Vol No 1, Winter 2005
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Volume 7 Number 1 Winter 2005 ...a Seeds of Hope publication World Responds to In This Tsunami Devastation Issue: by Jessica Garza page 2: More on the Tsunami n the morning of December 26, 2004, an begun in 1965 by the US National Oceanic and How to Respond to Oearthquake caused a catastrophic chain Atmospheric Administration, did not detect Tsunami Victims of events in the Indian Ocean. The level 9.0 the oncoming disaster because there were no earthquake set forth a deadly tsunami (a series wave sensors in the area. page 3: of traveling ocean waves generated by Unfortunately, since tsunamis have not Stylianos Kyriakides: geological disturbances) that would claim all been common in Sri Lanka and India, those The Marathon Runner living things in its path. two nations were not participants in the Who Brought Hope to The tsunami did not form at the exact international warning system. Moreover, Greece epicenter of the quake. The collision of the though Thailand is a member of the warning page 4: India and Burma plates about 600 miles near system, the country did not have wave sensors CARE Director in mounted correctly in the ocean. Indonesia Iraq Reported In one swift shift of water, simply could not afford the technology. Murdered The areas hardest hit by the tsunami were people were carried out to sea The Story of Margaret almost all bordered along the Indian Ocean— without warning. Entire villages Hassan with Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Seychelles, in Thailand were wiped out. The Maldives, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, page 5: initial impact of the tsunami Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia Hunger Resources killed thousands, but there was all being affected. more destruction to come. In one swift shift of water, people were carried out to sea without warning. Entire pages 6-7: the coast of northern Sumatra is to blame for villages in Thailand were wiped out. The initial Number of US Poor the catastrophe. Though it is thought to have impact of the tsunami killed thousands, but Continues to Rise been one geological incident, the plates that there was more destruction to come. caused the tsunami will continue to move in As happens in many natural disasters, the Obesity, Heart the future. first wave was followed by earthquake Disease, and Poverty The tsunami reached the shores of Sri aftershocks. Minutes later, other tsunami-sized Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand waves pounded the already devastated coasts. page 8: around 7:00 am. The early arrival of the huge Scientists estimate that the waves traveled Quotes, Poems & wave gave little opportunity to alert the areas near speeds of 500 miles an hour from ocean Pithy Sayings in its path. An international warning system, continued on page 2 destitute and need to be fed, clothed, comforted, and counseled and moved from polluted areas.” Bangladesh Myanmar Other relief agencies started to India Thailand campaign for monetary aid for the area. Groups from the Hindu Press, India Maldives Sri Lanka Development and Relief Fund, Somalia Malaysia Chinmaya Mission, and Exnora Kenya Indonesia International (based in Chennai) have Seychelles come to the front lines to deliver help. Tanzania The agencies listed above are all based in the countries affected by the tsunami. With so many waiting to donate their services to the disaster area, many of the groups are choosing to specialize to shore. Then, reaching land, the waves bring the death toll up to 700,000 people. in one aspect of the problems like slowed to 100 miles per hour. The intense To minimize the spread of disease, providing shelter, food, or clothing. waves and aftershocks, collectively, many hospitals set up information boards Many other countries around the claimed as many lives as the first. to help in identifying the dead. In most world have pledged incredible amounts Initial reports of death tolls soared cases, families were forced to identify of money to the cause. The estimated to inconceivable numbers. Nearly their deceased by means of Polaroid combined relief fund from foreign 144,000 were reported dead, while photos. governments has now reached almost 147,000 were missing. In the coming Days after the tsunami, the rescue three and a half billion dollars. days, countries kept independent counts effort was not the only urgent need The cost of the disaster toll changes of their missing and their dead. pressing the affected areas. In small daily, but the world is standing in support In Sri Lanka, the death toll has villages and communities, the threat of of Southeast Asia. This does not include reached almost 30,000 with 6,000 homelessness and famine emerged as an funds collected from agencies like the missing. Indonesia reports they have imminent danger. In the next few days, Red Cross and UNICEF. People are lost 98,000 to the tsunami