Christians reach out to Christchurch earthquake survivors

The Salvation Army New Zealand has been offering psychological support since a large earthquake struck Christchurch last September.

It has ramped up emotional support to help people affected by the latest quake, with 50 psychosocial support workers now deployed to the region and officers experienced in civil defence emergencies on standby.

Salvation Army New Zealand spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lyndon Buckingham said: “Our experience from the September quake was that the emotional shock and aftereffects can be great, long-lasting and are often downplayed by those affected.”

In addition to psychosocial support, Salvation Army personnel are providing up to 2,000 meals a day at an emergency welfare centre.

World Vision New Zealand is supporting the practical work being undertaken on the ground by The Salvation Army.

It has also partnered with parenting agency Parents Inc to distribute a practical guide for those caring for children.

The death toll from Tuesday’s 6.3-magnitude earthquake has risen to 98, as hopes fade for an additional 226 people still missing. Prime Minister John Key said there were “grave fears” that many of those still unaccounted for did not survive.

Among those feared dead are students from China and Japan believed to have been inside a foreign language school when the quake struck.

Around 2,500 people have been injured and many more months will be spent repairing damage to the city, where some areas are still out of bounds, roads are buckled, and many buildings have been badly damaged.