World News
Caritas official says agency must spend tsunami donations wisely
Published:
NEW DELHI, India (CNS) -- Amid an unprecedented flow of donations for Caritas Internationalis' tsunami relief fund, the charity wing of the church is watching its steps to ensure that the funds are spent prudently. "We have collected so far $350 million, which is unprecedented for us," said Duncan MacLaren, secretary-general of the Vatican-based Caritas Internationalis. "But, it also means we have a great responsibility to spend that money wisely on behalf of the people." In a telephone interview from Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he was visiting Feb. 11, MacLaren said that "unwise spending of the money could lead to a lot of harm to the community we serve. This is, of course, a huge challenge for us." "Moved by the powerful media images" of the Dec 26 tsunami disaster that devastated Indian Ocean nations, he said, people all over the world donated to the Caritas tsunami relief fund. "We have a duty to fulfill the expectations of the donors and ensure that these donations are used to really benefit the victims," he reiterated.
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