ASIA/PAKISTAN - Caritas Australia sends earthquake victims in Kashmir one million dollars aid

Thursday, 3 November 2005

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Islamabad (Fides Service) - In the race against time to help earthquake victims in Kashmir, material aid and funds are still arriving. Caritas Australia has sent 1 million dollars for people in the affected areas.
The sum was collected over the past weeks with donations by Catholics and non Catholics. Mr Jack de Groot, director of Caritas Australia, thanked Australians for their sensitivity and generosity. He said however that rebuilding will last at least three years and that long term commitment will be needed.
The money sent by Caritas Australia will help build 5,000 homes in eight different villages in Kashmir and North West Frontier Province, besides providing temporary lodging and medical assistance. The funds will be distributed in partnership with Caritas Pakistan which has a network of volunteers operating all over the affected area.
In the meantime after two weeks of work in a refugee camp about 60 km from Balakot, a group of 140 Salesian teachers and students from Don Bosco Technical Institute Lahore, is planning a second intervention in a refugee camp in the mountains. In collaboration with Caritas Internationalis, the Salesians will build a village of fibreglass homes. The Bishops of Pakistan have expressed gratitude to the Salesians for their prompt assistance.
In response to a call for help launched by the bishop of Rawalpindi, Fr. Joe Xavier SJ, head of ‘Jesuits in Social Action’ in India, is considering sending some Jesuit experts in aid and rebuilding, medical assistance, schooling, building of homes to Pakistan administered Kashmir. Even though the identification of volunteer staff is complicated by the fact that only Indians from Kashmir may enter this part of Pakistan.
The Pakistan government issued to following figures with regard to the 8 October earthquake: 60,000 dead; 78,000 injured, about 4 displaced persons including about 2 million children who will lose the school year.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 3/11/2005 righe 25 parole 252)