and 133,000 half a million people would be counted donating all they can to help restore and people are yet to be found. India has as homeless. To make matters worse, rebuild a future for those affected by the 11,000 dead and almost 6,000 missing. the floods have loosened and uncovered tsunami disaster. Thailand reports 5,000 dead and 4,000 land mines in some areas. Sri Lankan Fred Ball, Minister General of the are unaccounted for. Other countries like rescue workers reported injuries inflicted Order of Ecumenical Franciscans Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Kenya have in this way. expressed his focus for the relief effort lost fewer than 10 each, but the areas In a plea to aid in the relief effort, in a letter: “Somehow, we must reach have been greatly affected in other ways. Dr. Pauline Sathiamurthy, General out with love—rebuilding homes and Though miraculous stories of Secretary of the Church of South India, restoring hopes.” survival have been reported, the majority placed a request for help on behalf of the —Jessica Garza is a professional writing of rescue efforts turned to recovery efforts Episcopal Relief and Development. “In student at Baylor University. Sources: just one week after the event. Entire places like Nagappattinam and Cudalore, CNN, Hindu Press, India Development communities were destroyed as huge entire families have died and their bodies and Relief Fund, Chinmaya Mission, sections of coastland were reduced to have been washed ashore in other Exnora International, Episcopal Relief mud and dirty water. People then lost villages. People are homeless, left and Development the ability to aid those who remained stranded. If you’d like to help, contact your denomination’s relief The people who survived had more and development office, contact one of the charities listed difficulties to face with the onset of disease and famine. The recovery of the above, or check out one of the many organizations who are dead brought new problems. There was responding to this disaster. For a list of groups with links, no place to bury the bodies—a situation go to www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/28/ which increased health risks. Many tsunami.aidsites/. doctors were concerned that this could Hunger News & Hope 2 Winter 2005 Stylianos Kyriakides: The Marathon Runner Who Brought Hope to Greece by Stephanie Tinker ATHENS, GREECE—In the year 490 BC fought the Communists for control of individual people. As one friend remarked, Pheidippides ran 26.2 miles from the country. The Greek people heavily “Kyriakides was Greece.” Marathon to Athens in order to bring suffered. There were no jobs, no Just as Pheidippides brought word of word of Greece’s victory over the factories, and no food. The Greek victory thousands of years ago, Stelios Persians. In the same way that people were desperate. It was at this Kyriakides brought his people the hope of Pheiddipides brought hope to the point that Kyriakides acted. a new beginning. Athenians, Stylianos Kyriakides brought In 1946, he decided to return to —Stephanie Tinker is a recent graduate hope to his entire country in the aftermath America to run in the Boston from the Baylor University Professional of World War II. Marathon, a race he was unable to Writing department. Source: NBC Born in 1909, Stylianos “Stelios” complete several years earlier. He Documentary aired on August 29, 2004. Kyriakides first ran the marathon for wanted to win for Greece in order to For more information on the life of Stylianos Cyprus. After becoming Cyprus’ top make their desperate plight known to Kyriakides, check out the book Running runner, he moved to Greece and quickly a blind world. He adopted the phrase with Pheidippides: Stylianos Kyriakides, made his way to the top once again. His “win or die” as his slogan, and at 36 the Miracle Marathoner by Nick Tsiotos, fame grew with each race, and by the years of age and after a six-year Andy Dabilis, and Johnny Kelley. time of the 1936 Olympic Games in absence from competition, he ran. Berlin, Germany, Kyriakides was hailed On April 20, 1946, Stelios as a national hero—a modern Kyriakides set out to accomplish Pheidippides. the impossible. Wearing However, this golden age would not number 77 for luck, he last. Five years after the Olympics, the caught up with the Nazis invaded Greece, and Athens finally American favorite, fell on April 27, 1941. The next four Johnny Kelley, and years proved treacherous for the Greeks. sprinted to the end after The Germans took all food, clothing, and falling seemingly too far medicine causing 250,000 deaths from behind, improving his starvation in the first winter of occupation. personal best by 16 minutes. One German soldier put it in perspective: As he crossed the finish line, he “Let them perish so long as no German uttered the words “for Greece.” dies.” After the race his fame exploded, During this time, Kyriakides was and he used it to his advantage.