May 17, 2013 by Jim Stipe

Initial reports of damage from Tropical Storm Mahasen indicate that destruction is serious, but less severe than expected earlier in the week. The tropical storm, downgraded from a cyclone as it approached land, appears to have spared vulnerable communities of internally displaced people in Myanmar. Damage in Bangladesh is substantial, but reported loss of life is lower than in previous storms.

While French and Malian troops have regained most of northern Mali’s territory from extremist rebels who seized it last year, thousands who fled the violence are in dire need of assistance. CRS has helped those who fled to the country’s capital, Bamako, with monthly cash distributions so they can meet their most immediate needs.

As the crisis in Mali continues – with French, Malian and other African troops battling rebels in the country’s north – CRS continues to meet the needs of those displaced by the conflict. CRS’ Helen Blakesley is currently in Bamako, Mali’s capital, where CRS assists people with monthly cash distributions and other aid.

What is the current situation in Bamako?

The Philippine government is reporting catastrophic damage as more complete numbers of Typhoon Bopha damage in the Philippines become clear. More than 1,000 people were killed when the storm struck the island of Mindanao a few weeks before Christmas. More than 800 are still missing and hundreds of thousands are now homeless. The powerful typhoon caused flooding and mudslides that destroyed miles of infrastructure, knocked out electricity and destroyed more than 150,000 homes.

Catholic Relief Services, working with its local partner Caritas Goma, has provided food to almost 10,000 families – over 50,000 people – affected by the violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The distributions were conducted in the city of Goma where tensions remain high in the wake of fighting between the Congo Army and the rebel group M23. Violence forced many to flee to Goma from outlying villages where some reportedly faced attacks by M23 members on Dec. 2. Reports said the attacks included looting and rapes.

Catholic Relief Services, working with its local partner Caritas Goma, has begun distributing food to thousands in the city of Goma in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. These include people who fled their outlying villages in late November due to fighting between the Congo Army and the rebel group M23 and then faced attacks, looting and rapes at their camp on Dec, 2, reportedly by M23 members.

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Jim Stip

Typhoon Bopha slammed into the Philippines Tuesday, killing at least 300 people with another 300 or more missing, and leaving behind a path of destruction and despair. Hardest hit were the coastal, farming and mining towns in the southern region of Mindanao, where Bopha caused severe flash flooding and landslides. Raging waters and mud from the mountains swept through school buildings, covered courts, town halls and health centers.

The ground is still shaking in Guatemala. At least 110 aftershocks have been felt since Wednesday, when a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of the Central American country. It was the worst to strike Guatemala since 1976, when a 7.5-magnitude quake killed about 25,000 people.

All of the departments of Guatemala were affected – except for the northeastern department of Petén – and seven of the 22 departments of the country have been declared by the Government to be in a state of calamity.

Updated October 29, 2012, 2:00 pm

As the Eastern Seaboard of the United States braced for Hurricane Sandy, Catholic Relief Services and our partners in the Caribbean began helping people deal with the destruction it left in its wake.