Joyce Meyer Ministries — Disaster Relief

On the Scene

A husband and wife standing near piles of debris from what a tsunami destroyed.

Thanks to immediate disaster relief, people like this couple can begin to pick up the pieces of their life and find hope once again through the love of Jesus Christ.

An Immediate Response in the Wake of Disaster

From tornadoes, cyclones and hurricanes…to earthquakes and floods…to international riots and civil unrest…our friends and partners have brought critical relief to people all around the world.

Flooding
U.S. Midwest | Spring 2008 | A foot of rain and subsequent flooding causes millions of dollars in damage from Texas to Ohio.

Our Response
Partnering with Service International

and Convoy of Hope

, we were able to immediately respond to the growing needs.

After the first two weeks alone, the teams had made an incredible impact, donating more than 7,000 working hours and affecting over 110 homes and businesses, as well as helping to clean up city parks.

Convoy of Hope was able to distribute more than 280,000 pounds of water, PowerAde, cleaning supplies, and paper products to victims in Indiana, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.

Earthquake
China | May 12 | 7.9 Earthquake rocks China, leaving more than 70,000 dead and millions homeless.

Our Response
Joyce Meyer Ministries teamed up with Target Ministries

in China to assess the situation and begin performing search and rescue. A team of disaster relief specialists, including doctors and other trained professionals equipped many other volunteers from local house churches and lead them into the disaster area, bringing critical relief.

Cyclone

Cyclone
Myanmar | May 3 | Cyclone’s 12-foot tidal wave claims 140,000 lives, leaves over 2 million homeless, and contaminates drinking water.

Our Response
Although it was extremely difficult to get relief to the people of Myanmar, God has given Joyce Meyer Ministries the advantage of a continual presence in the country through our four orphanages and nine feeding sites.

Our teams diligently began securing supplies to meet the greatest needs. Working with
In His Image

, we were able to dispatch medical teams to treat victims and train Burmese doctors.

Fist

Riots
Kenya | January | Presidential election sparks violence in Kenya, claiming 800 lives and forcing nearly 500,000 to flee their homes.

Our Response
Thousands fled to camps set up by the Red Cross and other relief organizations. Our teams delivered tons of supplies and vital necessities like tents, mattresses, blankets, clothing and hygiene items. For nearly 50 families, we provided packages containing a month’s worth of supplies. We also set up a relocation camp for approximately 400 children who have been displaced after a children’s home was destroyed.

Tornado

Tornadoes
Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky | February 5-6 | The deadliest U.S. tornado outbreak since the mid-80s kills 56.

Our Response
Supporting the work of Service International, we formed a rapid response team to help meet the needs of the community in Clinton, Arkansas. Just two days after the storms, the team began clearing debris, cutting down trees in the city and repairing local businesses.

Hurricanes
Caribbean and Gulf Coast | January | Hurricanes Gustav, Hannah and Ike batters the Caribbean and the U.S., leaving a trail of destruction, injuring thousands and causing damage in excess of $10 billion.

Our Response
To provide shelter for those affected, we joined with organizations like Healing Place Church

, who handed out hundreds of thousands in supplies like water, hygiene products, gallons of gas and tarps to cover damaged homes. Every day they cleaned up more than 300 yards and prepared and distributed 43,000 hot meals.

In partnership with Convoy of Hope, we were able to help provide more than 1.2 million pounds of food and supplies valued at $1.7 million to thousands of families. Service International was also there, arriving immediately on the scene, helping people recover from the latest storm and get back on their feet—from cutting down trees and cleaning up debris…to rebuilding homes…to offering much needed encouragement and spiritual support.

Tent

Xenophobic Attacks
South Africa | May | Xenophobic

attacks leave 80,000 displaced, 100 killed and 650 wounded.

Our Response
Through our South Africa office, we visited a local refugee camp set up by local authorities and distributed 180 blankets and large amounts of perishable foods to people living in the camps.

"It seems like they’ve become a part of our family. They’ve got family they could be with, but they choose to be here. They come into your community and say, 'Let me be your brother for a couple of days…let me be your friend and help you get through this.'"

—Lonnie B.

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"Natural Disasters Killed Over 220,000 in 2008," accessed on April 7, 2009.
"Earthquake Deaths Highest Since 2004," accessed on April 7, 2009.
"Disaster-heavy 2008 raises pressure for climate pact, insurance," accessed on April 7, 2009.

220,000 people died in natural disasters in 2008.¹

Earthquakes alone killed nearly 90,000 people. This was the highest loss of earthquake victims since 2004. The year’s strongest quake was in Sichuan, China, on May 12. At least 69,185 people were killed.²

Last year, natural disasters caused $200 billion in damage. 2008 was the third most expensive year on record, exceeded only by 2005 and 1995.³