Rome (AsiaNews) The Catholic Church and local branches of Caritas Internationalis in India and Pakistan are bringing in white cerements to wrap bodies and providing psychological assistance to survivors of last Saturday's quake, many of whom still view the military with suspicion even when they deliver aid.
In Pakistan the death toll has already reached 40,000, half of them children. The October 8 quake also affected Afghanistan and India. In Indian-controlled Kashmir, more than a thousand people have died and more than 5,000 have been injured.
AsiaNews has spoken to some Caritas officials involved in relief operations in the affected areas.
Pakistan
Mgr Joseph Coutts, Bishop of Faisalabad and national director of Caritas Pakistan, had only praise for all of Caritas's partners. "The generosity and solidarity they showed right after the tragedy are for us a source of great encouragement".
Caritas Interationalis was right on the spot and is already studying long-term relief. In a telephone conference yesterday, it has worked out additional interventions with its local, German and French branches.
Another meeting is taking place today to get accurate information about the situation and to work out a response that fits local needs.
"For now all we are thinking are the immediate needs, but then we'll move into rehabilitation," Bishop Coutts said. "Caritas has already deployed a three-member medical support team from Lahore to Islamabad".
Among the first materiel it brought in, Caritas Pakistan had white cerements to wrap victims' bodies. "Now the challenge is to organise and deliver the aid we are receiving to those who need it most," he said.
The Archbishop of Lahore Mgr Lawrence Saldanha, who is also chairman of the Bishops' Conference of Pakistan, said the October 8 earthquake "was the greatest disaster to ever strike the country." He said the Bishops' Conference right away donated 500,000 (US$ 8,500) rupiahs to the President's Relief Fund and urged Catholics to "do their part" by donating a day's wages to the Fund.
In a message he invited Christian organisations involved in the relief operations to co-operate. "Today Christians shall especially pray for those who died and for the thousands who were left homeless by Saturday's quake; they'll also pray for the welfare and prosperity of our beloved country".
Officials from the Catholic Relief Service (CRS), i.e. the US branch of Caritas, in Afghanistan arrived in Pakistan yesterday. The US Catholic agency has already allocated US$ 50,000 in drugs, food, clean water and tents for the quake victims.
India Kashmir
The executive director of Caritas India, Fr John L. Noronha, told AsiaNews that the roads into the stricken areas in Indian-controlled Kashmir are still blocked. "Military helicopters are still needed to get to the affected areas," he said.
The region contested by India and Pakistani is home to a million soldiers deployed along the ceasefire line that has become the de facto border.
"Soldiers now go around bringing relief and aid, but locals are still reticent; they view the military with suspicion and still fear them," he said.
Father Alex, general secretary of the Health Committee of the Bishops' Conference of India, and Caritas field workers have reached the hardest-hit cities by ambulance so as not to frighten people but they do try to explain to them the situation. Meanwhile, Father Noronha said drugs and doctors should be on their way today.
"We need drugs and warm clothes and blankets more than food. Here as in Pakistan it's very cold at this time of the year. The homeless must still sleep out in the open for now," he said.
"Getting the injured to hospital is one of the hardest things to do when communication links aren't working. I don't even know where my priests and parishioners from Srinegar diocese are," he explained.
In Srinegar the CRS and Caritas India are working hand in hand. But they won't be alone for long; other Catholic agencies in Asia are mobilising to bring relief.
Caritas Korea, the relief agency of the Bishops' Conference of Korea and the archdiocese of Seoul have announced they are each sending US$ 50,000 in emergency funds to Pakistan via Caritas Internationalis. Caritas Korea is also planning a nation-wide fund-raising campaign through the network of Catholic media. (QF - VFP)
