Today we have seen another wave of devastation and human suffering, caused by powerful earthquakes which have ripped through Sumatra, the tsunami which struck the Samoan islands, while people in South East Asia are being continuously hit by torrential rains.

In Indonesia, thousands are believed to be buried under the ruins – a distressing reminder of the destruction which occurred during the 2004 tsunami. Hospitals are overloaded with hundreds of injured people, and many have had to flee their destroyed homes and seek refuge in mosques. While fire fighters struggle to put out the burning markets and houses, our teams are on the ground to help assess the damage.

In the Samoan islands, thousands of people are still trapped under the rubble and many have been swept out to sea.

And in the Philippines, we are rapidly expanding our relief effort to provide vital food rations to 1 million people.

When nature strikes with such force, the world must come together.