Christians urged to support and pray for Japan

Christian relief agencies have been sending supplies and workers to Japan following the earthquake and tsunami of 11 March, and Twitter and Facebook posts have been encouraging prayer.

Simon Barrington, Executive Director of Samaritan's Purse (UK), who lives in Ipswich, said "Our experience of previous disasters, including last year's earthquake in Haiti where we are still very actively involved, and the Indonesian tsunami of 2004, mean we know how best to work with local emergency services to prioritise where our support can be most effective, but the scale of this disaster and the complexity of the challenges means we would appreciate every element of any assistance churches in the UK can provide."
Quakegraph

The 8.9 magnitude earthquake, which struck off the coast of Japan 150 miles north of Tokyo, triggered a tsunami which swept through the towns and countryside of North East Japan. The tsunami peaked at 10 metres and the final death toll is expected to be in the thousands.

Since the tsunami occurred, the Japanese have struggled to contain their nuclear reactors which have lost their cooling systems leading to a series of explosiong and fires. Residents within 20km of the plant have been evacuated and at least 50 workers have stayed behind to contain the reactors.

Thousands of tweeters are saying a pray for Japan using the hashtag #prayforjapan. Dozens of groups and pages have sprung up on facebook encouraging social networkers to pray for people in Japan.

World Vision UK have sent relief supplies and teams to the affected areas. They have set up a Japan tsunami appeal for donations toward the relief effort there. Samaritan's Purse have also sent a disaster response team and have set up an emergency relief fund. Furthermore, Samaritan's Purse has pledged a further £20,000 worth of emergency supplies earmarked for the worst affected areas of the country.

On Friday 18 March a Boeing 747 chartered by Samaritan's Purse airlifted 90 tonnes of essential supplies including plastic sheeting, blankets, hygiene kits and community water filters to help the beleaguered communities of north east Japan.

Dominic Nutt of World Vision said they felt compelled to help. "The scale of this disaster is so huge that in the end we decided we had to get involved. We know that we can do some very good work with the children there. They are traumatised. Everything they believe in, everything they knew and understood - their parents, their houses, their schools - have been ripped away from them, and the very ground on which they stood has been swept away."

Tearfund have also asked people to pray for all those affected by this disaster, and the World Evangelical Alliance has urged the WEA family that "now is the time to stand with Japan." The General Secretary of the Japan Evangelical Alliance said: "People are still in fear, please pray for us."

The Church of England and the Methodist Church have posted prayers on their respective websites.

Published by the Evangelical Alliance and reproduced with permission