‘However, we're enormously grateful for the generosity of New Zealanders to meet that need,' she said. ‘Including $250,000 from the government's New Zealand Aid Programme, New Zealanders have donated more than $1 million to Philippines relief through Caritas.' Continue reading

Much has been written about Super Typhoon Haiyan and the destruction it left in its wake. The destruction is as bad as I've seen, and I've been to many disasters round the world.

The devastation wreaked by the wind, and the storm surge that followed, is difficult to put into words. Barely a house has survived intact in Palo.

On municipal buildings, galvanised iron roofs have been peeled off by the wind almost like one would peel a banana. Concrete walls have been pushed down by the force of wind and water. For those living in more humble shacks everything has gone, everything!

At the edge of the city there are areas of fetid water with thick, black layers of mosquitoes. The stench of death and decay hangs around, carried along by the swarms of flies.

And yet hope remains. Continue reading.

Mark Mitchell is Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand's Coordinator for Humanitarian Programmes, and is leading the international Caritas support team assisting Caritas Philippines in responding to Typhoon Haiyan.

Source: Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand

Image: Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand

Mark leads the humanitarian work programme of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand. He has worked in emergencies in Kosovo, Africa and Christchurch.

In the Philippines he is heading up a five member Emergency Response and Support Team based in Cebu. Brought together to support Caritas Philippines, the team is coordinating the global Caritas relief effort after the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Haiyan, which has displaced or left homeless 4.01 million people.

‘People here are in desperate need. We are working hard to get emergency supplies to where they are most needed', he says.

‘Water, food, medicine, shelter, hygiene and sanitation are immediate priorities. As well as clearing debris and sorting logistics so aid can get through', says Mark.

Mark travelled with the Australian Air Force yesterday carrying 500 tarpaulins from the New Zealand government to Tacloban, one of the worst hit cities.

‘There were people, dust, planes everywhere - incredibly loud with hundreds and hundreds people queued up to get on flights out of Tacloban. There were trees broken half way up and the airport terminal destroyed,' he said.

‘We saw the ceaseless activity of international aid and the challenges that come with it,' said Mark. ‘But working in partnership with Caritas Philippines means we have a good mechanism to deliver these emergency, essential supplies as quickly as possible. We are here to listen to what people want and assist however we can'.

Caritas Philippines has distributed more than 68,310 relief packs as well as NZ$365,888 to local diocese for food and immediate needs - this has gone to help 345,000 people.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand launched an emergency appeal for the Philippines last week. Already, well over $250,000 has been raised. This funding will help provide essential food, hygiene kits, non-food household items and shelter repairs for 55,000 of the most vulnerable households (275,000 people) severely impacted by the Typhoon.

Donations to the Caritas Philippines Relief Appeal can be made by:

• Phoning 0800 22 10 22 to make credit card donations;
• Phoning 0900 4 11 11 to make an automatic $20 donation from your phone bill;
• Donating online using a credit card at www.caritas.org.nz; or
• Posting toCaritas, PO Box 12193, Thorndon, Wellington 6144, New Zealand.

Updates on the Caritas response are available at http://www.caritas.org.nz/philippines-typhoon and Facebook and Twitter.

Source

• Supplied: Caritas Aotearoa/New Zealand
• Image: Supplied Ryan Worms/Caritas.

The building has been turned into an evacuation centre, where Caritas and its partners are delivering aid.

Mulvarosa, a 57-year-old grandmother, was at home when the storm hit, along with five of her children and three grandchildren.

"We were all very frightened," she says. "We thought we were going to die. The children were crying. We were holding on to whatever we could. Many people died in our neighbourhood, including seven in just one family."

Some of Mulvarosa's relatives remain missing, including her nephew, his wife and their nine-month-old baby.

"Nobody knew to expect the waves," says Mulvarosa. "My nephew's family lived by the coast. I told him to move, but he didn't listen. We're still looking for them."

Caritas Philippines have been able to truck food and water to the area through its local church networks, and has distributed aid to thousands of people.

Mulvarosa's family has received rice, noodles and tinned goods. "My house is virtually destroyed. It has no roof," she said. "I'm very grateful to receive food and shelter." Continue reading.

Nick Harrop is Humanitarian Emergencies Writer for CAFOD - Caritas England and Wales.

Caritas is a global confederation of 165 Catholic organisations working in humanitarian emergencies and international development, of which Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is part.

Source: CAFOD

Image: Caritas

Sadly, however, evidence would suggest that war will remain a means for political ambition and solution for impasse. Hope for better may be forlorn. Perhaps the will to struggle for personal advantage, to win and impose order is too strong in the human DNA.

Is universal peace merely an ideal hope? Is it merely an intuitive and intellectual landscape of those who inhabit their vision with commitment, searching beyond mundane struggles, for ascendancy of love over self-will and competition for earth's produce?

Armistice Day became particularly sobering as news agencies reported the calamitous destruction in The Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan wreaked terrifying violence. What were we witnessing? A bad storm? A record event on the scale of dire metrological events?

Or was it more, much more? While one cannot attribute reason to the earth, it is becoming more likely we have become mere witnesses to the planet's response to humankind's profligate, careless use of its resources? It may be too strong to argue the planet and humanity are at war. It is not too strong to argue we are not at peace.

Universal peace between people and nations may be a forlorn hope. However, humanity has little choice but to seek peace with the planet that is our home. The only refuge is within. Simply, there is no place of retreat, no place of refuge, nowhere to run.

Armistice Day will always serve to remind us of the cost of politics that place ideologies above the value of all human life. It is a stark reminder of our ability to kill one another for the likes of power, profit and ego.

