Bishop's News from Peru

The Diocese is deeply involved in earthquake relief and rescue work.
At present we have a small team of people in the area of the epicentre. They are primarily involved in feeding people and providing water and medicine. Yesterday they fed over 6,000 people in an area just outside Pisco - a two hour walk. They were the first help to arrive.
Today they are setting up a more permanent soup kitchen outside Nazca called Guadalupe. Spiritual help and comfort is also important and I have two more priests going down tomorrow.
It has been very difficut to get to the area because of poor roads and civil disorder, but so far they have had the help of army convoys to reach the stricken areas.

We are organising our efforts in three ways:
1. a team of workers in the worst hit areas is responding to immediate need - food, water, medicine, blankets. We are trying to reach areas where so far other help has not yet arrived, always woking in conjunction with the local authority.
2. help for the injured and their families who have been brought to Lima - we have a team of people on this and the Ministry of Health has given us the names of over 450 injured, including 25 children;
3. collections of essential things from our parishes and mission, nearly all of which are in poor areas, and some of which have been affected themselves.

We are working in conjunction with other churches and aid agencies, adding whatever we can to what God gives us.

COSTS: I shall be publishing details of costs probably later today, but to give you an idea: a meal costs about 60 US cents (30p UK)
a blanket about $5 (£2.50)
a 20 litre (4 gallons) container of water is $4 (£2).
To feed 6,000 people yesterday cost us $3,600 (£1,800)