Thousands of families are at risk after the catastrophic Türkiye-Syria earthquake on Monday.

Lulu Mitshabu, Caritas Australia’s Program Coordinator for Democratic Republic of Congo, had the honour of meeting with His Holy Father Pope Francis on 31 January.  

Sunday 15 January marks one year since the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai undersea volcano violently erupted, releasing billowing plumes of ash, water vapour and sulphur dioxide 57km into the atmosphere – the highest ever recorded from a volcano. 

After a remarkable 17 years, Caritas Australia is saying farewell to Michael Peyra, Caritas Australia’s Senior Coordinator for Design, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Pacific.  

Caritas agencies are responding to support communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who have been facing escalating conflict and displacement since the rebel militia group M23 seized a swath of the east of the country just over a year ago.  

In the wake of a year filled with crises, Caritas Australia has launched its annual Christmas Appeal to support the most vulnerable communities across the globe.  

Ambassador Bruce Edwards, the Australia Ambassador for Ukraine, recently visited Caritas Australia’s partner in Moldova, CRS Moldova, to meet the local families that have welcomed Ukrainian refugees.  

To celebrate the first week of the season of Advent, Caritas Australia held its first ever Thank You Day this week, where staff from across the organisation came together to thank over 2,800 supporters with personal phone calls, emails and handwritten cards.  

Caritas agencies are responding after over 50,000 people were displaced in the wake of the magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck Indonesia this week.  

Most Reverend Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane has been formally appointed to the Board of Caritas Australia. On November 22 he led the Caritas Australia staff and volunteers in a Blessing of the organisation’s new Sydney office in Mascot.

The United Nations climate summit recently came to a close in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, with Catholic delegates from around the world, including Caritas Australia, welcoming the historic deal on Loss and Damage for developing nations in the final decisions of COP27.  

Most Reverend Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane has been formally appointed to the Board of Caritas Australia and will begin his tenure this week. 

Polling commissioned by Caritas Australia to coincide with COP27 finds climate change is the biggest concern for three out of four young Australians, well ahead of conflict and health crises.  

Now in its eighth year, the Caritas Australia ‘Women for the World’ event has brought together Australians to stand in solidarity with their sisters across the globe, bringing in an impressive $106,000 for programs supporting women and girls in just one day.  

Polling commissioned by Caritas Australia to coincide with COP27 finds climate change
is the biggest global concern for two thirds of Australians, easily outranking armed
conflict, even as war rages in Ukraine.

Caritas Australia welcomes the Australian Government’s commitment of $1.4 billion towards aid and development over the next four years. The Labor Government has focussed on supporting Australia’s region, with an increase of $900 million to the Pacific and Timor-Leste and $470 million to Southeast Asia.   

Pacific Island countries have made history with the first ever climate declaration in the region to be led by communities rather than politicians.  

Ukraine has been hit by a devastating new wave of missile attacks and other airstrikes across the country, leaving scores of civilians killed and injured.  

The Pacific region is facing a perfect storm of climate change induced disasters and skyrocketing debt burdens, according to a new report. This, combined with the shocks of COVID-19 and the international cost of living crisis, could lead to unprecedented economic instability in Australia’s region without immediate intervention.

Thousands of people are displaced and eight dead after Typhoon Noru slammed into the north of the Philippines late on Sunday, reaching wind speeds of 170 km/h.

As part of their visit to Australia to compete in the 2022 UCI Road World Championships, the first ever Vatican World Cycling Team joined Caritas Australia to learn about truth-telling and reconciliation.