The Vincentian Family lives and ministers in this area hit with catastrophic floods.
According to Independent Catholic News… “At least 19 people have died and 40 are missing due after huge floods hit the Solomon Islands and in particular the capital Honiara. In one of the worst natural disasters ever to hit the archipelago of 550 000 inhabitants, around 49,000 people have been left homeless. More than 5,500 people have taken refuge in three crowded evacuation centres, where aid agencies fear the spread of dengue fever, transmitted by mosquitoes. There has been serious damage to water and electricity supplies, and the sewage system.
The Archbishop of Honiara Mgr Adrian Smith, said in a statement yesterday: “The information we have is very little, from what I know to the west, 20 km from Honiara, several bridges have collapsed, to the east the situation is the same. In Honiara, luckily the Care Centre, San Isidro, for young people with speech and hearing disabilities was not damaged. The St Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School and St Martin’s, Rural Training Centre were evacuated. Some students have been transferred to parish centers”.
The Bishop of Gizo, Mgr Luciano Capelli, confirmed that in Gizo and Malaita the situation is not as bad, even if people live in fear”.
“The waters are receding but the country still has to deal with the damage suffered”, said Fr Ambrose Pereira, Director of the Don Bosco Technical Institute, Henderson. “We expect difficult weeks and months for the displaced, and due to poor infrastructure and inadequate food supplies”.
CMGLOBAL contains an early report from Fr. Teclemicael Tewolde CM.
Father Raúl Castro, CM writes in Spanish on the international site of the Congregation of the Mission .
He describes fallen trees , cracks in the asphalt, flooded plantations … the disasters left tons of water in our fragile sandy terrain . The first feeling was God! Who here use a bulldozer ? And it’s true. The land of the parish has four large canals which plied the waters knife in butter . The street leading to the parish practically ” down ” one meter level . (Hopefully an English translation of a longer report will soon be available.)
The Vincentian priests and the Daughters of Charity collaborate in a school Vincent and Louise.
Facebook page of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul Zagreb
Tags: CM, Congregation of the Mission, Daughters of Charity, Disasters, Flood, Solomon Islands, Vincentians
