Covid-19: Caritas Internationalis launches appeal for India as cases rise

Vatican News staff reporter

The Covid-19 pandemic in India continues unabated, with 29 million infections reported so far. The country, on Thursday, recorded the world’s highest number of deaths from the disease in a single day, reaching the dramatic figure of almost 360 thousand.

Video testimony

For this reason, Caritas Internationalis (CI) released the touching testimony of Jacob, a staff member at the Diocesan Caritas of Dindigul, in the State of Tamil Nadu.

In a short video, the man talks about the dramatic situation facing of the local population, while in the background there are images of sick people being treated in particularly difficult conditions.

Despite the situation, however, a strong sense of hope emerges from the video because it underlines Caritas’ commitment to helping the local population.

The commitment of Caritas

"This is what Caritas does: give everything without hesitation,” explains Aloysius John, Secretary General of Caritas Internationalis, in a statement.  

“And this is what Jacob and all the other staff members and volunteers of Caritas India do every day: distribute food, masks, disinfectants and assist doctors even at the risk of their own lives, even when the situation becomes more complex every day and it seems that there is no hope.”

The Secretary General recalls, that in India the charitable organization "launched an immediate humanitarian response" to the pandemic, and "thanks to the support of thousands of benefactors, it was possible to set up 28 first level treatment centres and 58 second level centres where 2,384 patients were helped by Caritas medical assistants".

Volunteers

As well as these assistants, there are the volunteers, known as, "Covid Samaritans", who "support the needy by offering medical care, oxygen support, convalescence aid and comfort to lonely people".

In addition, there is the distribution of more than 35 thousand masks, 35 thousand food kits and 22 thousand medical kits.

"Caritas Internationalis wants to keep its promise to be in solidarity with the most affected and all people in need," concludes the secretary general, launching an appeal for donations that "gives hope to those who struggle against Covid and its social consequences."