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On Friday, Feb. 17th, entire
villages in the Southern Leyte province in the Philippines were buried
under a torrent of mud from a landslide caused by on-going heavy rains.
The Philippine National Red Cross is reporting over 1000 confirmed
missing and expects that number to rise. Among the missing are
approximately 200 children who were attending a school that was buried
under more than 50 feet of mud. Hundreds more have been displaced from
their homes either by the landslides or by mandatory evacuations of 8
villages.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
is collaborating relief efforts closely with the National Secretariate
for Social Action, Justice and Peace (NASSA)/Caritas Philippines and has
authorized an initial $10,000 to assist with the provision of immediate
needs for the evacuees including rice, sleeping mats, soap and milk for
children. Rescue efforts are ongoing.
CRS has been working in the
Philippines continuously since 1945 when it launched relief and
reconstruction efforts in the wake of the Second World War. to this day,
CRS continues to provide relief to victims of natural and man-made
emergencies, as well as supporting ongoing programs in Peace and
Reconciliation, Health, Enterprise Development, and Agriculture/Natural
Resource Management.
Please consider helping those
who have lost loved ones and their homes as a result of the recent
landslides that killed as many as 1,800 people when entire villages in
the central Philippines were buried under a torrent of mud. Donations
may be sent to:
Catholic Relief Services
155 E. Superior
Chicago, IL 60611.
Thank you for your generosity.
God bless you. |
