Catholic Church in Myanmar aiding quake victims

(April 01, 2011) The Catholic Church’s relief team of Karuna Myanmar is continuing continue its aid efforts in 13 villages seen to be the hardest hit by last week’s earthquake in the north of the country. It is collaborating with the local operations of World Vision, Red Cross and other partners. Nyi Nyi Soe, projector director of Disaster Risk Reduction for Karuna Myanmar Social Services (KMSS) in Yangon, who is working in the quake affected areas, said Karuna had made a joint assessment with 10 other NGOs and that Karuna will take care of the 13 worst affected villages. “We will be the key player in those 13 targeted villages and help the victims with whatever we can do for them but World Vision Myanmar will now take over the leading role,” Nyi Soe said. A series of earthquakes in northeast Myanmar and north Thailand March 24 and 25 killed at least 120 people according to independent reports although government figures remain at 74 deaths and 125 injuries. The Karuna team is arranging temporary shelters for some 100 victims in the village of Thiri and around 50 victims in Kaw Kawt village, not so far from Mong Lin village, one of the hard hit places according to Nyi Soe. The project director of HIV/AIDS in KMSS, said as many as half the villagers are suffering from diarrhoea and some have skin problems, colds and coughs.