Michigan-Based Ministry Aids Victims of Bam Earthquake
by Allie Martin and Jody Brown
January 6, 2004
(AgapePress) - A U.S. based ministry is coming alongside Iranian Christians to offer much needed help in the aftermath of last month's deadly earthquake.The United Nations announced today it will launch a flash appeal for almost $75 million to help fund reconstruction and relief efforts in Bam, the Iranian city struck hardest by the December 26 earthquake. In the meantime, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee is raising money to provide food, shelter, and health care for Bam and other communities that were devastated by the 6.5 shaker that, according to the latest estimates, resulted in the deaths of as many as 35,000 people.
Andy Ryskamp, executive director of the Grand Rapids-based CRWRC, says the ministry is involved in both short-term and long-term relief efforts.
"We're an organization that really hangs in there for the long term and works at both the short-term shelter, food, and health stage, as well as the long-term rehabilitation stage -- getting the housing reestablished, rebuilding the economic base with the communities," he explains. "We want to come alongside those communities in the long term."
Ryskamp, who spent two years ministering in a Muslim country, says his group's relief work is being coordinated with Iranian Christians and other organizations with which they are familiar.
"We don't have our own operations in Iran, but we are familiar with a number of organizations that we partner with," he explains. "When something happens in the [thirty] countries that we're working in, then they'll partner with us. Now we're partnering with those organizations that have people on the ground, can do the assessment, [and] know how to respond to these situations."
According to l'Agence France-Presse, the Iranian government and the U.N. have been drawing up a reconstruction plan. That report says authorities have promised to rebuild the city of Bam in 18 months.
