Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “Life is starting up once again, thanks to the Christian volunteers as well. Caritas does its best to bring comfort and aid to all the people and to prepare reconstruction projects.” This is what Agenzia Fides learned from Joseph Hang Khan Pau, a Catholic layman that serves as National Director of “Karuna” (Caritas Myanmar), telling of the situation a little over six months after the passing of the Cyclone Nargis, which hit Myanmar this past May, provoking the death of 115-200,000 people and causing another 2 million to flee their homes.
The Director, who was visiting the Vatican for a Caritas Internationalis seminar, recalled that the most affected Dioceses were those of Yangon and Pathein, where the NGOs' work has been mainly concentrated (after they were finally allowed by the government to enter the country). Among these organizations is Caritas Myanmar: thanks to aid from international partners and their presence in various sites throughout the territory, they were able to bring aid to all people, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or social condition.
Hang Khan Pau tells Fides: “The basic needs like food, water, and blankets, have reached almost all Nargis survivors. In some of the most isolated areas, there are still difficulties. The people are suffering a lot on account of the cyclone that destroyed lives, homes, and means of livelihood. Many times our volunteers go out to the most isolated villages, not yet reached by the aid from the government or the other NGOs. Caritas in many areas is helping to build houses and purify wells for drinking water.”
“There are two means for bringing humanitarian aid in post-Nargis Myanmar,” the Director said. “On the one hand, there is the official aid, conducted by government permissions that recognize humanitarian work. The second means – the main one used by the Church – is that of door-to-door solidarity, the support expressed by the entire community, without an official tag. As Caritas, we want to go out to meet Christ in the poor and suffering. We have begun collecting aid, thanks to Caritas Internationalis and our foreign collaborators.”
Speaking of the work of Caritas Myanmar, which in the country is established as a non-governmental organization, the Director said: “We should grow in terms of capacity, improving our work and our personnel. We do our best with the little means and facilities we have to work with, but we our improving our outreach efforts. We are now present in various areas of development, with micro-financing, agricultural support, and healthcare programs. We hope to widen our work spectrum, cooperating with civil authorities and becoming a point of reference in the area of humanitarian aid and cooperation. The needs of the Birman people are mainly quality education (there are many illiterate persons) and healthcare services.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides 15/12/2008)
