Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Nagercoil (Fides) - Catholic volunteers in Kottar diocese, Tamil Nadu, are working 24 hours a day to assist local victims of the December 26 seaquake disaster now in refugee camps in the area. The camps are not yet organised and consist merely of hundreds of people made homeless by the tsunami and now in need of shelter and help. They are huddled together under makeshift shelters, waiting for tents, food and water and clothing.
Volunteers, members of Kottar diocese social service, went immediately to the scene to distribute food and water while diocesan health commission volunteers have started a programme of medical examination and treatment mainly to prevent feared outbreaks of disease.
Diocesan sources told Fides that at least 65,000 people in the diocese are now homeless and y are camped in about 80 different localities along the Tamil Nadu coast. An important contribution in the crisis is being offered by the diocese’s own Catholic Radio Nanjil Naatam with a non stop service of information and useful telephone numbers etc., to help reunification of dispersed families, localisation of missing persons, and also the sad work of identifying the dead.
Two diocesan schools St. Alessio’s and St Anthony’s were swept away by the tsunami and the diocese is now looking for other premises to use as temporary classrooms for the new school term due to start on 17 January.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 7/1/2005 righe 22 parole 267)
