Bushfires in Australia, the Hospitaller: “Order of Malta provides emergency relief”
Article published on the Sovereign Order of Malta website on 01/09/2020
“There are new developments every day and we are determining how best to help those who have lost everything. The Order is tackling this dramatic situation from a national perspective.” John Murphy, Hospitaller of the Order of Malta’s Australian Association, explains how they are assisting victims of the bushfires which have been raging for months, destroying millions of acres of land, houses, infrastructure and claiming dozens of lives.
“The Order of Malta in Australia is responding to the immediate needs of the affected communities in various areas on the east and south coasts. Together with some local parishes, on the south coast of New South Wales we have managed to offer direct assistance to the many people who have lost their homes and in Victoria we have provided food vouchers,” the Hospitaller explains.
In the areas directly impacted by the bushfires that have brought many parts of Australia to its knees, it can be difficult to find cash and credit cards are often unreliable because of technological blackouts. Families who have seen their homes destroyed will feel the effects of this tragedy for many years to come, in both psychological and material terms.
“The Order’s members in the central and eastern regions of south Australia are working in close contact with the authorities and assistance packages for the Adelaide archdiocese will soon be announced,” John Murphy adds.
Besides distributing food and fuel, the Order’s members are organizing spiritual support as a sign of solidarity and sharing.
When launching a fund-raising appeal a few days ago, the Hospitaller said $50,000 had already been committed to fund food vouchers.
Related Articles
Nepalese earthquake: 6 months on, unrest and approaching winter worsen the situation
10/20/2015. In the six months following the earthquake, Malteser International was able to provide aid to 70,000 people. More than 10,000 families – around 62,000 people – were provided with staple foodstuffs, hygiene articles, tarpaulins, and toolkits, as well as given help to clear the rubble from their homes and villages.
Someday Disposable Drones May Deliver A Payload, Then Vanish
03/02/2017. DARPA is working with several companies in the field of ephemeral materials to achieve a prototype.
Majority of trafficking victims are women and girls
12/21/2016. According to a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the vast majority of all human trafficking victims – some 71 per cent – are women and girls and one third are children.
