Caritas sends an SOS

Sydney
9 December 2001

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Caritas sends an SOS

By Kathleen Carmody

The response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has been far slower than to many other appeals throughout the aid and development community, Caritas Australia has revealed.

Caritas is calling on Australians to look to the human in the Afghan crisis and to give generously.

“We have to recognise the human under all of this. There is terrible suffering and oppression that Afghan people have been victims of,” said the national director, Jack de Groot.

He suggested that people’s reluctance to give to the appeal – Caritas Australia has pledged $100,000 to aid refugees in Afghan istan and Pakistan – was due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of the situation.

It was one of the most significant, and perhaps the worst, experiences of displacement of a population in the memory of the UN.

“There are two human crises,” he said, “one a drought that is into its fourth year; the second is incredibly destructive warfare that has forced people to move from their homes.

“When you have those two sorts of reasons then you have massive displacement.”

So far, Caritas Australia has raised $13,000 to help distribute urgently needed food, aid and shelter to displaced people in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan.

“We expect more to be given because the community is generous,” said Mr de Groot.

However he warned that the problem wouldn’t just go away through the quick distribution of emergency aid money.

“It’s going to take lots of money and consistent effort and focus on Afghanistan in the years to come,” he said.

“Sure, a million people displaced within one month probably need a million (dollars) at least, but this is rehabilitation that will go on for years.”