For physical and mental health in natural disaster zone

BY ROSALIE E. DUNBAR, NEWS EDITOR

"This is a natural disaster, so let us remain strong in dealing with it," said Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (BBC News, October 1, 2009). He was visiting some of the worst-hit areas following the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the island of Sumatra at the end of September. Thousands of people were killed or injured, power lines, schools, and hospitals were destroyed. The quake triggered land slides that in some cases covered whole villages. It also led to a tsunami that affected the Pacific islands of Samoa and American Samoa.

Around the same time, the Philippines was hit by two typhoons—Ketsana and Parma. Nearly half a million people were affected by flooding resulting from Ketsana, and Parma wiped out $128 million worth of crops, primarily rice. More than 300 people were killed and $57 million worth of property damage—in addition to the crop losses—came as a result of these two storms. Meanwhile, especially heavy monsoon rains following a drought have severely affected southern India, leading to crop and livestock losses, and deaths. Hundreds of thousands have been left homeless.

In disasters, much attention is given to the immediate aftermath in an effort to save as many lives as possible and to restore services quickly. On the heels of those events, there is another issue to be considered that can, in its own way, be as devastating: disaster-related disease and trauma. Christian Science, with its conviction that God is all-powerful Love, which destroys disease and mental unrest, can make a major contribution to preserving health.

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