Situation:
At least six people in Pakistan and 40 people in Iran were killed following a major 7.8-magnitude earthquake today that hit a region near the Iran-Pakistan border.
The epicenter of the quake was in southeastern Iran, in a sparsely-populated area of mountains and desert. Today’s event was the largest earthquake in Iran in four decades; an earlier quake last week, on April 9, killed 37 people. That 6.1-magnitude quake was recorded southeast of Bushehr, the site of a nuclear power station. That quake killed 37 people and injured 850.
Today’s quake was felt as far away as India.
Aftershocks may be felt for days or weeks following a high magnitude earthquake such as today’s quake.
Response:
CWS is monitoring the situation and may respond to needs, particularly in Pakistan, if required. However, CWS does not anticipate a major response to this disaster.
How to Help
Contributions to support CWS emergency response efforts may be sent to your denomination or to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515. Donations to our emergency response efforts around the globe may also bemade online.
CWS is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy.