A crisis can strike suddenly, without warning. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, droughts and earthquakes can devastate communities, and man-made crises of conflict, social and political unrest can destabilise entire nations.
In times of crisis, local churches are uniquely placed to reach out to children in need and their families. Compassion’s partnerships with local churches mean we can respond to urgent needs with a strong understanding of who we are helping.
We will always strive to provide up-to-date information when crises occur.
Please pray for the many children and their families who are affected by crises around the world.
A crisis can strike suddenly, without warning. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, droughts and earthquakes can devastate communities, and man-made crises of conflict, social and political unrest can destabilise entire nations.
In times of crisis, local churches are uniquely placed to reach out to children in need and their families. Compassion’s partnerships with local churches mean we can respond to urgent needs with a strong understanding of who we are helping.
We will always strive to provide up-to-date information when crises occur. Please pray for the many children and their families who are affected by crises around the world.
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Flooding and Landslides in Sri Lanka 20 May, 2018
The situation
Sri Lanka is experiencing flooding and landslides due to monsoon rains in Chilaw, Colombo and Hatton.
Global Compassion impact
Church partners in the area are distributing cooked food and clean water to affected households.
Prayer
Please pray for safety and provision for our beneficiaries in this area.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Dengue Outbreak in Brazil 19 May, 2018
The situation
Brazil’s Ministry of Health has raised an alert in the State of Paraíba due to an outbreak of Dengue. The cities of Sousa and Coremas are impacted the most. Several beneficiaries are also affected. Due to restrictions on sharing personal health data, impact reports will be limited to the Compassion Centres who have affected children.
Global Compassion impact
Two Compassion Centres are affected.
Compassion’s response
Please pray for protection over beneficiaries who are not sick and for the quick recovery of those who are.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Civil Unrest in Nicaragua (Crisis Update) 19 May, 2018
New information
Marches and protests continue every day in Nicaragua. A tense dialogue began yesterday between the president and other government officials, representatives of civil society, a private company, university students and others. The cities of Managua and Masaya are experiencing the most unrest.
Global Compassion impact
143 Compassion Centres have been affected. The national office estimates around 11 Compassion assisted children may be affected, but no details are available at this time. Compassion Centres continue to decide whether or not to hold program activities based on how the situation is impacting their contexts. Attendance at Compassion Centres that are holding normal program remains low.
Prayer
Please continue to pray for peace in Nicaragua and for the safety and well-being of our beneficiaries there.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Flooding in Colombia 18 May, 2018
The situation
While the far northern coast of Colombia has been experiencing heavy rains for almost a month, other areas of the country, including Sahagun are now also experiencing heavy rains and flooding. The national office is working alongside church partners to assess the impact to beneficiaries and their families.
Prayer
Please pray for safety, health and provision for our beneficiaries in this area.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Flooded Dam in Colombia 18 May, 2018
The situation
Authorities ordered eight municipalities in western Colombia to evacuate on Friday after flooding began at a hydroelectric dam. If rains continue to fill the Cauca river, there are fears the dam could break, affecting even more people downstream.
Global Compassion impact
Compassion Centres in Caucasia and Ayapel are among those under evacuation orders. Church partners are helping raise awareness and encouraging people to evacuate. Some beneficiaries and their families are moving out to stay with relatives. The local church is helping the rest find temporary shelter in other municipalities where Compassion church partners are present.
Prayer
Please pray for safety, health and provision for our beneficiaries in this area.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Dam Burst in Kenya (Crisis Update) 17 May, 2018
New information
Over the weekend, the school shelter in Solai, Kenya closed to prepare for reopening the school this week. No official efforts were made to relocate the families staying there, except that the Red Cross provided $300 per family to help them find shelter. Those affected, including beneficiaries and their families, looked for support from community members and relatives. Families are experiencing challenges as they look for a more permanent solution. There are no rental facilities in Solai. The closest available rentals are 7 kilometers away and have limited capacity; they can only accommodate 10 households out of the 400 displaced by the flooding.
Global Compassion impact
Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 45
Compassion’s response
The church partner is currently constructing a facility to temporarily house some of the affected beneficiaries and their families. They estimate it will take a week to complete construction. The national office is also working on an Individual CIV to rebuild some of the ICP facilities. For families whose homes were destroyed, there are challenges with land ownership and available rentals. The national office is still determining the best way to support them.
