Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand pledges aid to Japan

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has pledged NZ$10,000 towards Caritas relief efforts in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami. Caritas Director Mike Smith says the pledge is one of solidarity with Japan.‘It also recognises the closer ties and empathy felt between Japan and New Zealand in the wake of recent deadly earthquakes that have afflicted both countries.’

Caritas Japan is in contact with one of the worst affected areas – the diocese of Sendai – providing relief with a focus on those with no access to public services. The church opened an aid center at the Sendai cathedral to serve victims in the Sendai diocese, which includes four devastated provinces. In his message on the center’s opening, Sendai Bishop Martin Tetsuo Hiraga invited every Christian to become involved and recalled that in difficult times “it is important not to forget the infinite mercy of God,” the church news service asianews.it reported.

Lack of such basic needs as water, electricity, fuel and medicine, and lack of immediate prospects for improvement, is causing great physical and mental fatigue among the displaced, the news agency said.

Caritas Japan will work closely with affected dioceses and other organisations to support the most vulnerable people affected by the disaster. It will also support rehabilitation and recovery needs as they emerge over the next 3-5 years.

Source

Scoop
Catholic San Farancisco

Photo
Hypehmagazine.co

Additional reading

News category: New Zealand.

Tags: , , ,