European Caritas organisations started to react immediately to the catastrophe calling for fund raising and allocating existing resources to relieve those affected by the quake and support the aid actions taken by Caritas Peru in the region.

This new contributions from Caritas France (Secours Catholique), Caritas Netherlands (CORDAID) and Caritas England & Wales (CAFOD) confirm the strong committment of European Caritas with the fate of the people of Peru. Earlier contributions were sent by Caritas Spain (100,000 euros), Caritas Germany (50,000 euros), Caritas Switzerland (30,000 euros), Caritas Austria (20,000 euros), Caritas Portugal (15,000 euros), and Caritas Norway who was granted 3,000,000 NOK (around 368,000 euros) by the Norwegian Foreign Affairs Ministry to assist Caritas Peru’s relief work in the field.

Additional fund raising appeals have been launched by Caritas Czech, Poland, Italy, Luxemburg, Croatia, and Belgium International.

Caritas Peru is taking care of more than 50,000 people in the area and have established 24 distribution points through wich it has distributed more than 350 tones of humanitarian aid (food, clothes, clean water, medicines, and other basic necessities.) A bread factory has been established in Pisco with a production capacity of 50,000 loafs per week.

Caritas Peru has estimated that help will be needed for at least six more months before starting with the re-building process.

--------------------------------------
Related links