Prayer
Please pray for provision for the affected beneficiaries and their families. Please also pray that church partner and national staff would have wisdom as they try to help these families find a permanent home.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Flooding in Kenya (Crisis Update) 17 May, 2018
New information
Rains have subsided in most regions of Kenya affected by widespread flooding. The clear weather has allowed ICP staff and management teams to visit beneficiary homes that were previously inaccessible.
Global Compassion impact
Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 212
Compassion’s response
The national office continues to support ICPs as they meet the immediate needs of beneficiaries and their families. As mentioned in the previous report, they plan to submit Individual CIVs to support reconstruction efforts. The anticipated need is around $130,000 (USD).
Prayer
Please continue to pray that families will be able to recover quickly from their losses and regain a sense of normalcy.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Dam Burst in Kenya (Crisis Update) 17 May, 2018
New information
Our national office in Kenya has reported that all 338 Compassion assisted children with KE0348 have been found and are alive. The families staying at the boys’ school in Solai will be relocated this weekend because school is scheduled to re-open on Monday.
Global Compassion impact
Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 42
Compassion’s response
The church partner is working to find a place where beneficiaries and their families can stay temporarily. The national office continues to support their immediate needs using Ongoing CIV disaster funds and local staff contributions. They anticipate requesting additional support through Individual CIVs, estimating the need will be around $30,000 (USD) for relief and $90,000 (USD) for long term rehabilitation needs.
Prayer
Please join our Kenyan staff in praising God for protecting the lives all of the children from KE0348! Please continue praying for provision for all those affected, and strength and comfort for those who lost loved ones.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Fire in Pagadian City, Philippines 16 May, 2018
The situation
Last Wednesday, a fire broke out in a neighborhood in Pagadian City, Philippines. Forty families were affected and several lost their homes, including some children from PH0932 and PH0874. An evacuation center has been provided for those affected and PH0932 has provided temporary shelter for children and their families.
Prayer
Please pray for the affected families as they deal with the loss of their homes.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Dam Burst in Kenya (Crisis Update) 15 May, 2018
New information
The impact of last week’s dam burst in Solai, Kenya is still being assessed. As of yesterday, 308 beneficiaries (of the 338 total registered beneficiaries with KE0348) have been accounted for. Every effort is being made to locate the others. One ICP committee member is among those who were killed. Affected families are staying at a neighboring boys’ school and are receiving support from various government and non-government agencies.
Global Compassion impact
Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 27
Compassion’s response
The Kenya National Office and KE0348 are responding to the urgent needs of beneficiaries and their families. Using Ongoing CIV disaster funds, they are providing food, mattresses, blankets, clothing and group counseling through the Amani Center. Members of the National Leadership Team visited KE0348 last week, and other teams of national staff will visit this week to continue assessing needs. The national director has given national staff the opportunity to donate money, clothes, books, bedding and other supplies as they feel led. The national office anticipates requesting funds to help families resettle.
Prayer
Please pray for:
- All beneficiaries to be found safe.
- Provision to support the urgent needs of affected families.
- God to protect families from adverse weather conditions.
- God to strengthen and comfort the children who lost family members in this disaster.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Heavy Rains in Eastern Uganda 11 May, 2018
The siuation
Yesterday, heavy rains fell in eastern Uganda, affecting the Mbale District. Flooding and landslides have destroyed homes and gardens, which are the main source of food for many families. In some cases, families have had to evacuate to nearby schools.
Global Compassion impact
Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 6
Compassion centres are providing food for affected children and their families through Ongoing disaster funds. They also plan to submit an Individual CIV to help rebuild homes.
Prayer
Please pray for safety and provision for those affected by this disaster.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Civil Unrest in Nicaragua (Crisis Update) 11 May, 2018
New information
Our national office in Nicaragua decided to re-open the disaster record for civil unrest due to continued social instability and more deadly clashes between protesters and the national police. There have also been attempts to loot markets in the capital city of Managua. Frustration over fuel costs has been added to the reasons people are protesting. Public schools remain in session in an attempt to minimize protests. The national office has instructed ICPs to assess the security conditions of their contexts and determine whether or not to hold program as normal. As of Saturday, 21% of church partners were not holding normal program activities.
