BANGKOK (CNS): The Catholic Church’s international social aid network says it has responded well to the Boxing Day tsunami tragedy, but that much work remains to be done to help people in the long term.
“Half a year after the tsunami we can be proud of the achievements,” said secretary general of Caritas Internationalis, Duncan MacLaren.
But the pressure of outside expectations has never been as strong as in this disaster, he said.
About 50 members organisations of Caritas Asia and Caritas Internationalis, the worldwide confederation of more than 160 Church agencies, met in Bangkok, Thailand from June 14-16.
Mr MacLaren said Caritas tsunami relief projects so far have been allotted a total of $US113 million in Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia since giant waves pounded coastal areas in these and other countries in the Indian Ocean region.
But he said more aid will be needed in the coming years.
Director of Caritas India, Fr John Noronha, said he was “quite happy with our achievements”.
The first stage of emergency aid is completed, he reported, including the construction of 750 permanent houses in Kerala state.
However, Fr Noronha also spoke of “pressure to spend the money quickly” from some donors who themselves are being pressed by foreign governments which channelled aid through Caritas.
In Sri Lanka, the bishops’ conference is working with lay experts in its response to the tsunami, Fr Damian Fernando of Caritas Sri Lanka said. But he said the instability of the government is seen as a problem for the ongoing aid program.
Catholic Relief Services, the US bishops’ agency for overseas aid and development, has been working with the archdiocese to construct and repair houses and renovate damaged schools.
But mistakes also occurred in the Caritas relief effort.
Swedish Caritas representative Isa-Lei Moberg criticised Caritas Europe for having to temporarily withdraw the initial emergency aid workers it sent because they lacked knowledge of Asia, its cultures and Churches in the disaster areas.
