Catholic Relief Services
Faith-Based Disaster Relief/Development
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About this facility
- Mission
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Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and disadvantaged outside the country. It is administered by a Board of Bishops selected by the National Council of Catholic Bishops and is staffed by men and women committed to the Catholic Church's apostolate of helping those in need. It maintains strict standards of efficiency and accountability. The fundamental motivating force in all activities of CRS is the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it pertains to the alleviation of human suffering, the development of people and the fostering of charity and justice in the world. The policies and programs of the agency reflect and express the teaching of the Catholic Church. At the same time, Catholic Relief Services assists persons on the basis of need, not creed, race or nationality. Catholic Relief Services gives active witness to the mandate of Jesus Christ to respond to human needs in the following ways: by responding to victims of natural and man-made disasters; by providing assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate needs; by supporting self-help programs which involve people and communities in their own development; by helping those it serves to restore and preserve their dignity and to realize their potential; by collaborating with religious and nonsectarian persons and groups of goodwill in programs and projects which contribute to a more equitable society; by helping to educate the people of the United States to fulfill their moral responsibilities in alleviating human suffering, removing its causes and promoting social justice.
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Notes
From the InterAction site:
CRS is organizing shipments of humanitarian aid to Balochistan, where the flooding struck earlier. The aid packages include water purification tablets, soap, cookware, jerry cans and more. In the areas of Kohistan and Shangla, CRS will provide emergency shelter kits and hygiene supplies. In several areas including Swat, CRS is also planning cash-for-work projects, paying people affected by the disaster to build irrigation channels, pathways and retaining walls. Communities have begun creating rope bridges to replace road bridges that were washed away.
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From the site - July 2010 Pakistan Floods:
Floods Tear Through Northern Pakistan
During the last ten days of July, heavy rains caused catastrophic floods across large sections of northwest Pakistan. More than 1,500 people have been killed and at least one million people have been affected by the disaster, described as the worst flooding in Pakistan in almost a century. Raging floodwaters have washed away homes, bridges, schools, water systems and medical facilities. CRS is responding with shipments of humanitarian aid.
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From the site - Work in Pakistan
CRS Work in Pakistan
CRS promotes peace, justice and reconciliation within Pakistan by improving access to food and credit, and by increasing the capacity of community-based organizations. Furthermore, CRS fosters harmony and collaboration between people of different faiths, supports education and human capacity development, and assists those unable to provide for themselves.
Pakistan has had issues regarding poverty, poor access to health care and education, and inadequate hygiene facilities, which were exacerbated by the October 8, 2005 earthquake that shook northern Pakistan. CRS has one major goal to serve the communities affected by the earthquake: to assist earthquake-affected rural families to rebuild their lives. Working with local partner organizations and Caritas, CRS has implemented four strategic objectives to achieve this goal.
* Earthquake-affected families live in a secure environment in their community of origin
* Earthquake-affected communities have improved access to water and sanitation facilities
* Earthquake-affected children have resumed their primary education in their communities of origin
* Earthquake-affected communities have resumed their livelihoods
In addition, CRS has strengthened its focus on nonformal education, care and support to people living with HIV and AIDS, and teaching people how to support themselves in the long term in drought-prone areas. Some specific examples of our other work include:
Drought Mitigation Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture funds this program, which is serving over 21,000 individuals in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan. The program improves people's access to water for consumption and production, with a particular emphasis on the role of women.
Nonformal Education
This program improves education opportunities for out-of-school children and adolescents in four provinces by developing stronger parent-teacher associations; creating nonformal schools to serve older and otherwise marginalized children, and training teachers in modern, participatory education methods.
HIV and AIDS Program
CRS has worked with local institutions and partners to provide nutritional, social and financial assistance to HIV-positive people, and trained health care providers to be sensitive towards patients with HIV and AIDS, who are often reluctant to seek treatment for fear they may face discrimination in health care facilities.