In response to the deadly tsunami that struck parts of Asia, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency’s (ADRA) recent activities include the delivery of aid supplies in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India and assisting in water-system repair efforts in a Thailand village.

In the northern coastal region of Aceh Province, Indonesia, a medical team in Banda Aceh opened a field hospital in coordination with the provincial health department. The team transported five metric tons of medical supplies and equipment to Banda Aceh last night.

Medicines are continuing to be distributed through hospitals in southern Sri Lanka. ADRA distributed medical supplies to treat 50,000 for three months. ADRA is preparing to have resources on standby to enable the delivery of 20 cholera kits and 20 intravenous (IV) kits to combat cholera or diarrhea outbreaks. A team of engineers from Germany will be partnering with a South African water specialist team already on-site to assist in the operation of two water filtration units in affected areas in the south. Six reverse osmosis water purifiers and six disinfection units to aid in body recovery are also en route to Sri Lanka.

In Thailand, an ADRA water experts team is onsite assisting a village in the repair of a water filtration and distribution system. The system is an income generating enterprise for 200 households in the village that receive a small fee for supplying water to surrounding communities.

ADRA India has developed a plan to assist fishing families restore their livelihoods through assistance in accessing fishing equipment. A plan for providing clean water using water purification has also been prepared.

Donations can be made to the Asia Tsunami Crisis Fund online at www.adra.org

ADRA is present in more than 120 countries providing individual and community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, or ethnicity. [Editor: Todd Reese for ADRA/APD]

Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org