LWF scales up support in Nepal’s time of devastation

The Communion stands with the Church and people in their pain and loss

(LWI) - The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is scaling up its support for survivors of the catastrophic 25 April earthquake in Nepal, which killed around 7,000 people, destroyed homes and reduced historical sites to rubble.

As the LWF Department for World Service (DWS) program in Nepal increases its emergency assistance, General Secretary Rev. Martin Junge has expressed the Lutheran communion’s solidarity with the people in Nepal.

“On behalf of the LWF communion, I want to assure you of our solidarity with the church and the people of Nepal at this moment of pain and loss of innocent and precious lives. I share your fear and anxiety in the aftermath of the worst earthquake in 80 years,” Junge said in a 27 April letter to the president of Nepal Evangelical Lutheran Church (NELC) Rev. Joseph Soren.

The 7.8-magnitude tremor that hit Nepal has left more than 14,000 people injured with thousands of villages devastated. As many as 90 percent of clinics and schools in some districts are unusable.

At NELC's congregation in Bhaktupar, 14 kilometers east of the capital Kathmandu, the pastor, some congregation members and their families are sleeping in the streets and are in need of food. When the earthquake struck, they were holding a prayer meeting in the church building, which suffered cracks. The pastor’s house and homes of congregation members were also damaged.

In his letter to the NELC leader, Junge affirmed LWF’s commitment “to provide our best support for the affected people and their families.” He encouraged the church to continue to offer pastoral care to those affected.

“We will continue to uphold the nation, those who are affected and the rescue efforts in our prayers,” the LWF general secretary added.
 

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Visit the Nepal earthquake response page and the Nepal program site