In the wake of the devastating floods in western Germany, Dorothee Wüst, Church President of the Protestant Church in the Palatinate - a member church of the Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS) - called for prayers for the people affected. Since then, the office in Stuttgart has received expressions of solidarity from international EMS member churches. Here are some of the messages from Ghana, Indonesia and Lebanon:

Professor Dr Samuel Ayete-Nyampong of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) is shocked by the pictures of the flooded areas and assures that he, together with many others in Ghana, is praying for those affected and for the helpers.

Rev. Dr Demianus Ice, Church President of the Evangelical Christian Church in Halmahera in Indonesia, showed his solidarity with his German brothers and sisters: "In the Sunday service at my church, we remembered the victims and those affected by the flood disaster and included them in our prayers."

Rev. George D. Haddad, Director of the Johann Ludwig Schneller School in Lebanon, writes: "Much of what is happening in the world is difficult to understand. As if Covid wasn't bad enough, we are feeling the effects of climate change sooner than expected. We must all do our utmost to protect our now very fragile earth. Our sympathy goes out to the families and friends of the victims, as well as to the survivors and all those affected by the disaster."

The General Secretary of the EMS, Rev. Dr Dieter Heidtmann, is moved by the international response and thanks the member churches for their solidarity. "It is especially in crisis situations such as these that we realise we are part of a large international fellowship. It is very touching and encouraging.”

Together with the Protestant Church of the Palatinate, we are appealing for donations in order to send people immediate help. The Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe has set up a donation account for victims of the flood disaster: https://www.diakonie-katastrophenhilfe.de/projekte/flut-deutschland.