Tsunami Aid Brightens Solomon Easter Celebrations

International Catholic relief agency Caritas has been busy delivering aid to the Solomon Islands from Australia and New Zealand since the recent tsunami left thousands in desperate need of supplies.

|PIC1|Following a huge earthquake in the Asia-Pacific region on 1 April, ten metre high waves swept over the Solomon Islands, destroying schools, hospitals and more than 900 homes.

In response, Caritas has been active in the delivery of tents, food, water and medicines to survivors in the islands.

Since Sunday a United Nations-led relief effort has gone ahead full-scale, with aid distributed to the most urgent areas as many villagers came down from the hills to celebrate Easter.

The UN has been reviewing all available data to determine which islands and villages have still not received any aid from international aid teams.

Even though fear is still widespread across the region following the disaster, reports have said that more than 100 villagers left their hillside camps to celebrate Easter together at St Luke's Anglican Church just outside Gizo.

During the service, prayers were said for those who had died, and traditional songs were sung. Leading the service, the Rev John Pihavaka comforted the congregants, telling them to remain calm and share their supplies with those in greater need than themselves.