Puerto Rican churches respond in solidarity with sister churches in the Bahamas
Two partners of Global Ministries, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Puerto Rico and the United Evangelical Church in Puerto Rico, are working together with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the Bahamas. Both churches in Puerto Rico are collecting funds and gathering professional and pastoral resource persons to travel to the Bahamas as allowed by the condition at the airports there.
“This is not the first time that we’ve teamed up with our brothers and sisters in ADRA,” said the Reverend Miguel A. Morales-Castro, General Pastor of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Puerto Rico. “During the Haiti earthquake, we could send containers and a great number of resources to the churches in Haiti. Also, during our work dealing with Hurricane María, ADRA and the United Evangelical Church were key into the attention of emergencies and bringing our resources for the service of our people. Where the local and federal authorities couldn’t reach out, we were there with our Partners. Now is our turn to be in solidarity with the Bahamas.”
United Nations officials, meanwhile, estimate more than 60,000 people in northwest Bahamas will need food following the devastation left by the storm. A spokesperson for the U. N. World Food Program said Tuesday that a team is ready to help the Bahamian government assess storm damage and prioritize needs. Herve Verhoosel said preliminary calculations show that 45,700 people on Grand Bahama island may need food, along with another 14,500 people in the neighboring Abaco Islands. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said some 62,000 people will also need access to clean drinking water. Matthew Cochrane said about 45 percent of homes in Grand Bahama and Abaco were severely damaged or destroyed. The organization will help 20,000 of the most vulnerable people, including a large Haitian community. https://www.local10.com/weather/hurricane/hurricane-dorian-damages-health-infrastructure-on-grand-bahama-island
“We urge everyone to keep praying for the people in the Bahamas and to stand in solidarity as churches continue collecting the needed resources to provide for disaster relief and long-term recovery,” said the Reverend Edward Rivera-Santiago, General Pastor of the United Evangelical Church of Puerto Rico.