Blog

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Destruction in Haiti after 7.2 magnitude earthquake. Photo: Catholic Relief Services

Major earthquake in Haiti causes widespread destruction

15 Aug 21

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the south of Haiti on Saturday August 14, causing widespread destruction, reducing buildings to rubble and causing at least 300 deaths.  

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Flooding in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Credit: Caritas Bangladesh

A message from Bangladesh's flooded refugee camps

11 Aug 21

A message from the field, following weeks of floods, which have hit Bangladesh's Cox's refugee camps hard.

Inmanuel Chayan Biswas, Head of Operations, Emergency Response program for Caritas Bangladesh, says thousands of Rohingya refugees have been displaced, their shelters damaged and food is now in short supply.

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Destruction in Beirut blast aftermath. Photo credit: Caritas Lebanon.

Recovery and resilience in Lebanon one year after the Beirut blast

05 Aug 21

A year ago, a tragic explosion in Beirut killed over 200 people, injured more than 7,500 and left about 300,000 homeless. The blast occurred at a time when the Lebanese economy was in freefall and COVID-19 was sweeping across the nation.

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Caritas Goma staff on the ground in the wake of the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo. Photo Credit – Lydie Kone Waridi, Caritas Goma

Thousands still in urgent need, over a month after DRC's deadly volcano

06 Jul 21

Over a month has passed since a volcano erupted, killing at least 32 people and displacing over 400,000 more in the Democratic Republic of Congo, yet hundreds of thousands of people remain in urgent need. 

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Halima showing her children how to use a hand-washing station in her Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo credit: Inmanuel Biswas/Caritas Bangladesh

COVID-19 surges around the world amid low vaccination rates in vulnerable communities

05 Jul 21

As Australians line up for their COVID-19 vaccinations, the world’s most vulnerable communities continue to struggle with deadly outbreaks  with little hope of a vaccine in sight. 

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Staff in PNG putting together hygiene kits to distribute to local communities. Photo: Caritas Australia PNG.

Misinformation and violence spikes in PNG as COVID-19 outbreak continues

01 Jul 21

In the wake of the devastating outbreak of COVID-19 in Papua New Guinea, the majority of communities in remote areas still have extremely limited knowledge of the virus and how to prevent its spread.  

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Basic Medical Kits distribution. Photo: Caritas India

India struggles with combined impact of COVID-19 and extreme cyclones

28 May 21

In addition to the devastating loss of life from COVID-19, the country has been hit by two extreme cyclones in as many weeks.  

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Destruction in Gaza following the conflict in 2012. Photo: Caritas Jerusalem.

Violence escalates in Jerusalem and Gaza

17 May 21

Caritas Australia stands in solidarity with the people of Jerusalem and Gaza as the region experiences perhaps the worst outbreak of violent conflict in decades.  

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Unpacking lifesaving PPE in PNG. Photo: Caritas PNG.

Caritas Australia welcomes over $350,000 raised by Catholic Health Australia and its members to support PNG during COVID-19 crisis 

06 May 21

We welcome the incredible $356,200 that Catholic Health Australia members have raised to fight COVID-19 in Papua New Guinea (PNG) 

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The situation in one of the locations affected by the disaster in east Nusa Tenggara. Photo: BPBD Flores Timur, Caritas Indonesia

Cyclone season wreaks havoc in poor communities

30 Apr 21

In Timor-Leste, Indonesia and the Philippines, cyclone season, which occurs between October and May, swept through low-lying townships, developed cities and villages alike, with incredible force. 

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Emergency rations are distributed to vulnerable communities through our partner, Caritas India. Photo: Caritas India

Australia sends support to India as country struggles to contain massive second outbreak of COVID-19

28 Apr 21

India is struggling to control a massive surge in COVID-19 cases, with a death toll nearing 200,000, after another 2771 deaths were reported on Tuesday.  

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Caption: Damage caused by floodwaters in Dili. Photo: Caritas Australia

Recovery and resilience in Timor-Leste

26 Apr 21

An estimated 2,000 households and over 9,000 people across Timor-Leste have been affected by intense floods caused by Tropical Cyclone Seroja in early April. The torrential rain and landslides destroyed critical infrastructure across the country and claimed the lives of 45 people.  

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Aerial view of flood damage in Dili. Credit Machel Silveira CRS.

Timor-Leste and Indonesia appeal for support in the wake of devastating floods

07 Apr 21

Tropical Cyclone Seroja struck Timor-Leste and eastern parts of Indonesia on 4 April 2021, inundating the two countries with torrential rain.  

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Houses swept away by the overflowing Comoro River. Photo: Dan Convoy/CRS

Over 100 deaths after Tropical Cyclone Seroja and torrential rain lead to flooding and landslides in Timor-Leste and Indonesia

06 Apr 21

At least 113 people have been killed and dozens more are missing after Tropical Cyclone Seroja hit Indonesia and Timor-Leste on Sunday 4 April.  

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We are unable to share photos of families at the shelter for their protection. Photo: Caritas Lebanon

Ten years of conflict and displacement for millions of Syrians

31 Mar 21

On March 15 this year, the conflict in Syria turned 10 years old. The Syrian conflict has driven over 6.6 million Syrians to flee the country, and a further 6.7 million people to relocate due to conflict within the country.

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Caritas Bangladesh Staff Member assesses damage after fires in Cox's Bazar. Photo: Anthony/Caritas Bangladesh

45,000 homeless after fire in Rohingya refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar

25 Mar 21

On March 22, a massive fire swept through the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, leaving approximately 45,000 people homeless.

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Caritas Lebanon staff responding to blast.

Hope from the ashes: rebuilding Beirut after a devastating explosion 

01 Mar 21

After a devastating explosion rocked a city and a society which was already facing enormous challenges, your support is helping to rebuild and restore livelihoods in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. 

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Recovery from natural disasters is an ongoing challenge in Indonesia, as demonstrated by this recent photo of flood damage in South Kalimantan, Borneo. Photo: ABC

Caritas Australia responds to emergencies across Fiji, Indonesia and Tonga

25 Jan 21

Natural disasters, including two cyclones and  an earthquake, have struck the Asia-Pacfic in recent months, with already vulnerable communities struggling to deal with displacement and upheaval, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

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