Your Eminence/Grace/Excellency,
Rev. Father/Sister/Brother,
On behalf of the Church in India, I wish to make an earnest appeal to you to support the victims of the recent flood in Uttarakhand.
Uttarakhand saw over 60 hours of continuous and heavy rains from June 14th to 17th, 2013. The cloudburst and ensuing landslides has been described as a “Himalayan Tsunami”. Pictures on the television have been frightening with many houses washed away and buildings in the path of the flood waters collapsing like brittle clay-work. Our Defence Forces have played a magnificent role in battling hostile weather to rescue people and bring them to safety. Over 100,000 stranded people have been brought to safety in the mammoth on-going multi-agency operation and several hundreds still remain to be evacuated. The human toll has been immense, with the count of the dead increasing every hour.
Since the beginning of this disaster, local diocesan rescue teams and Caritas India have been present, helping with the rescue efforts. Besides the Government, numerous NGOs have been reaching out to people in distress. Caritas India has been interacting and networking with other NGOs in the relief effort. Based on the need-assessment, food, drinking water, clothes, medicines and face-masks have been distributed. There is need for huge support for the relief and rehabilitation work of the affected people.
The call of the Gospel does not allow us to be indifferent to the immense suffering the people in the affected areas are undergoing. With this letter, I am making an appeal to all our people and Institutions to join in the relief effort by contributing generously. We need to extend total solidarity and support to enable the people of Uttarakhand to return back to normalcy. Caritas India will coordinate all our efforts.
I am requesting that all Bishops, Major Superiors and Heads of Institutions make an appeal to our people to contribute generously. Contributions may be sent to Caritas India, CBCI Centre, 1 Ashok Place, Near Gole Dakhana, New Delhi 110001, either directly, or through the local Diocese.
With kind regards and best wishes,
Yours fraternally in Christ,
XOswald Cardinal Gracias
Archbishop of Bombay &
President - CBCI