ADRA Korea visited the disaster area hit by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and reviewed the results of relief efforts. They also attended the completion ceremonies of schools and houses which were built by the aid of the Korean Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church.
Last November, the horrific typhoon Haiyan swept through the center of the Philippines, killing about 7,000 people and resulting in more than 4 million victims. Adventists in the Philippines were also affected by the typhoon; one conference building, one school building, several churches, and houses of church members were destroyed. ADRA Korea gave 20,000 USD of emergency aid right after the disaster happened.
The Korean SDA church, including ADRA, has continued to provide support for the devastated area. Last January and February, the East Central Korean Conference and the West Central Korean Conference dispatched volunteers to the area to help reconstruct houses and churches. Sahmyook Health University College and Adventist Doctors Association worked together to open pro bono clinics to treat those who were injured and to prevent infectious diseases, such as dengue fever, as well as to provide voluntary service for beauty treatments.
Volunteers struggled to rebuild the disaster area because of poor conditions and lack of building materials. They delivered relief supplies, such as food, clothes, daily necessities and stationery to people affected by the typhoon. When visiting destroyed churches, they prayed for their recovery and discussed how the Korean church could support them in an effective way.
ADRA Korea plans to continue to provide relief efforts in cooperation with ADRA Philippines. In addition, Korean local conferences will lend their support.