October 2010

The flood emergency in Pakistan’s northern areas, southern Punjab Province and the Sind Province has been very much a preoccupation for us. We joined other religious congregations for an immediate response with food, fresh water and other supplies. One of our Jesuits went with a group of religious in late August to the Multan Diocese to distribute the supplies and to see how people were affected by the floods.

In mid September I visited some flood-affected areas in the Muzafaragarh area of southern Punjab with personnel from the National Justice and Peace Commission of the Pakistan Major Superiors Conference based in Multan. There were many collapsed walls, mud houses and houses made of brick but with poor foundations and houses where mud was used in the bricklaying in ruin. Many of the sugar cane fields in the area were still under water and crops had been destroyed. Tent camps are still to be seen accommodating dislocated families. There are many NGOs working in this area.

In the Muzafaragarh area we are planning to choose an area and help some people with the reconstruction of their homes and to build boundary walls. Then with the Lahore Salesians our main focus will be to use most of the funds that we have received to rebuild affected villages in the Sind. In October we will attend a meeting being called by the army in Hyderabad to plan the rehabilitation and the reconstruction work. Most of our people were already poor before the floods and for many now there are additional burdens as they face the aftermath of the floods. The reconstruction work will take a long time.

We are grateful to Fr General Nicolas and his team for the funds sent along with other Provinces of the Society whose mission offices conducted appeals. We are especially grateful for the generosity of the friends of Jesuit Mission in Australia. The amount donated has been substantial and we are thankful for the response of so many people in those countries and our Jesuit brothers and communities for their generosity. Some of our lay friends both in Pakistan and overseas have also contributed funds. We thank them all.

Fr Renato Zecchin SJ