Situation Report: Earthquake and Tsunami on Indonesia’s Island of Sulawesi

News & Updates | Posted Monday, October 1, 2018

SITUATION A 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, on Friday night. The quake, and the resulting tsunami with waves up to about 10 feet high, leveled buildings and brought destruction to the city of Palu and surrounding areas. As of Tuesday evening local time, the death toll has reached 1,234 people, with hundreds more missing. Thousands have been injured, at …

Emergency Appeal: Hurricane Florence

News & Updates | Posted Thursday, September 20, 2018

Emergency Appeal: Hurricane Florence Appeal code: 628H – 2018 U.S. Hurricane Appeal Situation Hurricane Florence slammed into the North Carolina coast on September 14. The slow-moving storm drenched North and South Carolina with record-breaking rainfall. CNN reports that the storm has been responsible for 36 deaths so far, and thousands remain in shelters. Deadly flooding continues to affect the region, hampering relief efforts as …

Situation Report: Hurricane Florence

News & Updates | Posted Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Appeal code: 628H – 2018 U.S. Hurricane Appeal  SITUATION  Hurricane Florence slammed into North and South Carolina late last week, bringing with it record-breaking rainfall and extreme winds. “The storm is blamed for at least 23 deaths, and life-threatening floods are expected to continue all this week, the National Weather Service says,” according to NPR. Thousands of people took refuge in emergency shelters, …

Indonesia Earthquake – August 2018

News & Updates | Posted Monday, August 6, 2018

CWS Liaising with Partners and Standing By to Respond When a second earthquake within a week struck Lombok, Indonesia yesterday, 5th August 2018, CWS staff were immediately in touch with ACT Alliance colleagues from YAKKUM Emergency Unit and Pelkesi, both ACT Alliance members, which are already responding to the less damaging July 29th quake and are ready to respond to …

Group savings, expanded businesses in Indonesia

News & Updates | Posted Monday, July 23, 2018

Yance Tefa is better known by Mama Yance in her community in remote southern West Timor. She lives with her husband and four kids, who range from four to 16 and are all students. Like most of her neighbors, Mama Yance is a household farmer. She raises pigs for her primary income, while many of her neighbors raise corn or …

Emergency Appeal: Flooding in Kenya

News & Updates | Posted Friday, May 18, 2018

June 4 Update: Our team has installed 10,000-liter (2,642-gallon) water tanks in six of the seven camps that we identified, and we have made arrangements with the Kenya Red Cross to have the tanks filled with clean water. Portable latrines have been installed in each camp. Hygiene and sanitation education sessions have been conducted and will continue this week. We …

Situation Report: Spring Storms in the U.S.

News & Updates | Posted Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Situation Severe weather has swept across the American midwest in recent weeks. Flooding has devastated communities in northern Indiana and nearby parts of Michigan; Indiana declared a state of emergency for 22 counties. CNN reports that flash flood warnings or states of emergency have been issued in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio. Flooding is also anticipated in Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. The Wall Street Journal has …

You Know it When you See it

News & Updates | Posted Saturday, February 24, 2018

Everyone – staff and clients — at Episcopal Community Health Services, known as ECHOS, in southwest Houston know it when they see it. Cathy Moore, ECHOS Director, and her staff know that people who come to ECHOS are trying to stabilize and improve their lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Even now, months after the storm, folks are rebuilding …

My return visit to Houston four months after Hurricane Harvey

News & Updates | Posted Wednesday, January 10, 2018

During my first visit to Houston, shortly after Hurricane Harvey struck, I saw the flooding and the destroyed furniture piled along the streets in so many neighborhoods. Many organizations were providing much-needed immediate assistance. Four months after the storm, I returned to Houston to visit with ECHOS and the leaders of the Cambodian Village in Rosharon. I wanted to know …

Climate change: reflecting on 2017

News & Updates | Posted Friday, December 15, 2017

As we approach end of year celebrations, this is a good time to take stock, reflect and see what lies ahead in terms of climate change.  Here is my own 2017 review – the good, the bad and the hopeful. The good news is that, even if 2017 was marked by shock and dismay at the dismantling of once-bold U.S. …