Caritas responds to massive flooding in Asia

A woman carrying her child wades through floodwaters to her family’s makeshift camp in southern Pakistan. Credits: Asiad Zaidi/ Caritas

A woman carrying her child wades through floodwaters to her family’s makeshift camp in southern Pakistan.
Credits: Asiad Zaidi/ Caritas

Monsoon rains and typhoons have inundated large areas of Asia, particularly in the Philippines, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Thousands of people have fled their homes; others are living on roofs. Caritas teams are distributing aid and helping families recover when their homes are damaged and their crops swept away.

Caritas Philippines (locally called NASSA) is responding to typhoon damage in several dioceses. More than 5000 people are living in evacuation centres. Many more families are staying at home despite 7-foot-high water; they are living on second floors or staying with relatives who have two-storey houses. Caritas is distributing vouchers to 10,000 families for food, soap, detergent, and other necessities.

In Cambodia, where floods have affected over 100,000 families, Caritas teams are on the ground in several provinces. Thousands of families have been evacuated to pagodas, schools and other government buildings. They lack food and health care. Caritas Cambodia is giving families packages with rice, salt, sugar, canned fish, and other foodstuffs, reaching over 5000 families. Caritas also plans to set up five mobile clinics and to distribute 3,700 tents in safe areas.

The floods have drowned cows and pigs, and ruined thousands of hectares of rice and other crops. To help farmers recover, Caritas Cambodia plans to provide rice seed to 7000 families and vegetable seeds to 1,500 families.

In neighbouring Thailand, where floods have killed over 300 people, Caritas has mobilized volunteers to bring aid to thousands of stranded families. Each family is receiving a package with bottled water, rice, canned fish, instant noodles, medicine and soap. Families are picking up the items from makeshift distribution centres like churches and Buddhist temples, which are often built on higher ground than houses. Caritas groups are driving through flooded roads to reach families; some beneficiaries are paddling small plastic kayaks to receive the aid packages. Caritas is giving life jackets to village volunteers and others who need them.

Caritas workers in Vietnam are giving rice, other food, and mosquito nets to hundreds of families in Long Xuyen province. They plan to start aid operations in central Vietnam as well.

Caritas is distributing bags of rice, along with other food, to flood victims in Cambodia. Credit: Caritas Cambodia

Caritas is distributing bags of rice, along with other food, to flood victims in Cambodia.
Credit: Caritas Cambodia

In Bangladesh, two months of continuous rain, combined with inadequate drainage systems, flooded many impoverished villages in the south. Caritas is giving rice, cooking oil, and other food to more than 8000 families.

Cooperating with the government, Caritas Bangladesh will pay flood-affected people to repair damaged houses, latrines, roads, and embankments. “This will be the main source of income for the poorest families, who will not have any employment opportunities once they return from the flood shelters,” says Dr. Benedict Alo, head of Caritas Bangladesh.

In the past, Caritas Bangladesh has taught people to swim and how to rescue others from drowning. Caritas works with villagers to send out early warnings during natural disasters.

In Orissa, a flooded area of India, Caritas India is working in two dioceses providing immediate relief and health camps. Caritas plans to distribute food and other items, as well as help affected families restart their livelihoods.

Pakistanis still suffering from massive flooding in summer 2010 have been struck by severe floods this year as well. Caritas Pakistan is giving out tents and food packages, as well as running mobile clinics and helping farmers who lost their crops. Caritas plans to aid 240,000 people.

Donate


Please give to Caritas generously. Your support makes our work possible.

Pray

Caritas brought together a collection of prayers and reflections for you to use.

Volunteer


Volunteers make a crucial contribution. Find out how you can be one.