Jesuits respond to Typhoon Haiyan

Typhoon Haiyan

The Jesuits in Britain have responded to the humanitarian needs of the people of the Philippines by making an immediate donation to the Jesuits in the country and by launching an appeal for further funds. Paul Chitnis, the Director of Jesuit Missions in London, says the charity will be making available £20,000 for the Jesuits in the Philippines to provide essential supplies to some of the thousands of people affected by Typhoon Haiyan. Jesuit communities, schools, chaplaincies and parishes in Britain are being asked to contribute generously to the Jesuit Missions appeal, which will be used to help rebuild the lives of those affected by the disaster.

There are 300 Jesuits working in the Philippines today. Their Provincial, Fr Tony Moreno SJ, has urged all Jesuit communities and institutions in the country to mobilize their resources to assist those in afflicted areas. He has called for Jesuits "to reach out to our suffering people and collectively and concretely address these new and pressing challenges."

Fr Moreno says that although all the Jesuits in the country are safe, some are still trying to establish contact with family members. "Thousands of our people lost their lives," he writes from Manila. "Other untold thousands (have lost) their homes and properties. It has already been acknowledged that this typhoon is the worst this year, and perhaps the worst natural calamity ever to strike the Philippines. Some estimates put the death toll over 10,000. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council today reported nearly 2,900,000 families have been affected, some 24,000 houses damaged and major infrastructures devastated."

Fr Moreno emphasises that the Jesuits will be in solidarity with the people of the Philippines who have been struck by this disaster and will continue to offer them both material and spiritual support. "I strongly urge all our Jesuit communities and institutions to mobilize resources to assist afflicted areas and also to gather our constituents, partners and friends to reflect and pray over these events and discern what courses of action to take."

Donations can be made online at www.gbjm.org or sent directly to Typhoon Haiyan Appeal, Jesuit Missions, 11 Edge Hill, Wimbledon, London SW19 4LR.