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".
