Relief Organization Headed by Franklin Graham Sends Aid to Survivors of Devastating Earthquake in India

Samaritan's Purse
Friday, 2 February 2001

Samaritan's Purse Provides Additional Shelter and Emergency Supplies to Victims of Recent Natural Disaster

Within hours of the Jan. 26 earthquake in India, Samaritan's Purse, the North Carolina-based relief organization headed by Franklin Graham, worked through its partners to provide emergency food, shelter, and medical supplies for survivors of the tragedy.

Today, as the death toll climbs to more than 14,000, a relief team from Samaritan's Purse arrived in India to deliver additional food, 5,000 blankets, materials to build 1,000 shelters, and cooking utensils. Working through local churches, the organization has committed a quarter-of-a-million dollars to assist the area, but will assess the needs in villages where few others are working to determine if additional aid is necessary.

"This natural disaster in India is heartbreaking," said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. "We want to not only help these people's physical needs, but we want to comfort them in this tragic experience." (Graham, son of Billy Graham, is preparing to travel to El Salvador to continue the organization's relief efforts for the victims of that country's recent earthquake.)

Samaritan's Purse, ranked in December 2000 as the most efficiently run religious charity in America by Smart Money, has been working in India for more than two decades providing various forms of aid and giving thousands of underprivileged children gift-filled shoe boxes through its project Operation Christmas Child.

Samaritan's Purse is an international Christian relief and evangelism organization that works in more than 100 countries around the world, helping victims of poverty, disease, famine, wars, persecution, and natural disasters. The organization is accepting financial contributions to help the people of El Salvador and India.

For more information, or to contact Samaritan's Purse, see their website at: www.samaritanspurse.org