Disaster Relief

Since 2001, the M.A. Math has responded to a number of natural disasters, providing both immediate emergency relief and implementing long-term rehabilitation programmes. Amma’s empathy and concern for the disaster victims is so complete that she responds to every aspect of their situation—not only fulfilling their material and emotional needs, but also keeping an eye on their future. Amma’s reconstruction of three villages in Bhuj following the Gujarat earthquake of 2001 (see page 31) made such an impact on the people there that when the tsunami hit South India in 2004, the village leaders made the three-day journey to Kerala to help Amma rebuild houses for the tsunami victims near her ashram.

Aside from the tsunami and the Gujarat quake, the M.A. Math has provided relief to victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the United States (2005), to victims of the Kashmir-Pakistan earthquake (2005) and to flood victims in Mumbai (2005) and in Surat (2006).