A great number of displaced people waiting to return to their homes still submerged by the devastating floods, has in the meantime been gathered in 3,800 relief camps. The rescue and aid operations are brought ahead amid great difficulties due to the inaccessibility of some zones. In some cases, water and food have been launched from helicopters, given that roads and bridges have been destroyed. The local communities of the Focolare have written: “We’ve just returned from the Mariapolis (at about 300 km from Kerala) held with the members of the Word of Life groups scattered within a range of 120 km. Our hearts are with the people of Kerala which has been destroyed by the strong rains. We are still in the monsoon season, and the hot winds provoke these tropical typhoons. As far as we know, the members of the Movement are safe. A retreat had been programmed for the priests in Trivandrum (south Kerala), but it had to be cancelled since it is not safe to travel and many priests are involved in the tragedy. In the weekend, our local communities will be involved in gathering foodstuff and prime commodities to be sent to the stricken areas. We count on your prayers.” Also Pope Francis prayed for the victims and that “our solidarity and concrete support for the community will not be lacking.”

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