WELLINGTON Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has pledged $64,000 to help fund relief work in Myanmar after the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis and is hoping Kiwis will join the effort after it set up a donation line. Caritas director Mike Smith said the international Catholic agency for justice, peace and development would call on its vast experience in responding to large-scale emergencies, including the south Asia tsunami and Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh.

Caritas is looking at the most effective ways to provide basic needs such as fresh water, medicines, food and shelter as soon as possible to prevent further and unnecessary deaths from disease and exposure, Mr Smith said in the days following the May 3 cyclone.

When NZ Catholic went to press, the official death toll from Cyclone Nargis stood at almost 29,000, but agencies held fears that number could eventually top 100,000.

To donate to Caritas: phone 0800 221-022 to make credit card donations; donate online at www.caritas.org.nz; or post donations to Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, PO Box 12-193, Thorndon, Wellington 6144.