【A-PAD KOREA】”Everything is burnt. I couldn’t take anything with me”
2019.04.10
“I’ve never seen a deadly blaze like that in the sixty years of my life”
The large-scale wildfires started on the afternoon of April 4 in Gangwon Province, South Korea and burnt 530 hectares of lands in the region.
The emergency assistance team from A-PAD Korea was dispatched to the region on April 5 and started needs assessments in Goseong, one of the areas where the fires hit the hardest. The team ascertained that large evacuation centers have been receiving aid while evacuation centers in remote areas have not yet received any assistance.
In coordination with Peace Winds Japan, A-PAD Korea delivered emergency relief items to 7 evacuation centers. Around 300 evacuees received clothing (200 items), underwear (600 sets), socks (600 sets), books, laundry items, wet wipes, medicines, vitamins, and disposable utensils. The team also delivered school supplies including shoes, school bags, and stationary to students in the affected areas. In addition, maternity clothing and vitamins were delivered to expecting mothers.
Here are some comments from the evacuees:
“My mother left her dentures at home so she can only eat rice porridge.“
“I was planning on planting seeds but now I don’t think that’s possible.”
“I walked through the razed land to see if there’s anything left, anything. But all I could find was the bean paste buried underground.”
“It’s not just me who was affected [by this disaster]. Everything is burnt but we all have to come together to rebuild our lives.”
“I didn’t have enough clothes and underwear. Your assistance was really helpful so thank you.”
“My child is starting kindergarten tomorrow but we lost our clothes. Thank you so much for your help.”
Jang-Woo Lee, CEO of A-PAD Korea, said “We are trying the best we can to deliver the items people need. We expect this assistance will be needed at least for one month. The continuing support from individuals as well as private companies will be very much appreciated in order to provide care needed by the victims.”
Please consider donating to A-PAD to support the victims of the deadly wildfires in South Korea. Your generous support is appreciated.