A Christian ministry in northern India is already making plans to assist the victims of the April 25 earthquake in Nepal.

Asian Partners International, CMF’s new partner in a very successful church-planting initiative in India, will provide clean drinking water in the affected areas, as they did in the past in tsunami-affected areas, providing daily clean water to 60,000 families for five years. According to UNICEF, access to safe water is a major problem now, as it was in Nepal even before the earthquake.

As funds become available, API, which is based only 60 miles from Nepal in the northern India state of Uttar Pradesh, plans to send fact-finding teams to assess the damage and loss and see what sustainable programs can benefit the largest number of people. The ministry staff are proficient in the Nepali language, culture and geography, and hope to involve local churches so they can use this opportunity for discipleship and mentoring.

While Nepal experienced the worst of the April 25 earthquake and aftershocks, parts of north and east India were also affected, with around 70 fatalities and nearly 300 injuries, according to API.

• Some of the areas where API has major church-planting work experienced severe tremors, including the state of Bihar, where 60 were killed and 173 injured.
• In Uttar Pradesh, an Indian state bordering Nepal where API’s main office is located, at least 24 people are missing there and hundreds more are injured.
• One pastor near Kathmandu, the capital and largest municipality of Nepal, reported that a church hall collapsed while Saturday worship was in progress, and nearly 40 people were reported dead.

You can help fund relief work in Nepal and northern India through CMF and our partner organization, Asian Partners International. These Indian Christians are already on the ground, know the language and the area, and are ready to go and serve the unfortunate victims of this terrible disaster in Jesus’ name! Click here to donate for Nepal relief.