Fort McMurray Flood Response
A 25 kilometer long ice jam on the Athabaska River has brought more devastation to the residents of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Still recovering from the wildfires of 2016, reeling from the current crash of the oil industry, coping with COVID-19 closures and job losses, the people of Fort McMurry are now also dealing … read more
Fleeing Eden
“We weren’t going to evacuate originally. But when the warning came through that they couldn’t guarantee Eden could be saved, we thought that was too scary for us to deal with.” Vicki and her mother, Norma, live in Eden on the south coast of New South Wales in Australia. But when the … read more
Update on the Bahamas
“In the Bahamas, what happened with this hurricane, I guess you call this kind of storm a “once in a century” or “once in a lifetime.” Most of the initial relief has already been done. We did some hot meal programs, some food distribution, as well as giving hygiene kits and mattresses. We’ve … read more
Bushfires in Cobargo, Australia
Tammy and Brett live in the country town of Wandella, just outside Cobargo in Australia. On 31 December 2019, they were woken in the middle of the night by a phone call. It was their son, who was out battling the bushfires with the Rural Fire Service. “You need to leave,” he said. … read more
The New Reality
What a difference a month can make! Since our last eNews update, our world has changed dramatically! We have all learned a lot about “community spread”, “social distancing”, “self-isolation”, home-schooling, and working from home. Simple trips to those stores that still remain open can mean waiting in long lines before being able to … read more
Making Masks and Gowns
In the Philippines, healthcare workers have been running out of masks and gowns as they work on the front lines of their communities, serving people infected with COVID-19. The Culasi Maker Tailoring Shop, a community-based organization started by ADRA’s REAP project in northern Iloilo, has stepped up and not only made masks … read more
EMBRACING A Mountain Village
Pagsangaan is an isolated community perched among beautiful mountains in the Philippines. The village was established during World War II when a group of families fled the violence of the Japanese invasion. The dense jungle provided a perfect place to hide. For 30 years, the people of the village remained very cautious of … read more
A Dark Cloud of Locusts
Large swarms of desert locusts have been devastating pasture, crops, and fodder fields in eastern Africa for the last two months. Farmers and herders in Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda have been forced to stand by helplessly, as the locusts stripped their fields of everything green. Living in rural Kenya, Mwikali is … read more
After the Earthquake in Albania
On November 26, 2019, the country of Albania was struck by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that took the lives of 52 people and left 3,000 more with injuries. Over 1,000 buildings collapsed. Many thousands more homes and apartment buildings were structurally damaged, making them extremely vulnerable to the ongoing aftershocks in the region. … read more
When it Rains Ash and Stones!
Located just 50 kilometres south of Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, the Taal volcano is the second most active volcano in the country. On Sunday, January 12, 2020, Taal suddenly began to erupt. Seismologists in the Philippines said, “The speed of the escalation of Taal’s volcanic activity caught us by surprise.” … read more
