With over 10 to 20 million people affected by the floods in South Asia, Baptist World Aid (BWAid), the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), has launched an appeal for funds to bring relief.

The floods have devastated parts of Nepal, India and Bangladesh, and already BWAid has sent initial grants of $5,000 each to the Bengal Baptist Union and the Bengal Orissa Bihar Baptist Churches Association in India.

The annual monsoon often brings flooding to these countries, but this year's rainfall has been well in excess of normal. Some experts comment that the flooding could be far worse than the record breaking floods of 1988 and 1998.

"It is the poor who suffer so much in these situations," commented BWAid Director, Paul Montacute." The poor live on low lying ground or on land that is easily swept away as waters descend from the mountains."

Many people have taken shelter in whatever raised ground they can find, and are relying on food drops. Now there is concern for a spread of diseases such as malaria and encephalitis.

BWAid is working with and through members of the BWA in programs to bring immediate relief. In Bangladesh, Baptist Aid - a ministry of the Bangladesh Baptist Church Fellowship is already engaged in emergency relief operations. Six teams are at work providing flood victims with some dried food, but funds to purchase the food are already running out.

Nripen Baidya, the Bangladesh program director for Baptist Aid, has visited the most badly affected areas, providing support to their six relief teams. "Children and old men and women are suffering the most," said Baidya. "Baptist Aid would be happy to meet some (more) of the needs of these suffering people. We are in prayer. We also need the prayer support from our friends all over the world."

BWAid is also awaiting relief proposals from other Baptist groups in the region, so that assistance can be given to those in most need.

Donations can be sent to the following BWAid Appeal addresses.

Please designate gifts for "Asia Floods."

Baptist World Aid Baptist World Alliance 405 North Washington Street Falls Church, VA22046, USA Phone: +1 703 790 8980 Fax: +1 703 790 5719 Email: BWAid@bwanet.org Contacts: Paul Montacute or Lee Hickman

A US tax receipt will be issued.

Donations may also be made by Visa or MasterCard, in US dollars. State the Gift Amount in US$; Card No; Exp. Date; Signature of donor; and name as it appears on credit card.

Click here to see how you can give to Baptist World Aid. http://www.bwanet.org/BWAid/Donate.htm

We continually pray that all of our disaster appeals and approved projects will be fully funded, and celebrate when God answers our prayers. If the project to which your gift is designated has been funded, we will direct your gift to meet a similar need. ---------------------------------------------- Cheques in British Currency Baptist Union of Great Britain Baptist House Box 44, 129 Broadway Didcot, Oxon, OX11 8RT England, UK Phone: +44 1235 517700 Fax: +44 1235 517715 Email: info@baptist.org.uk Contact: Philip Putman ------------------------------------------ Germany and Rest of Europe. This is a BWA Bank Account

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Baptist World Aid - Australia Locked Bag 122 Frenchs Forest NSW 2086 Australia Phone: +61 2 9451 1199 Fax: +61 2 9452 4720 Email: Les.Fussell@baptistworldaid-au.org Contact: Les Fussell