Help for floods flows
The Victorian Jewish community is invited to join with all ethnic and faith-based communities in supporting the State’s Pakistani community in raising funds for the victims of Pakistan’s and the recent Victorian floods.
The Victorian Multicultural Commission held a fundraising day this week and has called for a multicultural fundraising effort from all Victorian communities. The VMC apologised for their inability to arrange a more appropriate day for the Jewish community and JCCV President, John Searle with the interests of humanitarianism in mind stated that he is fully supportive of the VMC initiative, suggesting that the Jewish Community donate on 18 October in a show of support.
John Brumby
The Premier, John Brumby said “The Victorian Government is appreciative of the Jewish community’s longstanding and resolute support of our cultural and religious diversity, and in particular, its ongoing efforts in enhancing inter-faith dialogue and understanding. In times of tragedy the community has shown compassion and to this end, the Government welcomes the Jewish Community Council of Victoria’s call to Victoria’s Jewish community to give generously to this cause. It will assist the humanitarian response to the more than 20 million people in Pakistan whose lives have been affected by this tragedy.”
Searle, in recognising the urgent need of these victims, noted that the situation in Pakistan is getting worse with millions of people affected and evacuations continuing. Searle called for the Victorian Jewish Community to “support the VMC initiative by donating generously through the Red Cross who will forward the bulk of the funds to the Red Crescent in Pakistan.”
In making this call, Searle emphasised “the importance of interfaith and intercultural work in supporting humanitarian issues which is critical to underpinning cohesive and effective communities. It is our similarities that define and nurture all people and together we are more resilient in addressing need and disadvantage. Local communities need to reach out and support each other in times of difficulty.”
United Nations Special Envoy Jean-Maurice Ripert has said “hundreds of millions of dollars are needed to address urgent humanitarian need and billions of dollars for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure and livelihoods destroyed by the floods: 20.5 million people affected, 1,700 people killed, 2,749 people injured, 1.8 million houses damaged and destroyed, 2.6 million acres of crops destroyed and 130,000 square kilometers of land affected”.
Meanwhile, heavy rain across north-eastern, central and eastern Victoria on the weekend of 4–5 September swelled rivers and creeks, flooding some towns and cities and inundating more than 250 homes.
To make a donation please call 1800 811 700 or make a secure online donation at www.redcross.org.au. All donations will go to the Red Cross Pakistan monsoon flood appeal and Red Cross Victorian flood fundraiser
