News from Nepal; Tsunami Update; Newsfrom Belize.Nepal Update: On February 1, King Gyanendra dismissed Nepal’s government, declared a state of emergency and severed all communication ties with outside countries. Sister Teresa Kotturan writes: “We are concerned about our Sisters in Nepal. I tried this evening to call, but nothing is going through. The news had said that life is getting back to normal in Kathmandu but there is some violence in other parts of Nepal – by the Maoists. According to The Times of India, Nepal’s new government has asked for peace talks with the Maoist rebels but ban for three years any criticism of the king’s decision to assume power. All communication lines are still down and soldiers have been placed in television newsrooms to monitor reports before they are aired. Meanwhile only government flights from India are being allowed into Nepal to pick up those visiting or doing business. Our Sisters cannot leave. Please keep them in your prayers.
Tsunami Relief Update: Sister Roselyn Karakattu writes: “We have witnessed an outpouring of compassion, empathy, and relief support in response to the tsunami survivors. People have moved from camps to temporary shelters. The government has come out with different packages for rehabilitation- for livelihood, housing, and psychosocial support. NGOs are in the process of selection of villages and getting the approval from the government authorities. Both the government and NGOs are facing problems as the beneficiaries have put forward their demands and expectations. The civil society is engaged in advocacy for the different sections affected. ….On behalf of Caritas, along with CRS, I am presently engaged in attending NGO/INGO coordination meetings and as part of the team designing a psychosocial support program. A team of experts from Sarthak, a Delhi based NGO specialized in mental health, are assisting in designing this program. Training of Trainers followed by training of community based workers will be the next step in carrying out this program. Occasionally I have the opportunity to go on field visits too. Sister Judy Raley has arrived safely in Mumbai, India. Before leaving the U.S. Sister Judy was blessed in a service held at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga. The hospital collected $12,145.85 for the tsunami relief effort. The donation will be sent to the SCN Office of Congregational Advancement which has already processed more than $213,000 in contributions to the relief effort.
Belize: SCNs and SCN Associates of Belize ask our global SCN Family for prayers as Belize experiences its 11th day of industrial action. Throughout this time schools and public offices have remained closed as teachers, public officers and students of the nation protest against the hiking of taxes by the government. So far the negotiations have been relatively peaceful. We ask for prayers for all involved as well as a just and peaceful solution to this difficult situation.
