VATICAN (Agencies): As an immediate sign of his concern and an encouragement to other donors, Pope Francis has sent US$50,000 ($392,000) each to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi to assist with initial emergenacy relief efforts after Cyclone Idai hit the region and caused massive flooding, Catholic News Service reported on March 22.
 
In Mozambique, more than 700 people were feared dead and more casualties expected as of March 23, africanews.com reported.
 

MANILA (UCAN): Caritas Asia, one of seven regional offices of the Caritas Internationalis, elected new leaders at  a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on March 22. Benedict Alo D’Rozario of Caritas Bangladesh, was elected president while Father Edwin Gariguez of the Philippines, became a member of the organisation’s regional commission.
 
The commission acts as an advisory and executive body that works with the president in coordinating plans and activities in carrying out projects.
 

VATICAN (CNS): In an act of solitdarity with migrants and refuges, participants at the ongoing Synod of Bishops joined a 2.4 kilometre walk from Rome’s Trastevere neighbourhood to the Vatican, organised by Caritas Internationalis on October 21 as part of its Share the Journey campaign. 
 
The campaign was initiated in September 2017 to encourage every Catholic everywhere in the world to get to know at least one migrant or refugee and listen to his or her story. The campaign supports solidarity walks around the world.

ROME (SE): A report released by Caritas describes the messages sent out by the various states represented at the Conference of Parties (COP) 22 held in Marrakesh in Morocco from November 7 to 18 as positive, but weak.

The Caritas report, which was released on November 22, says that the biggest disappointment is human rights continue to be sidelined, especially the rights of indigenous people, women, children and vulnerable communities.

ABUJA (SE): “Human trafficking is likely to increase the number of frustrated people who cannot make ends meet. You know by the time you finish university and you are roaming the streets for three, four, five and six years with no job and you reach 30 or 31-years-of-age with no future, it is very difficult to sit down quietly,” Fides quoted John Cardinal Oneiyekan, the archbishop of Abuja, in Nigeria, as saying.