Samaritan's Purse Delivers Emergency Relief to Survivors in Earthquake-Ravaged El Salvador

Samaritan's Purse
Tuesday, 23 January 2001

Amidst Inaugural Activities, Rev. Franklin Graham Dispatches Workers to Provide Shelter and Emergency Supplies to Central American Victims

In the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake that struck El Salvador on Jan. 13, Samaritan's Purse, the North Carolina-based ministry headed by Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, is providing emergency food, shelter, and comfort for survivors in the Central American country.

Graham, who headed to Central America following the inauguration ceremonies to conduct an evangelistic Festival in nearby Honduras, dispatched emergency relief workers in El Salvador only 48 hours following the earthquake. Workers are teaming up with church partners and local volunteers to help ease the suffering as thousands are living in unsheltered areas---including streets, parks, and sports stadiums---because their homes are destroyed, damaged, or threatened by continuing aftershocks.

"The people of El Salvador have taken multiple hits---first by the earthquake and then by floods and mudslides," said Franklin Graham, Chairman and CEO of Samaritan's Purse. "It is vitally important that victims not only receive immediate physical care but also know that the world has not forgotten about them."

Samaritan's Purse, ranked last month as the most efficiently run religious charity in America by Smart Money, is distributing plastic tenting to help families build temporary shelters, plus blankets to help them weather the unseasonably cool temperatures. Workers are providing families with plastic buckets filled with emergency supplies, including food (corn flour, cooking oil, beans, rice, and powdered milk) and personal items (soap, toilet paper, toothpaste and toothbrushes, and bowls and cups). The buckets can be re-used for collecting water that is purified by filters installed by Samaritan's Purse.

Samaritan's Purse is making counselors from local churches available for those traumatized by the earthquake. In addition, Samaritan's Purse is providing local doctors and clinics with a variety of medicines.

According to local authorities, more than 700 people died in the Jan. 13 earthquake and hundreds more are missing. Tens of thousands of people are displaced from their homes.

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. Samaritan's Purse programs include Operation Christmas Child, which has delivered 13 million gift-filled shoe boxes to children around the world, including more than 180,000 in El Salvador.

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