Umi Sumbajono and her family had seconds to react when a 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on September 28. The 55-year-old grabbed her two grandchildren and fled from their home in Jono Ono village. “I panicked and prayed,” Umi said. “We saw the land, the ground, splitting and cracking, with mud and water ...
An emergency can strike at any time, overwhelming the most vulnerable people and leaving them with nothing.
But there is Caritas, the helping arm of the Catholic Church. Caritas acts fast to save lives and livelihoods in emergencies.
Caritas has a unique worldwide network of more than 160 member organisations with the experience and skills to respond efficiently and effectively. Its strong roots – put down over decades – means Caritas is there both before the emergency and afterwards.
Caritas also looks to the future, investing in its emergency preparedness and response skills to face emergencies like floods or droughts. It is energetically focused on disaster risk reduction – which means taking steps to lessen the harm done by repeated natural disasters in the same country or area.
Caritas also forges dialogue to prevent the conflicts which cause suffering and loss and works to transform active conflicts into peaceful settlements.
No more will violence be heard in your land, despoiling or breakdown within your boundaries. – (Isaiah 60:18)
Caritas updates on Conflicts & Disasters