It is time for a body such as the United Nations to promote a universal armistice for the planet. To gather up the ideals of its own Charter, Human Rights, Millennium Goals and the like for the sole purpose of seeking common cause for a reasonable quality of human life on this planet.

However, how deep is the competitive tribal nature of we humans? Can we overcome the need to devise treaties and moratoriums as expediencies, the desire to impose political will, acquire resources to the relative advantage of a few, and ignore the damage being left to future generations for immediate gain and comfort?

Armistice Day reminds us of the cost and worth of sacrifice. An outcome of such sacrifice is freedoms we might not have had. Will our descendants have a world we would be prepared or even happy to live within? I fear not, yet hope so.

John Fairbrother is the Director of Vaughan Park Anglican Retreat Centre in the Auckland Diocese.

Wandering children become "the main victims of jackals who seize them for child abuse or human trafficking," he told the Fides news agency.

"It is a horrible prospect, but it is extremely realistic in the case of natural disasters. These children are in need of immediate attention, to be saved from the clutches of traffickers and pedophiles."

"Under the pretext of saving or taking care of children, traffickers kidnap them and sell them to pedophiles," he added.

"Or they earn large sums of money by providing the children for illegal adoptions. Even worse, they introduce them into the world of prostitution, making them slaves of sexual exploitation."

The little ones will go down in history as "the lost children of Haiyan" he said.

Taking the chaos a stage further, the Apostleship of the Sea UK is warning of the long-term impact of Typhoon Haiyan.

"There is a danger that in a few months' time, when the media focus has shifted elsewhere, these people will be forgotten," said Fr Bruno Ciceri, of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Immigrant People.

Cardinal Tagle grateful

Still suffering from emotional and psychological shock, Cardinal Tagle says he still remains speechless when seeing images of the destruction.

Acknowledging the world interest in Typhoon Haiyan, the cardinal says he is drawing strength "from the love, the concern, the solidarity pouring in, not just from other parts of the Philippines but from all over world."

Cardinal Tagle says he wants to thank everyone from around the world for remembering the victims of Typhoon Haiyan and for reaching out.

Sources

• Fides
• Vatican Radio
• Apostleship of the Sea
• Image: Hope for the Sold

Bishop Dunn said that a large congregation had been expected, but they had been overwhelmed by the numbers of people who came.

It was the biggest gathering he had seen at the Cathedral, he said.

Radio New Zealand reported that the church was filled to overflowing, with as many people standing outside the church as inside. The distribution of communion took almost one hour

"Our hearts ache for the people in the Philippines," Bishop Dunn said today, "and for those many thousands of Filippinos who live here in our Auckland Diocese, many of whom are unable to make contact with their families and friends because of the breakdown in infrastructure and communications."

A special collection was taken up to be sent to the Catholic international aid agency, Caritas, to augment the $100,000 they are raising to send to the Philippines.

Other Masses to pray for the Philippines scheduled:

Wellington
7pm, Friday 15 November
Sts Peter & Paul, Knights Rd Lower Hutt

Hamilton
7pm, Friday 15 November
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Grey St Hamilton

Christchurch
6.30pm, Friday 22 November
St Teresa of Lisieux, Puriri St, Riccarton

4pm, 8 December
Christ the King, Greers Rd Burnside

Ashburton
7pm, 8 December

There are other Masses planned but times and places have yet to be decided.

St Patrick's Cathedral will is open each day from 6am to 8pm for people who wish to pray, light a candle, or make an offering in the donation box to support the Caritas appeal.

Sources

• Catholic Diocese of Auckland
• Supplied: Archdiocese of Wellington
• Supplied: NZCBC
• Radio New Zealand
• Radio New Zealand
• Image: Screen Shot TV3

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is working through NASSA (Caritas Philippines) along with other Caritas member agencies. Teams are assessing immediate needs for food, water, clothing and shelter, among the 9.5 million people thought to be affected by the latest typhoon.

Donations to Caritas can be made by:

• Phoning 0800 22 10 22 to make credit card donations
• Phoning 0900 4 11 11 to make an automatic $20 donation from your phone bill
• Donating online using a credit card at www.caritas.org.nz
• Posting to Caritas, PO Box 12193, Thorndon, Wellington 6144, New Zealand

‘A picture of massive devastation is emerging from our contacts on the ground,' says Caritas Director Julianne Hickey. ‘We fear the scale of destruction in yet unreached areas will be catastrophic, as many of the areas affected are among the Philippines' poorest communities. As well as loss of life and homes, people's livelihoods from farming, livestock and fishing are greatly affected.'

The hardest-hit communities have no water, no food and no electricity. Families from informal settler communities are the worst hit by the storm surge and need immediate assistance according to the local church.

"It's the strongest and biggest storm that has hit the country,' says the head of Caritas Philippines-NASSA, Fr. Edwin Gariguez. ‘It's hit an area already devastated by an earthquake. We are in great need. It's a really big calamity.'

‘We will support the emergency response through to long-term recovery,' says Ms Hickey. ‘Caritas expresses its heartfelt condolences and prayers to the Filipino community in Aotearoa New Zealand as they wait for more news from their homeland and loved ones.'

Read more

• Image: news.com.au

Vatican Secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin sent a telegram on behalf of the Holy Father to the Philippine president, Benigno Aquino III, on Nov. 10, saying, "Deeply saddened by the destruction and loss of life caused by the super typhoon, His Holiness Pope Francis expresses his heartfelt solidarity with all those affected by this storm and its aftermath." Continue reading