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Cagayan de Oro (Agenzia Fides) – There is strong emergency, there is great discomfort but there "is equally strong solidarity among the victims", while "the Pope's words are a great encouragement for all": this is what His Exc. Mgr. Antonio J. Ledesma told Fides, Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro, in the North of Mindanao island, severely hit by the typhoon Sendong in past days, which has caused victims in 47 municipalities in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City. According to the "National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council", the victims are 652 and there are over 900 people missing, while the budget continues to increase.
"We have just finished an emergency meeting – the Archbishop told Fides - we work closely with the government and humanitarian organizations. The 'Social Action Center' in our diocese is working hard in 5 large evacuation centers. Thanks to a large number of volunteers, we are distributing food, water and medicine. For the next 2-4 weeks we will have to find new housing for the refugees living along the Cagayan River and take care of the reconstruction of houses. We have over 7,000 homeless families, for a total of over 40 thousand internally displaced people, in the diocesan territory".
For the population this is a very sad moment, the Archbishop notes: "There is great sorrow for the loss of relatives and friends. Some students of the Catholic University in Cagayan and some pastoral operators also died. But the prevailing spirit is that of mutual aid among the victims. I sent a message of encouragement to the population. We want to share the pain with the families who have suffered bereavement, and launch a strong appeal for solidarity, for assistance to displaced people and also to build barriers on the banks of the Cagayan River".
The local church, informs the Bishop, is receiving support from other dioceses in the Philippines and humanitarian organizations such as "Misereor" (German Bishops) and the "Catholic Relief Services" (U.S. Bishops), which have made widespread appeals for humanitarian assistance. Solidarity, Mgr. Ledesma continues, "if brought in the name of Christ, makes no distinction of religion or ethnicity: even Muslim brothers and indigenous communities benefit in the aid."
"Yesterday - concludes the Archbishop - Pope Benedict XVI, at the end of the Angelus, made an appeal for us: we want to thank him whole heartedly. We appreciated the closeness of his words and his prayers. We have great respect for him and the people are deeply relieved from the Pope’s encouragement". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 19/12/2011)
