In September and October 2009, several Church Partners of the Uniting Church in Australia faced some of the most destructive and widespread natural disasters in memory.

A community centre is being built in Poutasi, Samoa in partnership between UnitingWorld and the Methodist Church in Samoa

Last September in Samoa, entire communities were swept away as tsunami waves reportedly measuring up to 14 metres high battered the Pacific island nation.

Within days of this disaster, Typhoon Ketsana resulted in destructive widespread flooding in the northern Philippines, and communities in western Sumatra (Indonesia) endured one of the strongest earthquakes ever to strike the region.

The Uniting Church in Australia responded with great warmth and generousity to the call of our Church Partners as they worked to address the urgent needs of their local communities during this critical time. Food, water, sanitation and medical support were desperately needed during these crucial times.

Poutasi, a small coastal community on the south east coast of Upolu island in Samoa, was one community that experienced such destruction. Many homes were completely destroyed and local facilities sustained severe damage. Many members of the local community lost their lives.

“Virtually the whole village has relocated further inland to start afresh,” said Rev. Dr Lutisone Salevao, General Secretary of the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa, a Church Partner that UnitingWorld worked in partnership with throughout the disaster recovery.

“This means they have to rebuild family homes and other community facilities to not only rebuild the village, but rebuild the community.”

Members of the Uniting Church responded so generously to the request of our partners to address the immediate needs of several communities in Samoa who had sustained similar damage to that in Poutasi. But the recovery effort has been a longterm project for the church in Samoa and UnitingWorld.

For longer-term community development, UnitingWorld is assisting the our Church Partner to build several multi-purpose community centres, rebuilding in sense of community after a disaster of such a large scale.

Associate Director for Relief and Development, Mr Rob Floyd said, “Our priority with disasters such as these is to work with communities for the long-haul, as a true sign of standing with them in solidarity.

“The Uniting Church stood with these partners to address their urgent needs as the full scale of these tragedies unfolded in September 2009. We will continue to stand with them, empowering them to rebuild and recover until they are once again back on their feet.”

From relief to long term recovery

Natural disasters have devastating effects on communities in developing countries.

Some coastal communities were nearly completely flattened as a result of the tsunami

When infrastructure is weaker and local organisations have a lower capacity to act quickly and respond to the needs of local community, recovery can be a near impossible task.

When our Church Partners face emergencies, UnitingWorld responds by consulting and working closely with our partner to provide people in danger with their most urgent needs, such as food, clean water, sanitation shelter, medical assistance and crisis counselling.

Upon addressing these vital needs, we work with our partners on longer-term recovery, which can include assistance for increasing food security, strengthening livelihoods and rebuilding a strong sense of community that enables them to move forward together through these difficult circumstances.

Engagement for the long-haul is paramount when responding the urgent needs of our overseas Church Partners.