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New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) – "I am close to the peoples of Pakistan, India, and Nepal who have been struck by violent floods. I pray for the victims, for their families, and for all those who suffer because of this calamity." These words, spoken by Pope Leo XIV after the Angelus prayer last Sunday, were like a healing balm for the Indian Catholic community. The natural disaster has devastated entire villages and towns in recent days. The waters are slowly receding, but the emergency is not yet over. With the receding waters, the damage has begun to be assessed: destroyed houses, flooded fields, impassable roads...
James Sekar, Bishop of Buxar, a diocese in the state of Bihar in northeastern India, describes the situation. "The situation has now improved," he told Fides, without hiding the difficulties faced in recent hours. The offices of the Catholic Diocese of Buxar "immediately contacted those in need."
In particular, "the Diocese's Social Services Office is providing the displaced with basic necessities, including food, medical supplies, and everything needed to face these first days" after the flood." They are also being supported by prayers, such as those of the Pope: "We are very grateful to the Holy Father for his prayers, blessings, and support," added Bishop Sekar.
The Diocese of Buxar was among the worst affected: It covers an area of 11,000 square kilometers and has approximately 26,000 Catholics, whose pastoral care is entrusted to 17 parishes scattered throughout the territory. This area was not the only one affected by the flooding. In India, the floods in Kashmir have claimed over 60 lives, and another 80 people are still missing. However, the toll is only provisional: According to authorities, many of the missing were swept away by the water. In some areas, rescue workers were able to intervene in time and bring about 300 people to safety.
The situation is different in Pakistan, where the figures, which are also provisional, indicate an even more ferocious natural force: The floods have claimed at least 164 lives. In the Siran Valley alone, in the mountainous Mansehra district, which has been affected by landslides, over 1,300 people (the vast majority of them tourists) have been evacuated. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, more than 477 people, mostly women and children, have died in accidents caused by the rains across Pakistan since June 26.
Such torrential rains, known as "cloudbursts," are becoming increasingly frequent in the Himalayan regions of India and northern Pakistan, which are prone to sudden floods and landslides, affecting thousands of people in mountainous areas. Although this phenomenon has increased in recent years, partly due to climate change, most of the damage is due to increasingly intensive and unplanned urban development in these mountainous regions. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 19/8/2025)
