Pope assures solidarity with Colombian flood victims

(April 23, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI has assured his prayer and solidarity for the victims of Colombia's rainy season, which has caused at least 85 deaths and is threatening vast regions of the nation. The Pope expressed his "grief and concern" in a note sent Thursday to the Colombian ambassador to the Holy See, César Mauricio Velásquez. "I accompany with my prayers all the victims and relatives of those who are suffering this tragedy. I pray that the appeals to solidarity made by the president of that beloved nation will be heard," the Holy Father said. He added his wish that "all those affected by the rains of recent days feel my closeness, prayer and help." He also expressed his encouragement for "those who are on the front line of the aid and rescue operations to maintain their commitment to help the destitute."
Colombia is affected each year by a rainy season and accompanying land slides that take a heavy toll on the country. In 2010, the season was one of the deadliest in the last several decades. The rains killed 174 persons, left 225 wounded and 19 others missing, while 1.5 million were left homeless. In promising to aid the victims of this year's disaster, the Colombian president noted that already the Magdalena River "is the highest [it's been] in all of history."