Awards were conferred upon Caritas and Catholic Relief Services during a ceremony that took place exactly a year after the quake that killed 80,000 people in the north of the country.
Islamabad (AsiaNews) The Pakistani government has awarded the national Caritas and other Christian organisations "for selfless humanitarian work" to help survivors of the quake of 8 October 2005.
The award-giving ceremony took place in the capital a year after the quake that measured 7.6 on the Richter scale and devastated the north of the country, killing around 80,000 people and leaving three million people homeless.
A government representative conferred the award upon Amjad Gulzar, coordinator of emergency projects of the Catholic organization, with a plaque and certificate that read: "A tribute for providing a helping hand for the relief of earthquake victims of 8 October 2005".
Mgr Joseph Coutts, director of Caritas Pakistan, told AsiaNews: "Our work for quake survivors is only a small part of the help given by Caritas. With support from the International Caritas network, the work of reconstruction and rehabilitation in quake-hit areas will continue for the next few years."
During the ceremony, Catholic Relief Services was also awarded: it received the prestigious "Star of Sacrifice" for its "comprehensive and timely response for the displaced people".