ASIA/PAKISTAN - Flood disaster: bishops ask for help

Karachi (Agenzia Fides) - "Given the magnitude of the flood disaster, the people affected by the floods urgently need our help. In order to be able to help the victims of the floods and those in need, we, on behalf of the Catholic Church in Pakistan, ask people of good will to start appeals for donations. Humanitarian aid is urgently needed for the affected families, in particular tents, kits for shelter, food, hygiene and sanitary items, non-perishable food and clothing", said the appeal of Msgr. Benny Travas, Archbishop of Karachi, capital of the province of Sindh (southern Pakistan), after the country declared a state of emergency following heavy monsoon rains that caused catastrophic flooding in the provinces of Sindh, Balochistan and southern Punjab. Pakistan recorded a total of 375.4mm of rain, nearly triple the national average over the past 30 years.
Archbishop Travas, who also directs Caritas Pakistan, also says: "Caritas Pakistan receives many requests from parishes, congregations, civil protection committees and district governments. The Caritas office staff in the Diocese of Karachi have already started to examine the requests and to provide assistance; I urgently appeal for support and invite people of good will to donate money or material help".
In the southern province of Sindh, in the Catholic diocese of Hyderabad, 90% of the area has been inundated by the floods. Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad, invites politicians, church officials, lay people, non-governmental organizations, friends and benefactors to come forward to help the thousands of people affected in his diocese. The bishop, who has personally visited some of the affected areas in his diocese, told Fides: "I receive many calls asking for help from priests and from the different parishes of the diocese. I have seen churches, parish houses and school buildings flooded and damaged. People are homeless and starving, and many families mourn the loss of loved ones."
Bishop Shukardin expressed his regret at the catastrophic floods, adding: "This is indeed a sad time for the people of Pakistan as the country has been in a very difficult situation since July 2022 due to heavy rains and floods. We beg for help in the form of non-perishable food and drinking water. Also clothes, bedding, mosquito nets, tents, toiletries and hygiene kits would be of great help to the displaced and destitute people".
"Many houses are flooded," reports the bishop. "The poor peasants have lost their crops and this loss causes them to go into debt with their landowners, which aggravates the phenomenon of debt slavery".
The Pakistani government, meanwhile, imposed a state of emergency on the country after the death toll exceeded 1,000 and around 1,400 people were injured. According to reports from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on August 26, around 33 million people in Pakistan were affected, more than 218,000 homes were destroyed and 452,000 damaged. The NDMA reported that 116 out of 160 counties have been affected and 66 counties have been officially declared a state of disaster.
The livelihoods of many people are severely affected because 793,000 animals have died. About 2 million hectares of fields and orchards were destroyed. Over 3,000km of roads and 145 damaged bridges have prevented people from reaching safe areas or hampering access to markets, hospitals and servicies.
At least 17,566 schools were damaged or destroyed, according to the Pakistan Ministry of Education. The operation of the railway network has also been partially suspended nationwide because the tracks are flooded. The railway company reports damages of 10 billion Pakistani rupees. (AG/PA) (Agenzia Fides, 29/8/2022)

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