Caritas Philippines Appeals for Aid in Flood-hit Pakistan

MANILA, August 21, 2010- Caritas Philippines urged the Filipino faithful to help provide aid to flood-ravaged Pakistan as the 20 million people made homeless grew increasingly desperate.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, the agency's president, said they are already trying to make consultations with other bishops on how they could help the relief efforts.

While they are still waiting official reports from Caritas Internationalis, he said they are already preparing to make a public appeal for assistance.

"We are now making an appeal to all the dioceses to help us provide financial assistance for flood-devastated Pakistan," Pabillo said.

The prelate said donations may be coursed through Caritas Philippines, the charity arm of CBCP's National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace (Nassa).

Vatican-based Caritas Internationalis earlier appealed for US$5.5 million to help Pakistan's flood victims as the "situation grows increasingly desperate."

It said over 1,600 people died in the disaster as new torrents inundated more Pakistan villages especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as well as parts of Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

"The priority is to ensure people have food, water, shelter and medical help. There are so many people who are in grave difficulty," said Anila Gill, secretary general of Caritas Pakistan.

"It's such a traumatic situation for those who have lost everything and who have to rely on others even for a drink of water," she said. (CBCPNews)