Helping survivors get back to their normal routines two months after Korea wildfires
More than two months have passed since catastrophic wildfires broke out in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea on March 21. At least 31 people died in the disaster. More than 37,000 others were forced to flee their homes, many escaping with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Local governments are carrying out recovery efforts, and in Yeongdeok County, where Peace Winds primarily operates, evacuees are scheduled to move into temporary housing in the beginning of June.
As time goes on, friction is beginning to arise in the disaster-stricken areas; tensions are escalating with local governments, between towns, and even between survivors over who qualifies for temporary housing or receives aid.
Peace Winds is navigating this complex situation by making sure no one gets left behind. We are collaborating with local leaders, evacuation center managers, and survivors themselves to identify gaps in aid and bridge them, especially in isolated areas where other organizations are less active. Many of these evacuees are elderly.
When talking to survivors, our staff discovered that donated items often did match what they really needed. Peace Winds responded with the “Everything Truck.” It offered roughly 50 types of relief supplies and clothing in various sizes, allowing survivors to go “shopping” for what they needed most. From April 17-21, staff and volunteers took the Everything Truck to 17 scattered evacuation centers and served about 850 evacuees.
During their travels with the Everything Truck, the Peace Winds team also recorded evacuees shoe sizes so they could deliver boots and shoes. Many of the elderly people living in Yeongdeok make their living as farmers. With the arrival of spring, residents would normally be heading out into the fields again, but they have found it difficult to return to their old routines after the disaster.
For many people, farming is more than just a job; it is a lifestyle that gives them a sense of routine and purpose. After more than two months in evacuation centers have upended their lives, our hope is that the new boots and shoes will help survivors get back out to the fields and re-establish a sense of their familiar routine.
Evacuees will soon begin moving from gymnasiums and motels used as shelters into small, temporary housing units. They are often responsible for furnishing their own units, so Peace Winds has already distributed small home appliances at seven evacuation centers in Yeongdeok County. Items include rice cookers, microwave ovens, coffee pots, and vacuum cleaners, as well as cooking utensils and other kitchen supplies.
After any disaster like this one, mental health support is a crucial piece of long-term recovery. Peace Winds recently partnered with the Moving On Mind Art Psychotherapy Center to launch the “Hands on Peace” program, which is currently serving wildfire survivors in four villages. The program focuses on physical movement as a way to relieve physical tension, process grief and trauma, and restore feelings of hope. The program was popular with survivors of the Uljin wildfires in 2022, so our teams were eager to relaunch it to comfort those who are now coping with feelings of loss, despair, and resentment.
Attention for this disaster is dwindling, but recovery–and the need for aid–is only just beginning. Peace Winds is committed to working with local leaders, partner organizations, and survivors themselves to ensure that no one is left behind as they continue the process of recovery. To support our work in South Korea, please donate through our website and select “Korea Wildfires.”