Caritas Italy on the ground in earthquake zones

Caritas Italy on the ground in earthquake zones

(Vatican Radio) The magnitude 6.2 earthquake which struck central Italy on Wednesday morning left thousands of people homeless who are now in need of basic necessities such as food and a roof over their heads.The country’s Civil Protection Agency has set up camps with tents for those who lost everything and aid agencies have been providing food and counseling services to survivors.

One of the agencies on the front line of relief efforts is Caritas Italy.

Lydia O’Kane spoke to Caritas worker Antonina Ciabattoni who is in Ascoli Piceno, one of the dioceses worst hit by the earthquake.

Relief efforts

Speaking about their relief efforts, she said, “we personally cannot go into the area where there was the earthquake. Now our volunteers are going and coming saying to us what they need. We provide for two days, when the camp was not ready we provided sandwiches, hot drinks, water, waiting for the other things that the people are sending.”

Since the earthquake struck people from around Italy have been sending donations and Antonina said their generosity has been wonderful especially with regards to food and moral support.

Aftershocks

Speaking about the continuing aftershocks in the area, she said that people are very scared and are still feeling the ground moving. Antonina is based at Caritas’ welcome house for refugees in Ascoli and she said it was the first time they had experienced anything like this. “We slept in the garden”, she said.

Destruction

Wednesday’s quake caused major damage in the towns of Amatrice, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto in the Ascoli diocese. But for Antonina, it’s not just buildings, it’s the suffering of the people that has affected her most. It is the look in their eyes, she said, “the people who lost everything, the people that lost family; it is something that can never be cancelled from my eyes and from my heart.”

www.en.radiovaticana.va