Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Aid flight reaches disaster-struck East Timor

byMark Bowling
13 April 2021
Reading Time: 3 mins read
AA
Aid flight reaches disaster-struck East Timor

Emergency aid: A cargo of medical supplies reaches disaster-struck Timor Leste.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

AN EMERGENCY aid flight has reached East Timor, after a group of Australian veterans stepped in to raise funds for the flood-devastated nation.

Flooding and landslides triggered by Cyclone Seroja struck Australia’s northern neighbour on Easter Sunday, claimed more than 40 lives, destroyed houses and businesses, cut roads leading to the capital Dili, and left about 14,000 people displaced in temporary shelters including school gymnasiums, parish halls and convents.

East Timor is also facing a COVID-19 outbreak that has already caused confinement and food shortages.

A chartered flight from Darwin with 70 boxes of critical medical and humanitarian supplies reached the capital Dili yesterday, after the Catholic-backed Veterans Care Association (VCA) raised more than $55,000 in a GoFundMe campaign, and with additional pledges from supporters in Australia.

“This is the triumph of the very best in humanity, bringing Light into Darkness, replacing despair with hope, and loving our neighbours,” VCA’s co-founder, Deacon Gary Stone said.

Deacon Stone’s son, Michael Stone, a former army major who now leads a veteran rehabilitation program called “Timor Awakening” has spent the last 10 days spearheading efforts to raise funds and arrange the aid delivery.

Mr Stone arrived in Dili aboard the flight with the badly-needed medical supplies.

“We have pulled every string and done whatever we can to get the most immediate support to Timor,” he said.

“There are hundreds and hundreds of doctors that are trained in Timor… if they get the equipment needed, they can save thousands of lives.”

Disaster care: Families are living in temporary shelters across the capital Dili.

Jesuits in East Timor are also working to provide support on the ground including the provision of mattresses, bed sheets and cooking utensils.

Related Stories

Passion Play is a part of village life for actor who will play Jesus

Centacare called up to help with hardest-hit families in Maryborough floods, Lismore bishop gives hope to his flock

Flood swamps Ash Wednesday plans for Maryborough faithful

“Now that the rain has stopped, we can begin to clean up and plan long-term solutions for these families.” Jesuit Father Júlio Sousa, Director of Jesuit Social Service East Timor, said.

“If we have sufficient resources we will certainly extend our help to more households. At the moment we have distributed food items and clothes to over 500 people.”

Flood toll: A truck is recovered after a section of road collapsed from torrents of water. The driver died in the accident.
Flood toll: A truck is recovered after a section of road collapsed from torrents of water. The driver died in the accident.

The Australian Government has responded to a request for help from the government of East Timor with a $7 million relief package to support an estimated 100,000 people affected by flooding.

Immediate support from Australia after the flood has already included restoring power to the country’s COVID-19 crisis and treatment centres, and police facilities.

The extra $7 million in emergency relief will cover provision of personal protective equipment, which has dwindled due to flooding, temporary shelter and critical household items.

Funds will also go to the Timorese and Australian Red Cross and other non-governmental organisations to help in flood-recovery efforts, and to the World Food Programme to address food-supply shortages.

Donations to the Veterans Care Association’s ongoing GoFundMe campaign can be found here.

The Jesuit Mission relief program for flood victims is also seeking donations.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Vatican launches two Sign Language programs on YouTube

Next Post

India records 329,000 cases in two days as WHO warns pandemic is at ‘critical point’

Mark Bowling

Mark is the joint winner of the Australian Variety Club 2000 Heart Award for his radio news reporting in East Timor, and has also won a Walkley award, Australia’s most-respected journalism award. Mark is the author of ‘Running Amok’ that chronicles his time as a foreign correspondent juggling news deadlines and the demands of being a husband and father. Mark is married with four children.

Related Posts

Passion Play is a part of village life for actor who will play Jesus
Culture

Passion Play is a part of village life for actor who will play Jesus

6 May 2022
Flood swamps Ash Wednesday plans for Maryborough faithful
QLD

Centacare called up to help with hardest-hit families in Maryborough floods, Lismore bishop gives hope to his flock

4 March 2022
Flood swamps Ash Wednesday plans for Maryborough faithful

Flood swamps Ash Wednesday plans for Maryborough faithful

1 March 2022
Next Post
Crowded: Police officers try to control the crowd, most without masks, during Lathmar Holi celebrations in Barsana, India, March 23, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photos: CNS

India records 329,000 cases in two days as WHO warns pandemic is at ‘critical point’

Young man breakdancer

We're all learning the right moves together

Mask mandate to be lifted early due to lack of community transmission

Popular News

  • Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Hearts ‘fused’ together living their vocation

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Queensland election: The pro-life political parties committed to abortion law reforms

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

Cleanup begins after floodwaters swamp South East Queensland again

by Mark Bowling
16 May 2022
0

LAIDLEY parishioners in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane are relieved after floodwater rose to the top...

Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

16 May 2022
The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love

The Church canonises 10 new saints who shared God’s love

16 May 2022
Hearts ‘fused’ together living their vocation

Hearts ‘fused’ together living their vocation

15 May 2022
Link between porn and partner violence growing

Link between porn and partner violence growing

14 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping