flood victims

POPE John Paul II has sent a personal message of condolence to families in the Philippines bereaved by floods which have claimed the lives of 7,000 people.
"The Holy Father has been saddened by the news of numerous deaths and great suffering caused by the storms, and offers his prayerful closeness at this difficult time," the Pope said in a telegram sent to Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi, president of the Philippines national bishops' conference.
Rescue workers in the disaster area centred on Leyte province had recovered more than 5,600 bodies early this week, and a further 2,000 people remained unaccounted for, following last Tuesday's storms. As many as 120,000 people across large swathes of the central Philippines were left homeless.
"I pray to almighty God for the victims and invoke divine strength and comfort for the injured and on those left homeless. I express the fervent hope that those affected by this tragedy will receive prompt and effective help from the international community," the Pope said.
The disaster, the worst in the Philippines since tidal waves cost 8,000 lives in 1976, has been blamed by local emergency coordinating councils and international aid agencies on widespread deforestation in the Philippines.
"Typhoons in the Philippines are almost a yearly event. The reason so much damage is done is the absence of trees, The force of the typhoon and the effect of the rains should have been broken by the forests. Instead, the people took the full brunt," said Steve Alston, regional project officer for the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development.
CAFOD announced an Immediate grant of £15,000 to enable the Philippines bishops' conference provide shelter, food and medicines for the survivors. The bishops were at the forefront of relief efforts following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June, when more than 1,000 people lost their lives, Christian Aid also announced that it would be sending .£15,000. "We are really in a sad state with so many disasters. We have not yet even recovered from the Pinatubo eruption," the charity's, partner organisation in the Philippines said.