Christchurch Meeting House in New Zealand has suffered extensive damage as Friends in the country work hard to support people affected by last week’s devastating earthquake.

Thousands of people have been made homeless and over a hundred deaths have been confirmed so far. Adam Coole, the resident Friend at Christchurch Meeting, and his wife Hege, are currently living in a caravan as their cottage beside the Meeting house is unsafe.

Claire and Linley Gregory, co-clerks of Aotearoa/New Zealand Yearly Meeting, report that several Quakers are among those with damaged homes, but they are not aware of any Friends who are physically injured. Some Friends have joined the exodus of Christchurch residents leaving to stay elsewhere.

The Friend was told that there is water and silt throughout the Meeting house, which has broken windows and jammed doors. It will be out of use for some time.

Quakers in the area say that they are ‘helping fellow New Zealanders cope with the human suffering and distress that is all around them’. They have received emails from Friends around the world asking for news but have been unable to reply to them all, due to the difficult situation and problems with electricity.

Claire and Linley have asked Quakers everywhere ‘to hold Friends in Christchurch in the Light at this stage’.