SFA’s Mission Beyond Borders reaches out to flood victims

As the new year sees the health crisis intensifying with more positive cases, the flood situation in many states in Malaysia has left many communities in a critical situation.

Jan 15, 2021

By Melissa Fernando
As the new year sees the health crisis intensifying with more positive cases, the flood situation in many states in Malaysia has left many communities in a critical situation.

So, the Church of St Francis of Assisi (SFA) continues its mission of reaching out to those in need.

Fr Andrew Manickam OFM Cap, the parish priest, said “Mission Beyond Borders’ is a joint effort by the Parish Evangelisation Team (PET) together with the Malaysian Red Crescent team to reach out to those affected by the recent floods in the middle of the worsening COVID-19 pandemic.”

When Pahang, Kuantan, Johor, Perak and Terengganu were battered by rains, floods and landslips, the team not only initiated the reach out mission but also travelled to these places to hand over basic supplies to those rendered homeless by the calamity.

Nearly 50,000 people were evacuated after the monsoon rains pounded the east coast.

In the first week of January, Pahang had the highest number of evacuees at 10,739, while Kuantan was also affected with 3,276 evacuees.

On January 8, the team successfully delivered provisions to the flood victims at Sri Jaya, Kuantan, where 106 homes were  affected, and their belongings destroyed. On January 11, provisions were also distributed to those affected at Mentakab and Bera.

Though the region experiences flooding and mass evacuations during the rainy season every year, those in the affected areas said this year has been the worst in decades.

While low-income families are wondering how they will get their next meal, many are facing unemployment as well, as the country goes into another phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO) to halt the spread of the virus. 

The team hopes that the campaign will be able to reach out to as many people as possible.

The next mission will be to Maran to help 100 families in urgent need of provisions. Mission Beyond Borders seeks donors for cash or provisions such as rice, salt, sugar and biscuits. 

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