Sydney, Australia
The Salvation Army is hoping to raise $A10 million for emergency relief as devastating floods impact south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales that have claimed more than a dozen lives.
Flood records have been smashed since the low pressure system hit last week, with some areas receiving 80 per cent of their annual rainfall in a few days, leaving nine people dead in Queensland and four in NSW.
Salvation Army workers work out of a flood response truck in Queensland. PICTURE: Courtesy of The Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army has already released $A1 million from its Red Shield Appeal reserves to support affected communities along the east coast who have lost their homes and livelihoods, and on 2nd March launched its 2022 Flood Appeal with a target of $A10 million.
Its emergency services teams have so far provided in excess of 12,000 meals for first responders and evacuees across the two states, as well as emotional support, as the emergency continues to unfold.
Major Bruce Harmer, national public relations secretary for The Salvation Army, says in the past two years, through bushfires, floods, drought and COVID-19, Australians had proven their “spirit of generosity” in times of hardship and the Salvos were calling for them again to “help us be there for the incredible number of people displaced by the floods”.
Harmer said the release of the initial $A1 million had allowed it to respond quickly and efficiently “where the need is”, with hundreds of trained volunteers providing assistance under the NSW State Emergencies Act. He said the teams will work on a support, recovery and rebuild program, with some likely to be engaged in their communities for up to 12 months, similarly to what happened after the northern Queensland floods in 2019.
Meanwhile, the Australian Red Cross has partnered with Australia Post so that supporters can make donations for its emergency program through their local post offices.
Garry Page, acting director of Australian programs at the Red Cross, said the record rainfall had created a huge demand for it services.
“Our staff and volunteers have rallied to meet this demand, in some cases in spite of the fact they have faced flood damage and isolation involving their own homes and families,” Page said.
“Funds raised from the floods appeal will help Red Cross to provide immediate and longer-term humanitarian support to people across flood-devastated communities.”
The two major charities are among several, including St Vincent de Paul Society, which generally receive widespread support from the Australian public, but their fundraising appeals come as growing anger emerges about the status of the Australian Government’s Emergency Response Fund, set up following the devastating bushfires of 2019 and which has a balance of more than $A4 billion.
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The ERF was established on the commencement of legislation governing its use on 12th December 2019.
According to the official Department of Finance website, the fund allows the government to draw up to $A200 million in any given year, beyond what is already available to fund emergency response and natural disaster recovery and preparedness, “where it determines the existing recovery and resilience-building programs are insufficient to provide an appropriate response to natural disasters”.
Since its inception to 31st December last year, the fund has earned more than $A800 million and paid out $A50 million, with a balance of $A4.76 billion.
Some people on social media say they are unwilling to donate to major charities such as Red Cross and The Salvation Army because there is no guarantee their donations will be spent on the cause stated, but could be held over for a future disaster or cause.
But Harmer said the Salvos have a policy of publishing a report on their website of how the public money raised is spent.
“If we had a bushfire appeal, we would expend all the funds that are raised in that appeal on that bushfire. We don’t keep funds from other bespoke appeals [to use on future emergencies], ” Major Harmer said.
“We are able to identify all the funds that are donated and I would imagine we will provide what we call a ‘report back’ – a report to show how much was raised and how that money was acquitted – in due course, given that there are different phases to our disaster responses.”
Major Harmer explained it was “an important aspect of what we do” to be accountable for what has been raised “to the people who were generous to give it to us”.
Harmer said it was a privilege to be a Christian organisation that is trusted to be invited to share people’s grief and loss, but said Australian resilience and camaraderie would also help them recover from the latest disaster.
Donations may be made at salvationarmy.org.au or www.redcross.org.au or participating post offices.
