Scottish Catholic Observer

The island nation is struggling to recover from the aftermath of Super Typhon Haiyan which killed thousands and left hundreds of thousands homeless when is struck last weekend but generous Scottish Catholics have already donated more than £300,000 to SCIAF’s emergency appeal while Archbishop Philip Tartaglia has promised the Philippines the prayers and support of the Scottish Church.

Aid has flooded into the Philippines since the storm hit on November 8, with the latest counts suggesting 3974 people have been killed and a further 1186 are still missing. But due to the nature of the island nation and damage to the Philippines’ infrastructure  getting help to those who need it most has been a logistical nightmare.

Archbishop Tartaglia, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, wrote last week to his counterpart in Manilla, promising the Scottish Church will do all it can.

“Please be aware of our spiritual closeness to you as you face the many difficulties that lie ahead,” the letter to Archbishop Jose S Palma of Cebu reads.  “Last weekend at Masses in our churches we offered special prayers for the victims, both living and dead, of the typhoon.  We will do so again this coming weekend.  And you will continue to be in our prayers in the weeks and months ahead.”

A special collection was taken up in parishes at the weekend for the typhoon survivors.

The archbishop also said SCIAF was doing tremendous work with the Philippine Church, which has been a key lifeline for the majority Catholic nation.

Since the archbishop’s letter, SCIAF’s has received more than £300,000 in donations from generous Scots.

Lorraine Currie, SCIAF’s head of international programmes, said she had again been amazed by the generosity of SCIAF’s supporters. Ms Currie added that the situation on the ground remained ‘extremely serious’ and more help was needed.

“Emergency aid is now getting through,” she said. “However, many people have lost everything.  They not only need immediate aid such as food, water and shelter, but will also require long term support to help them rebuild their lives in the long term.”

Eoghan Rice, a spokesperson of SCIAF, and its Irish equivalent Trocaire, who flew into the Philippines last week, said the ‘devastation was difficult to put into words.’

“The people on the affected islands are now reliant on aid because they have no way to purchase food for themselves,” he said. “Hunger, shelter all these things, are major concerns now. Aid is picking up, but infrastructure is a huge challenge, the clean up operation alone, without the humanitarian element is enormous. Bodies are still being found, people are still missing.”

Among the Scottish Catholics who have responded to the urgency of the SCIAF appeal are the Knights of St Columba. The order’s Supreme Knight Ron Lynch, said last week that the Knights are making an immediate donation of £5000 to the Philippines Disaster Appeal.

— [email protected]

—This story ran in full in the November 22 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.