In late February 2007, Bolivia experienced its worst flooding in 25 years. An estimated 350,000 people were affected by the continuing rise of the Amazon River tributaries. Water Missions International, in cooperation with Samaritan's Purse, assembled six Living WaterT Treatment Systems and shipped them Bolivia. The systems provided safe, clean water for more than 18,000 people in Trinidad, El Peru, San Ramon, San Juaquin, and Santa Ana.
Earthquake Shakes Peru
In mid-August 2007, a deadly 8.0 magnitude earthquake crumbled buildings and killed hundreds of people in Peru. Thousands of families were left homeless and without safe water. Water Missions International, in cooperation with Variety Children's Lifeline/Water for Life, Inc., assembled ten water systems and deployed them to Peru for installation in the Pisco area.
Hurricanes Dean and Felix Tear Through Mexico and Nicaragua
Within a short two-week period, two Category 5 hurricanes made landfall on the Atlantic coast. On August 18, 2007, Hurricane Dean ripped through Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, and 14 days later, Hurricane Felix plowed into the coast of Nicaragua. Water Missions International (WMI) readied two Living WaterT Treatment Systems (LWTST) for victims of Hurricane Dean. However, the need for water was much more severe in the aftermath of Hurricane Felix. WMI responded with six systems to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua.
Flooding Devastates North Korea
In the fall of 2007, torrential rains in North Korea caused the worst flooding the region has seen in over 30 years. WMI assembled six water systems for immediate deployment to North Korean flood victims. The Systems were included in $8 million of relief supplies airlifted by Samaritan's Purse to Pyongyang, Korea. Because of the political differences that divide the U.S. and North Korea, this disaster relief effort carried a special significance for both countries. The historic flight represented the first U.S. aid to go to North Korea in over 60 years.
Flood Waters Wash over Pakistan and Uganda
Hundreds of thousands of people in Uganda and Pakistan were displaced due to severe flooding in the fall of 2007. In both regions, the majority of water sources were contaminated, leading to the potential for waterborne disease. Water Missions International responded with one water system in Johi, Pakistan, a small town of District Dadu in the Sindh Province. Five systems were deployed to the Soroti and Katakwi regions in Uganda, which provided safe, clean water for more than 17,000 people.
Rising Waters Cover Tabasco, Mexico
Massive flooding from more than a week of torrential rains forced hundreds of thousands of people to abandon their homes and seek shelter from muddy waters that covered an estimated 80% of the Gulf state of Tabasco in southeastern Mexico. In November, Water Missions International, in cooperation with Samaritan's Purse and Operation Blessing, assembled and deployed eight water treatment systems to Villahermosa, Mexico, where more than 16,000 flood victims were given access to clean, safe water.
Cyclone Sidr Strikes Bangladesh
On the evening of November 15, 2007, Category 4 Cyclone Sidr battered Southern Bangladesh with winds of over 150mph and a 16-foot tidal wave, affecting more than 6.8 million people. The storm claimed the lives of more than 3,500 people, and left millions without shelter, food, and safe water. WMI responded with four water treatment systems to Dhaka, Bangladesh where they were later installed in Sarahkhola.
Tropical Storm Noel Pounds Dominican Republic
In December 2007, Water Missions International, in cooperation with Foundation for Peace, deployed two Living WaterT Treatment Systems to the Dominican Republic in response to Tropical Storm Noel. The first system was installed in a neighborhood in Barharona and the second system was installed just over the Haiti border. These systems provided access to clean, safe water for more than 2500 people in need.
Flood Waters Saturate South America
In early March 2008, tens of thousands of people in several Pacific-coast regions of South America were forced from their homes, and many more were left in desperate need of clean, safe water due to severe flooding stemming from the heaviest rains in over a quarter century. Water Missions International, in cooperation with Samaritan's Purse, Operation Blessing, and DHL, responded with eight Living WaterT Treatment Systems to Babahoyo, Ecuador, the Trinidad area of Bolivia, and Peru. In Peru, up to 27,000 flood victims gained access to clean water from systems installed in Lima, Puente Piedras, and the Chicalya region.
Constant Rains Fall over Indonesia
After a full week of heavy rain in late March 2008, more than 20,000 people in Pekanbaru, Indonesia were affected by the resulting flood. Thousands of families were pushed from their homes and thousands more were in need of safe drinking water. Water Missions International, in cooperation with a local church network in Pekanbaru, placed one Living WaterT Treatment System in the bed of a pick-up truck and traveled each day to three communities to provide safe water to flood victims. By making the water system mobile, WMI was able to effectively provide clean, safe water to more than 3,500 people in three separate communities of Pekanbaru. This was the second disaster response for WMI in Indonesia within a six month period. In the fall of 2007, WMI responded with six systems to aid flood victims in Suluwesi.
Opportunities to Assist WMI with Disaster Response
1. Pray for those in the affected communities.
2. Volunteer to work in the International Headquarters/Production Facility assembling Living WaterT Treatment Systems.
3. Help with logistics - drive LWTST to locations to be shipped internationally, help replace inventory of supplies, and translate materials.
4. Become a Disaster Responder - people to be trained, ready to be deployed after natural disasters.
5. Donate to Disaster Relief Fund and/or in-kind gifts.
If you would like more information about Water Missions International, or to donate funds to disaster relief projects, please contact Danya Jordan at (843) 769-7395 x 210 or djordan@watermissions.org. Donations are also accepted online at www.watermissions.org.
