Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Multan (Agenzia Fides) – Over 200,000 Christian refugees and 150,000 Hindus in the southern Punjab province have been cut off from humanitarian aid and are still waiting to receive minimal assistance for survival. That is the alert that has been sent to Fides from humanitarian workers of Caritas and other NGOs present on the site, confirming the discrimination of aid to the detriment of refugees belonging to religious minorities. The same fate of neglect and exclusion affects another 600,000 displaced people, including Christians and Hindus, in the southern province of Sindh, sources have told Fides.
The aid, which in this emergency phase is still largely inadequate, is being managed either by government officials sympathetic to Islamic fundamentalism or by Muslim relief organizations that make systematic discrimination in the distribution.
“These displaced Christians and Hindus are in need of everything and are waiting helplessly without any shelter. Their survival is at great risk,” a local volunteer told Fides. "The Christian refugees are often ignored. They are purposely not identified and registered. Thus, they are automatically excluded from any health care or food, as they supposedly do not exist," says the source of Fides.
Particularly in southern Punjab, there are various Islamic extremist organizations at work that are capitalizing on this tragedy in order to inflict further strife on religious minorities. Many of these groups, Fides' source notes, are suddenly "charitable organizations" and have registered as local NGOs, but their work is to eliminate Christians and the disaster gives them a perfect opportunity.
Nazir S. Bhatti, chairman of the Pakistan Christian Congress, said today in a statement that “anti-Christian hatred is preventing aid from reaching many areas,” and has asked the government for “funds to be allocated to specific religious minorities” and called on all donors “to make Caritas Pakistan their reference point.”
Meanwhile, Caritas in the Diocese of Multan, in coordination with Caritas Pakistan and with local authorities, has implemented a plan of action to assist the refugees in southern Punjab, trying to reach abandoned Christians and Hindus, who are divided into 7 districts. They are delivering tents, food, drinking water, and providing medical assistance through a small rescue unit composed of volunteers, doctors, and paramedics that visit various places throughout the area. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 26/8/2010)
