Baptist World Alliance, BWA News Release

At least 500 Baptists affected by heavy flooding in Nepal

Baptist World Alliance Logo

At least 500 Baptists affected by heavy flooding in NepalBeginning on August 10, the South Asian country of Nepal has been affected by devastating floods, compounding earlier flood rains in the month of June.

Twenty-nine of the 75 districts in the Himalayan country were inundated by torrential rain. About 150 people have been killed and 90,000 homes destroyed in what the United Nations called the worst flooding in Nepal in a decade.

Approximately 500 Baptists were among those affected.

At least five of the 16 churches known to have been damaged or destroyed were Baptist churches. “Many churches could not organize regular worship,” the Nepal Baptist Church Council (NBCC) told the Baptist World Alliance.

“The Nepal Baptist Church family is praying and contacting our people and organizations,” NBBC stated. “We are also collecting food, clothes and funds among our churches and individuals. Please be with us in prayer.”

Indications are that the heavy flood rains in Nepal are part of a broader monsoon system that has affected parts of India and Bangladesh, where more than 1,200 people in the three countries have died. Thousands of villages were cut off and people were deprived of food and clean water for days.

The BWA sent an initial sum of US$10,000 to Nepal for flood relief.

Donations may be made at www.bwanet.org/online-giving or sent to:
Baptist World Aid
c/o Baptist World Alliance
405 North Washington Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
USA

The Baptist World Alliance, founded in 1905, is a fellowship of 266 conventions and unions in 134 countries and territories comprising 51 million baptized believers in 178,000 churches. For more than 100 years, the Baptist World Alliance has networked the Baptist family to impact the world for Christ with a commitment to strengthen worship, fellowship and unity; lead in mission and evangelism; respond to people in need through aid, relief, and community development; defend religious freedom, human rights, and justice; and advance theological reflection and leadership development.