the rubble in Bam, two weeks after an earthquake devastated this ancient city, BosNewsLife learned Saturday, January 10.
"It’s a miracle," said Dr. Mahdi Shadnoush, the chief physician at the Ukrainian field hospital where the man, identified only as Jalil, was being treated following his rescue Wednesday, January 7, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
"He had no access to food but only water," AP quoted the doctor as saying. Jalil was conscious enough to mouth out his name to rescuers but he slipped into unconsciousness after just a few minutes.
Shadnoush said doctors hope to safe his life, in a city where over 30,000 people have been confirmed killed since a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Bam on December 26.
The latest reported miracle came days after a rescue team found a 97-year old woman alive, buried in her Bam home, seen as a major boost for Christian aid workers in the region, who made clear they believe in miracles and the caring "love of Christ" amid misery. They also urged people to pray for them, in news letters.
HUNDREDS TREATED
Over two hundred people have already come for treatment in Bam’s "Baptist Hospital" run by Baptist Christians from Hungary and other nations, ANS learned Saturday, January 10.
"Some of them were badly injured, others suffered pneumonia or cold because of the winter nights," said the Hungarian Baptist Aid organization, which deployed a seven-strong team including doctors and one nurse in the area.
The team was also asked to go to two villages nearby Bam because survivors were found there without enough doctors to provide medical care and enough medications, reported Mission Network News(MNN), a Christian broadcaster.
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
They are armed with a two metric ton shipment for the field hospital which includes beds and surgical equipment, fluids, antibiotics, painkillers and other medications while Baptist World Aid is considering more medical deliveries, reports said.
In addition the New Zealand branch of World Vision, a major Christian aid organization, began completing distributing tents, soap, plastic sheeting and water containers through an Iranian partner organization, BosNewsLife monitored Saturday, January 10.
"2,000 blankets, 20 tents, 1,000 collapsible water containers, 1,500 pieces of plastic sheeting and 1,000 pieces of soap from World Vision were already hand over," reported MNN, quoting the organization’s Relief Director Ton van Zutphen.
TUNA DISTRIBUTED
An Iranian cooperative has also distributed tins of tuna in the district in an effort to alleviate the situation, Van Zutphen said.
He told MNN "it was encouraging that local NGOs were approaching" his organization, which he suggested seeks to transform the lives of children and families in need "in the name of Christ."
Several Christian relief organizations are also closely working with with Iraqi Christians, many of whom have been persecuted for their faith, BosNewsLife learned earlier.
The United States has postponed STOPPING assistance to Iran, although President George W. Bush has described the country as being part of an Axis of Evil, his term for states that allegedly support terrorism and weapons of mass destruction programs.
GROWING TENSIONS
In a sign of growing tensions over Iran’s alleged support for terrorist organizations, Israeli security sources said Friday, January 9, that Syrian planes flying earthquake relief aid to Iran returned with weapons for Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas.
But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi called the accusation a "baseless and a sheer lie," the Reuters news agency reported.
"After the Israelis observed the… world’s solidarity with the Iranian nation they became angry and they’re continuing their policy based on lies and cheating by fabricating such news," he was quoted as saying.
Syrian officials had no immediate comment.
