Aid of the Holy Father to the populations affected by the floods in South Sudan and the fires in Greece

Following the heavy rains and devastating floods that hit South Sudan last August, displacing over 12,000 persons and causing the damage or destruction of 6,000 homes and extensive material damage, Pope Francis, via the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, has decided to send US$ 75,000 as a contribution to emergency activities and programmes to sustain the population in the hard-hit diocese of Malakal.

The Holy Father has also decided to send an initial contribution of €50,000 in support of the people in Greece who suffered serious losses last August when fires broke out on the island of Evia, in the Attica peninsula and in the Peloponnese region, destroying over 100,000 hectares of land, fields and crops. This sum will be allocated to the activities promoted in the area by Caritas Hellas.

The contributions sent are intended to express Pope Francis’ feelings of spiritual closeness and paternal encouragement to the people and territories affected. They accompany prayer and are part of the aid that is being activated throughout the Catholic Church, which also involves numerous charitable organisations.