This past summer, areas in western Germany and Belgium experienced severe flooding while southern Haiti was hit by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake. The loss of lives and destruction to homes and businesses left survivors in crisis. To help these devastated communities, The ASEA® Advancing Life Foundation worked with partner organizations the Salvation Army and Hope for Haiti to aid families in need and support volunteers.
Floods in Germany
The Salvation Army coordinated a response to the deaths of at least 220 people, with hundreds more missing after the floods. Many spots in western Germany received over two months’ worth of rain in just under 48 hours. Telephone lines, mobile networks, and electricity were down following the tragedy, making it even more difficult for families and authorities to keep in touch. Flood water mixed with sewage rendered some homes temporarily uninhabitable.
Earthquakes in Haiti
At least 2,248 people are known to have been killed as a result of the July earthquake. Infrastructural damage was widespread and severe, including to hospitals. In Aquin, a city of more than 100,000 people, 860 houses collapsed and 3,500 homes sustained significant damage—leaving over 5,000 people essentially homeless overnight.
Relief efforts
The Advancing Life Foundation provided funds to help with the cleanup and aftermath of flooding in Germany and earthquakes in Haiti. These donations allowed the Salvation Army and Hope for Haiti to deliver meals to volunteers and materials and supplies to cleanup crews. Displaced families were provided with tarpaulin, blankets, hygiene kits, drinking water, and basic food thanks to the efforts of the Salvation Army and Hope for Haiti.
Get involved! Your donations to the Advancing Life Foundation can continue to reduce the effects of poverty and suffering worldwide. ASEA will match donations made in 2021 which means your dollars will have double the impact.