ASIA/THAILAND - Thai Bishop: “We will take aid to places not reached by government organisations”

Saturday, 8 January 2005

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Surat Thani (Fides Service) - At Phang-nga operative centre which co-ordinates aid for homeless tsunami victims in the diocese of Surat Thani, Catholic lay volunteers, and men and women religious and priests are fully engaged in organising relief aid. The Centre was opened by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, Caritas Thailand, the diocese of Surat Thani and Catholic Religious Institutes in Thailand which began providing concrete help for the homeless
in the days following the disaster. Bishop Joseph Prathan of Surat Thani diocese on the border with Malaysia, told the Salesian news agency ANS about plans to help seaquake victims in the most affected areas Phuket, Krabi, Phang-ngahis which are in his diocese. He said “To coordinate relief aid and make sure it goes where it is needed we decided to print an information leaflet in Thai, English and Italian, with information, maps and photographs with regard to the damage and needs. The information is being collected by our diocesan teams of priests, sisters and laity at work among the people. They offer material aid, essential counselling, medical care as well as collect and give information. We are making sure that our volunteers go to places overlooked by other relief workers. We want to bring aid to those centres not reached by government teams”.
With regard to children who lost their parents in the disaster the Bishop recalled that the King of Thailand announced that for this task he would assume personal responsibility. “The country has never been so united and organised to help the needy as in this sad experience - Bishop Prathan concludes -. The entire nation is offering a wonderful example of solidarity and unity and the Thai Catholic community is fully involved providing substantial material aid as well as spiritual assistance”. The different religious communities in Thailand are also united in efforts of solidarity, with inter-religious prayer services for the dead and the survivors as well as joint aid initiatives.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 8/1/2005 righe 31parole 322)