Displaying items by tag: devastation

Since March, Iran has been ravaged by record rainfall and unprecedented flash flooding. At least 26 of 31 provinces have been impacted by deadly floods. One city received 70% of its annual rainfall in one day. 76 have died, with hundreds missing. It is the largest disaster to hit Iran this century. Entire villages were washed away in minutes, and countless homes and buildings were damaged or completely destroyed. The story has not reached international news headlines, but hundreds of thousands remain displaced and grieving. Christians in different places have been helping to provide food, clothing and basic necessities for those affected. The Iranian government has been accused of mismanaging disaster response, with residents of afflicted areas complaining that action has been slow and insufficient. Iran complains that US banking sanctions make it impossible to receive donations from outside the country. The US puts the blame on Iran's leaders. See

For the first time in recorded history, Mozambique has been hit by two cyclones in one season. Category 4 Kenneth arrived six weeks after Idai killed 600+ people with flooding. Kenneth killed at least 41 people and destroyed thousands of homes across northern Mozambique. Ibo Island was particularly hard hit, receiving food aid only six days after Kenneth destroyed thousands of homes. The human cost of the disaster is only now being revealed. The UN described reaching Ibo as ‘incredibly difficult’. Initial estimates are that 90% of structures were damaged. ‘If somebody hasn’t lost everything, he’s a lucky guy because no-one has escaped,’ said a motorcycle taxi driver. Almost everybody lost their belongings. The World Food Programme said that Kenneth dumped twice as much rain as Idai, nine inches, or about a quarter of the average annual rainfall for the region - again raising concerns about climate change. See

The UN estimates that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people were affected by Cyclone Idai; the world does not yet realise the enormity of the situation. Six days after its 106 mph winds and rain hit southern Africa, thousands are still cut off. Beira, where the storms first made landfall, was not reached for three days. Every building in the city (population 500,000) was damaged. The whole region is without power. Food, clothes and medicine are needed immediately, but flooded, damaged roads need repairing before assistance can reach them. Save the Children warned on 18 March that 100,000’s of children are at risk as rivers burst their banks. Malawi was flooded by torrential rainfall before Idai made landfall in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Whole villages were swept away in the three countries. Pray for the military and humanitarian agencies trying to gain access to thousands of stranded people. Pray for abundant donations of food, drinking water, medicine and clothing to reach victims quickly, after what is believed to be the worst ever natural disaster in the southern hemisphere.

California firefighters say rains will aid efforts to contain the wildfires, but will also turn ash on the ground into a thick sludge. Workers will struggle in the mud, and there could be land and mudslides, officials warn. The wildfires have so far claimed a total of at least 80 lives. The fire in northern California, which has destroyed at least 10,500 homes in the town of Paradise, with nearly 1,000 people still unaccounted for, is unlikely to be fully contained before the end of November. Sheriff Kory Honea said it was possible that the full death toll in Paradise may never be known.

Almost 4,000 people have been evacuated from the slopes of the Fuego volcano after it began erupting on 18 November, with ash and lava spewing from its crater. This comes five months after almost 200 people were buried by volcanic ash and mud during a violent eruption. That eruption generated pyroclastic flows - fast-moving mixtures of very hot gas and volcanic matter - which engulfed whole communities. Volcanologists say that this time, lava is rising 500m above the volcano's crater. The ash cloud towers one kilometre above the 3,763-metre tall volcano. Fuego is one of Latin America's most active volcanoes.

As Open Doors workers walked through a village in Indonesia, surrounded by the rubble and destruction left behind by the recent earthquake, they could hear voices singing ‘Hallelujah’. Coming round the corner they found a group of believers standing under a tent, singing their praises to God. It is incredible to see the faith of our brothers and sisters in Indonesia, even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances. The death toll following the recent earthquake and tsunami has now exceeded 2,000, and many thousands more have been left homeless, their houses destroyed. On top of that, Christians face discrimination because of their faith as aid is distributed. A Muslim-majority village is located next to a Christian-majority one. But when military tents and other relief aid were sent to the victims, only a small amount of instant noodles were given to the Christians. Discrimination is widespread.

On 25 October the 200-mph winds of Super Typhoon Yutu were moving away from its devastating strike on Saipan and Tinian (the two largest islands in the Northern Marianas) and moving into the open waters of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the strongest typhoon on record to pass over the island, and could eventually threaten parts of southeast Asia (the Philippines, Taiwan or southern Japan) after a few days. Maximum sustained winds remain solidly at Category 5 intensity. Pray for the people of Tinian where many homes have been destroyed, critical infrastructure is compromised, and there is no power or water at this time. Several areas are inaccessible, and authorities are yet to complete a preliminary assessment of the damage. Heavy machinery has been deployed in Saipan to clear debris from roads so that first responders can reach people cut off by the storm. Many have lost their homes, and many businesses have been destroyed. See

At the time of writing, a huge clean-up operation is continuing after Storm Ali battered parts of the UK with winds of up to 100mph. Two people died, thousands of homes were without power, and lorries overturned due to the severe winds. Rail services were disrupted, and on 20 September in some places the winds were still too strong for engineers to repair downed power lines. Some 55,000 homes and businesses, largely in southwest Ireland, suffered a loss of power due to the winds. Meanwhile Storm Bronagh has been officially named; she is due to reach Devon and Cornwall on 20 September, and expected to deliver heavy rain, lightning, hail and high waves around the coasts. The Met Office has warned of damage to buildings, falling trees, and danger to life. See

In the Philippines, officials are taking stock of the immense damage caused by Typhoon Mangkhut. On Luzon landslides buried a church where people were sheltering, and engulfed a miners’ bunkhouse with up to fifty inside. The casualties are expected to be 100+. Pray for God to comfort the bereaved and bring healing to the sick. An estimated 5.7 million people have been affected by Mangkhut, and delivering aid supplies is a major challenge. Pray for many workers to come and help repair the infrastructure. In the town of Baggao, where YWAM have a base, houses were demolished, power lines were downed, roads were cut off by landslides, and many remain submerged. Pray for God to give strength and wisdom to those offering counsel and shelter. Rice and corn crops waiting for harvest are under floodwater. Pray for the fishermen and farmers who have lost everything. Mangkhut moved on to Hong Kong and China, tearing off roofs, blowing in doors and shattering glass windows. Pray for the evacuees now returning to devastation.

Despite being susceptible to devastating weather, the island of Dominica has a thriving banana industry that drives much of the economy, but not one tree, village, street, or person was spared the terrifying effects of Hurricane Maria. One of several devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean in September, Maria blasted the tiny island as a Category 5 storm. Communications are down. Drinking water is scarce. Over fifteen were killed and many more injured. Many say the devastation on this island is worse than a war zone. Dominica does not possess the means or infrastructure to rebuild after such a catastrophe. Though the majority claim Christianity (primarily Catholicism), nominalism is rampant, yet we praise God that evangelicals have experienced great growth, from 2% of the population in 1970 to 17% in 2010!