Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) -To help provide basic necessities for flood victims in Bangladesh the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Italy has assigned two million Euro drawn from the 8 per 1,000 tax rebate offered by Italians to support the Catholic Church in Italy. This was announced in a Bishops' Conference statement which said this is to show their "closeness to the people of Bangladesh affected by the floods”. The Bishops have asked Italian Catholics to pray for the victims and support initiatives of solidarity to alleviate the suffering of the people of Banglsdesh, as requested by Pope Benedict XVI. The funds will be used according to a special committee for charity interventions in developing countries directly supporting local church aid programmes such as those of Caritas offices, working closely with the charity institutions in the respective dioceses.
Caritas Australia has also made funds available and activated a network of volunteers to offer humanitarian aid to the people affected by Sidr. The estimated death toll is 3,500. Caritas Australian assigned 50,000 dollars to Caritas Bangladesh, present in the field “to supply swift and effective assistance ”, said Jack de Groot, head of Caritas Australia. Aid will include food supplies, water, medicines, tents and blankets.
International mobilisation is registered in various countries, involving different organisations, humanitarian, religious and lay with programmes of assistance, development and cooperation in Bangladesh: the consortium of NGO “Agire” (VIS-Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo; AMREF, Action Aid; Save the Children, Terres des Hommes, WWF) made an emergency appeal for solidarity. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 20/11/2007 righe 27 parole 271)
