New Delhi (AsiaNews) - Card Mar Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), issued an appeal "On behalf of the Catholic Church of India”.
Expressing solidarity and support for quake victims in Nepal, he made a plea “to the conscience of the bishops, priests, and men and women religious to encourage the community of the faithful, public institutions and people of good will to make voluntary contributions to this humanitarian emergency".
For several days, Caritas India has been on the ground, involved in rescue and recovery. The Indian Catholic Church was among the first to express its solidarity to the people of Nepal, offering prayers and condolences to all those who lost loved ones and property to the quake.
The 25 April earthquake is considered the worst in recent Nepali history. Some estimate that the death toll could top 10,000.
In the days after the earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 7.9, a series of aftershocks repeatedly hit the country, causing terrors and panic in the population.
The worst damages and losses were recorded in this phase. Many ancient monuments and holy sites were razed to the ground.
Now rain has made recovery operations more difficult, raising fears of disease and outbreaks.
More than ten days after the quake, many people are still living out in the open, not even a tent over their heads.
Drinking water is also in short supply and there is rising concern about the impact of possible epidemics on the most vulnerable, especially children.