Global Compassion impact
128 Compassion Centres have been affected since protests began almost a month ago.
Prayer
Please pray for a peaceful resolution to the conflicts in Nicaragua and no more loss of life during the protests.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Rains and Wind in Ghana 11 May, 2018
The situation
On May 11th a rainstorm accompanied by strong winds affected the central region of Ghana. The wind tore roofs off homes, and flooding collapsed several buildings.
Global Compassion impact
Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 14
The Compassion Centre has provided basic relief to the affected children and their families through Ongoing CIV disaster funds. With support from the ICP and other family members, eleven beneficiaries and their families have begun to repair and return to their homes. The other three are staying in a temporary shelter because their entire buildings collapsed.
Prayer
Please pray for provision and safety as families make repairs and await support to rebuild.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Heavy rains in Norther Colombia (Crisis Update) 09 May, 2018
New information
Continued rains in northern Colombia had parts of the Atlántico Department under water Saturday night and caused several creeks to overflow. The Civil Defense and police are assessing the impact of the rains.
Global Compassion impact
Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 84
Compassion's reponse
The national office continues to support church partners as they make arrangements to meet beneficiary needs.
Prayer
Please pray for provision for the children and families affected by these rains.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Dam Burst in Kenya 09 May, 2018
The situation
Last night, a dam in Solai, Kenya (near Nakuru) burst unexpectedly, causing flash flooding in the surrounding area. Forty-one people were killed, including some of our beneficiaries’ caregivers. Several people are still missing, including some of our beneficiaries. Search and rescue efforts are underway led by Kenya’s Defense Forces, the Red Cross, local police, the National Youth Service and the Nakuru County government. The dam could not withstand increased water levels caused by consistent heavy rain over the last two months. Around 2,500 residents were affected, and 300 families lost their homes.
Global Compassion impact
One Compassion Centre is affected.
Compassion’s response
National staff are on the ground assisting church partner staff with impact assessment. The national office is also on standby, ready to support the urgent needs of beneficiaries and their families with Ongoing CIV disaster funds as needed. They also anticipate needing additional support for relief, rebuilding homes, and repairing/rebuilding church partner infrastructure.
Prayer
Please pray for:
- Those who are missing to be found alive
- Provision for urgent needs
- God’s protection from adverse weather conditions
- Ongoing rescue operations – that they will be able to save many lives quickly and without difficulty
- God’s strength and comfort for children who lost their caregivers
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Strong winds in Bangladesh 08 May, 2018
The siuation
One week ago, strong winds swept across southeast Bangladesh, affecting remote areas around Kaptai Lake. The storm took out communications for 24 hours, and several beneficiaries lost their homes. During the storm, families took shelter in the local church and a rest house near the lake. Some who lost homes are staying with neighbors and others are sleeping under the open sky.
The church partners and national office are working to provide for the immediate needs of the affected families with items, such as food and home repair materials.
Prayer
Please pray for the safety and recovery of our beneficiaries in this area. Also, please pray for good weather, so families can rebuild their homes.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Heavy Rains in the Dominican Republic 06 May, 2018
The situation
A low pressure weather system caused widespread rains across the Dominican Republic. Flooding occurred in some of the vulnerable communities living along rivers. Beneficiary homes in the San Cristobal area are believed to be affected. National staff and ICPs are in the process of assessing the impact.
Prayer
Please pray for the safety of our beneficiaries in this area.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Heavy rains in Northern Colombia 04 May, 2018
The situation
Last Saturday, heavy rains along the northern coast of Colombia caused flooding in Palmar de Varela. Roads are buried in mud, and some beneficiary’s homes were affected.
The local church is visiting families to assess the impact and their needs.
Prayer
Please pray for safety, health and provision for our beneficiaries in this area.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?
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Flooding in Kenya (Crisis Update) 04 May, 2018
New information
Schools have reopened in Kenya this week, which has forced some of the families affected by flooding to find shelter elsewhere in the community as they wait for rains to subside. In western Kenya, several families are staying in a temporary refuge set up by the local government.
Global Compassion impact
Number of Compassion assisted children affected: 184
Compassion’s response
The national office is helping facilitate the provision of basic needs and school items for children and their families. Compassion centres are working to help beneficiaries return to school despite the difficulties caused by the flooding.
Prayer
Please pray for stability and peace for everyone impacted in this area.
Where is this Crisis Report occurring?