Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bangkok (Fides Service) - The Thai Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Caritas Thailand, the Catholic diocese of Surath Thani (the most affected area) and Religious Institutes have opened a Humanitarian Aid Centre for organising, co-ordinating and distributing aid in Phangnga, near Phuket, in the diocese of Surat Thani, on the coast of Thailand, one of the areas most severely affected by the tsunami. This was reported to Fides by the Papal Nuncio in Bangkok, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio who is visiting the area assuring the people of the Holy See’s prayers and concrete aid.
The Nuncio who supervises Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Myanmar, and Laos and Cambodia, said there have been no reports of child refugees being abducted or abused . Local Churches in the affected areas are working with civil authorities and NGOs to province material aid and counselling to the stricken people, individuals, families, orphans. Most of the corpses have been collected and now aid workers focus on providing food and medicines for the refugees, helping families to reunite, care for abandoned children who will be taken in by religious institutes for the time being. People involved in this work say there are no reports of children disappearing.
Catholic volunteers, part of a national and international solidarity chain, are helping to distribute aid and also to give psychological care to traumatised persons.
Cardinal Michai Kitbunchu, Archbishop of Bangkok and President of the Thai Bishops’ Conference, who addressed a message of sympathy and solidarity to the victims, encouraged Catholic individuals and institutions to take part in a campaign of generosity with offerings of money and material goods. He also made premises at the Bishops’ Conference Office available as a secretariat for the campaign. The response was immediate and the first result was the Humanitarian Aid Centre Phangnga which has already become a point of reference for the local people. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 5/1/2005 righe 37 parole 378)
