VANCOUVER—Local Catholics are being called on to help victims struggling to cope with the effects of a devastating earthquake in Nepal.
The April 25 quake, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, is said to be the worst to hit the Asian country in at least 80 years and, at last count, had claimed at least 7,500 lives.
“The situation is, as you can imagine, very difficult,” said Guy Des Aulniers, an international emergency relief coordinator for the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace.
CCODP has launched a campaign to raise funds for relief efforts in Nepal. Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, of Vancouver has approved a special collection for May 17.
“Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world,” Des Aulniers said. “The first thing we did is we gave shelter in different areas; we gave food aid.”
He said about 140,000 homes had been completely destroyed and hundreds of thousands damaged. The monsoon season, which has arrived early, will prevent the rebuilding of permanent structures until early fall; families are being given temporary, tent-like shelters.
“As Catholics, we want to make sure that everybody, including the most vulnerable, are receiving assistance,” Des Aulniers added, explaining that many people in Nepal face caste discrimination.
CCODP is urging people to donate before May 25, as the government has pledged to match all contributions made before that date.
More information is available at www.rcav.org/prayer-and-humanitarian-appeals and www.devp.org.
