December 21, 2011 - Nearly 1,000 people are reported dead and hundreds more are still missing after flash floods in the Philippines after Typhoon Washi hit southern Mindanao Island and surrounding areas on the weekend. It is estimated that 34,298 families, totalling 167,460 people, are directly suffering consequences from the floods and over 88,000 people have taken refuge in evacuation centres.

Working with our partners at the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development & Peace/Caritas Canada, the Catholic Church's official relief representative in Canada, funds will be channelled to Caritas organizations on the ground in the Philippines. Caritas teams are travelling through Mindanao to help families affected by the flooding. In particular, Caritas Philippines, known within the country as NASSA, has sent a team to the Diocese of Iligan, where the local government is said to be running out of relief supplies. Teams are assessing the damage and coordinating the emergency response.

Those wishing to help may do so in the following ways:

• Online through the Archdiocese of Toronto website: www.archtoronto.org/humanitarian
• By phone through the Development office: 416-934-3411
• Through the parish, making cheques payable to:
  Name of Parish - Philippines - Flood Relief

We offer our prayers for the victims of the floods, those who have died and those who will struggle in the coming months to rebuild their lives and their communities. Thank you for your ongoing efforts to serve those in need, both here at home and around the world.

Click here to donate.

LATEST UPDATE: (April, 2011)

The people of Japan are facing their most difficult moment in recent history.

Caritas has been giving out blankets and supporting parishes in providing food. It is providing counsellors to help people cope with the trauma in the long-term and is also making plans for reconstruction.

“The Japanese people keep offering each other encouragement at this difficult time. Everyone keeps saying to each other “Ganbaro!” Which would mean in English “Keep your spirits up!,” says Fr Daisuke Narui, Executive Director of Caritas Japan. Caritas Japan has launched a national donation campaign and is working closely with dioceses to support those affected. “We have received so many emails from all continents, filled with words of compassion and prayer. We are very grateful. We believe that aid activity is needed, but prayer is also important,” said Bishop Isao Kikuchi, president of Caritas Japan.

- Updates received from Caritas Internationalis

BACKGROUND

Japan was struck on March 11 by one of the largest earthquakes to ever hit the country, followed by a massive tsunami that devastated coastal regions of the country. At present, approximately 3,500 people are reported dead with thousands more missing.

We have received a number of calls about this crisis at the ShareLife Office and we would like to make you aware of funding matters related to the relief efforts in Japan. Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic Church’s official international relief organization, issued a statement today to the global members of the Caritas network indicating that no emergency appeal is being issued at this time. At present, Caritas Japan has not requested assistance.

Should this situation change and an appeal be issued, we will keep you apprised.

There has been a desire in the Archdiocese of Toronto to make contributions to relief efforts in solidarity with the people of Japan. To assist this process, the ShareLife office is accepting contributions should you wish to help. Funds will be forwarded through Development and Peace (the Caritas representative in Canada) to Caritas Japan. There, they will be held in trust to support rehabilitation and recovery needs in that country as they emerge over the next three to five years. There is no clear indication at this time how the funds will be used.

Those wishing to help through a financial contribution may do so in the following ways:
• Online through ShareLife’s website: www.sharelife.org
• By phone through the ShareLife office – 1-800-263-2595 or 416-934-3411
• Through the parish, making cheques payable to: ShareLife – Parish Name – Earthquake – Japan

We offer our prayers for the millions of people in Japan affected by this disaster, those who have died and those who will persevere and rebuild their homes and lives. Thank you for your ongoing efforts to serve those in need, both here at home and around the world.

LATEST UPDATE: (December, 2010)

Funds raised by the parishes in the Archdiocese of Toronto were sent via our humanitarian relief partner to Caritas Polska.

To date, Caritas Polska has provided :

IN-KIND DONATIONS
- 12 lorries of food & cleaning products
- 12 lorries of cleaning equipment e.g. 228 drying machines & 240 cleaning machines worth 229,694 EUR
- 20 000 bottles of anti bacterial gel for the total amount of 30,083 EUR
- 20 tones of coal and 10 lorries of construction materials will be delivered to those affected

HOLIDAYS FOR CHILDREN
1366 children from the affected families enjoy holidays in different Caritas holiday centers

SCHOOL KITS FOR CHILDREN
5000 children will be provided with school kits at the beginning of the school year
 
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
The total amount of  4,224,562 EUR was transferred to diocesan Caritas from Caritas Internationalis for provision of relief services, allowance for the affected and removal of floods’ effects 

- Report received through CCODP

BACKGROUND

Floods in northern Pakistan have killed over 1600 people so far and displaced an estimated 13.2 million more, with monsoon rains continuing to fall. Houses, bridges and roads have been washed away leaving people without food, shelter and drinking water. Conditions remain so extreme that authorities have not been able to fully assess the extent of the crisis to date.

The Vatican’s official international relief network, Caritas Internationalis, has carried out assessments in parts of Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They are focusing on moving aid items into accessible areas as quickly as possible and on trying to reach areas that have so far been cut off in order to assess the appropriate response.

Caritas initially provided emergency relief items to 1300 families in two districts of southern Punjab. They will provide 1500 families in Peshawar with water, food, cooking utensils, health and hygiene kits for an initial two weeks. Mosquito nets, water purification tablets, hygiene kits and kitchen supplies will also be distributed to 1350 households in Karkhan and Kohlu.

LATEST UPDATE: (January 11, 2011) Development and Peace (D&P), ShareLife's humanitarian relief partner, just published its one-report for the work it has been doing in Haiti. Highlights of the report are as follows:

- In the first 6 months of the emergency, (D&P) through Caritas, its partner on the ground in Haiti, provided humanitarian assistance (food, water, tents, mobile clinics) to more than 2.3 million Haitian men and women;

- D&P spent $5 million on emergency and reconstruction projects of its 25 partners in Haiti and committed an extra $10 million for the next 3 years;

- A 5-year reconstruction program is already being planned together with local grassroots and civil society organizations in Haiti;

- A solidarity fund was established to enable D&P partners' staff to get back to work and is also providing financial aid for rebuilding their offices and replacing essential equipment;

- Reconstruction of 1700 houses in areas directly affected by the earthquake;

- Helping children directly affected by the earthquake to return to school and rebuilding a primary school for 850 students;

- Supporting women’s organizations that are taking action on the issue of protecting women and children in the IDP camps;

- Distributed seeds to more than 20,500 farming families and is currently mplementing a major 3-year program to strengthen the food security of farmers;

- The National Human Rights Defence Network (RNDDH) works on defending, promoting and protecting human rights in post-earthquake Haiti; it also promotes a state of law, has participated in election monitoring, etc;

- Strengthening communications in order to ensure that the viewpoint of civil society is known to the public and to better inform communities about reconstruction and disaster-prevention issues.

For more details on the initiatives being done for Haiti, please click here to visit the D&P Haiti Report website.

BACKGROUND

Late night on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, the Caribbean nation of Haiti was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, its strongest in more than 200 years, causing massive damage and loss of lives. An estimated 3 million people may have been affected by the quake and aftershocks are still being felt. Tens of thousands of people appear to have lost their homes and many perished in several collapsed buildings. As rescue efforts continue and emergency response teams work with the victims of this disaster, relief efforts are underway around the world.