Caritas stays put

The
Catholic Weekly
Online

Sydney
23 November 2003

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Caritas stays put

By Chris Lindsay

Work on the Caritas programs in Iraq will continue despite 12 Caritas staff being injured in a terrorist explosion at the Italian military base in An Nassiriya.

However, funds are needed urgently; Caritas is asking for emergency donations, which can be made on 1800 024 413.

The injured Caritas staff were working in the Nassiriya hospital in the Well Baby program, which looks after children with malnutrition and nursing mothers.

The hospital was right next to where the Italians set up their military base.

“There is terrible human suffering going on there and it needs to be responded to - that is the job Caritas does,” says Jack de Groot, national director of Caritas Australia.

“We are still supporting Caritas Iraq.

“While UN agencies leave and the attacks are going on there is still a need for people to provide basic services like medical treatment, clean water supplies and shelter.

“Caritas staff members in Iraq are local people with a deep commitment to serving the humanitarian needs of their community.”

Activities conducted in Iraq by Caritas in the past week include reconstruction of houses, construction of health centres, medical assistance, distribution of pharmaceuticals, food distribution, distribution of bedding and support of schooling

“We were very concerned to hear that our colleagues in Iraq were injured,” Mr de Groot said.

“While no Caritas staff were killed, 12 employees were hospitalised because of glass injuries.

“Iraq is a dangerous place to be, and five of the Caritas staff are still in hospital in a critical condition.”

Mr de Groot said that even before the blast the hospital was ill-stocked and short of medicines and certainly had no capacity to look after emergencies.

Caritas Iraq responded immediately to the blast by sending Dr Nabil Farjo, a medical officer, and Habeeb Toma, manager of the Well Baby Program, to the hospital with a truckload of emergency medicines and medical supplies, including burn cream, painkillers, tranquillisers, disinfectants, portable oxygen kits and sterilising agents.

The Catholic Women’s League is asking every Australian to give just one gold coin to its Gold Coin Appeal to help ease the suffering of ordinary Iraqis, particularly women and children.

To make an urgent donation to Caritas through the Women in Solidarity-Gold coin appeal phone 1800 024 413.