Church agencies step up relief work as Pakistan struggles with flood

(August 13, 2010) Church charities in Pakistan stepped up their efforts on Thursday to distribute vitally needed relief supplies to some of the millions of people affected by the worst flood in the South Asian nation's history. The response gained momentum as Pope Benedict XVI expressed his condolences in a telegram to Archbishop Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore, head of the Pakistan bishops' conference. "The Holy Father commends the deceased to the Almighty" and “prays for all involved in providing assistance to the victims," the pope said in his message. Cooking equipment, hygiene kits and bedding were being delivered on Wednesday to severely hit areas, but workers said devastating conditions were hampering the efforts of relief workers. "Access to a lot of the affected areas is still impossible, and it's hard to organize distribution amid the panic," said John Joseph of Caritas Islamabad-Rawalpindi. He spoke from the Holy Name Church in Nowshehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where distribution began after prayers and blessings from Father Amir Yaqub, the parish priest. Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican-based umbrella agency for national Catholic charities, launched an appeal Aug. 12 asking member agencies for $5.5 million to fund Catholic relief efforts in Pakistan over the next three months.