CAFOD, Milan respond to Philippines typhoon

November 12, 2013 - The aid agency of the Catholics of England and Wales has launched an urgent appeal to its supporters to help them meet the urgent needs of communities in the Philippines devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. Catholic Agency for Overseas Development or CAFOD has pledged an initial amount of £50,000 as immediate assistance, and said it ready to add more financial help and practical support in the coming days. Matthew Carter, Head of CAFOD’s Humanitarian Department, said their local partners are already operating in the worst hit areas, responding to the most immediate needs, as well as continuing to provide food and shelter to people who lost their homes in the earthquake on the island of Bohol last month. Despite difficulties to deliver aid, they are doing everything we can to reach people in isolated areas. CAFOD is a member of Caritas Internationalis, a global confederation of 165 Catholic organisations working in humanitarian emergencies and international development.
The charity agency of the northern Italian Archdiocese of Milan has also sanctioned an initial amount of €10,000 to the Philipine emergency relief efforts. Caritas Ambrosiana expressed its closeness to the Filipino people responding to the Holy Father’s appeal on Sunday where he underscored the “importance of concrete and immediate help’.