areas impacted by the tsunamis,” she said.
Catholic Relief Services is already deeply involved in the recovery efforts.
For many people, the scope of the devastation is still difficult to comprehend.
“We’re finally getting some pictures out and they are really, really very sad,” said Brown. “They are still looking for bodies, they’re still discovering and burying them in pits.”
But despite the devastation, CRS is also seeing the strength of the human spirit shining through among the survivors. “It continues to amaze us that we are also getting wonderful pictures of people smiling and laughing, that human spirit continues to amaze me,” said Brown.
CRS was one of the first agencies into the tsunami ravaged areas since they have an ongoing presence in India. “India is one of our largest programs at Catholic Relief Services,” said Brown, “because they have so many emergencies every year with cyclones and flooding.”
CRS has also been working with some partner Catholic Diocese in Sri Lanka as well as other interfaith groups in the region that was devastated.
Catholic Relief Services has fielded plenty of calls from people wanting to volunteer but they could only utilize high specialized volunteers. “We really needed volunteers in very specific areas having to do with water and sanitation and building shelters,” said Brown. “Right now what we desperately need is more money.”
“We are going to need more than the original $25-million to begin the rehabilitation and the reconstruction part of this work,” she said.
CRS has also heard many people, parishes and dioceses asking questions about who and where is God in all of this.
Brown thinks that is a good thing. “I think it is a beautiful opportunity for us to listen to what is going on in our own hearts and then to embrace the hearts of people around the world,” she said.
The Diocese of Sioux Falls is accepting donations for tsunami relief that are being forwarded to Catholic Relief Services.
A number of parishes in the diocese are doing second collections or providing other opportunities for people to help with the tsunami relief efforts.
While much of the world’s current attention is focused on the tsunami disaster, Catholic Relief Services worries that the needs of other disaster area or crisis zones will get neglected.
“We have a huge food crisis throughout the world right now even before this began,” said Brown. “Not only in Africa and places like Madagascar and on the west coast of Africa...but also in Bangladesh and throughout Central America.”
Brown believes getting involved in helping others in need is an opportunity for many Catholics to be part of something much larger than their local parish, to be part of the Universal Church.
CRS is still estimating it will be at least two years to begin to move from relief and recovery efforts to more of a reconstruction effort in the devastated areas.

Places you can help with Tsunami relief

Catholic Relief Services
c/o Diocese of Sioux Falls
523 North Duluth Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57104

or

Catholic Relief Services
209 West Fayette Street
Baltimore, MD 21201-3443
(877)-435-7277
online: www.catholicrelief.org

or through your home parish