Local church agencies help people affected by landslides in Indonesia

Published: 2007-12-28

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNS) -- The Catholic Church is helping people affected by landslides that hit central areas on Java, Indonesia's most populous island. Father Antonius Banu Kurniyanto of St. Mary Regina Church in Surakarta told the Asian church news agency UCA News Dec. 27 that his parish sent a sack of clothes, 10 boxes of instant noodles, a box of biscuits and six boxes of milk powder to nearby St. Pius X Church in Karanganyar district. Elizabeth Yulianti, a volunteer who helped distribute the aid at St. Pius X, said the parish also has received sacks of rice, boxes of instant noodles and biscuits from Caritas Indonesia, the local affiliate of the international Catholic aid federation Caritas Internationalis. A Catholic-run social foundation based in Semarang, the capital of Central Java, has sent more food, she said. Individual Catholics from various parishes also have sent items, she noted. Days of heavy rains caused the worst damage during the night of Dec. 26 with landslides and floods leaving at least 100 people dead or missing and thousands homeless.

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