CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) Pope Benedict XVI appealed again for solidarity and concrete assistance for the millions of people affected by flooding in Pakistan. At the end of his weekly general audience Aug. 18 in Castel Gandolfo, the pope remembered "the dear population of Pakistan, recently stricken by serious flooding, which has caused numerous victims and has left many families without a home."
The flooding that began in late July has left an estimated 1,500 people dead and about 2 million people homeless. The United Nations and aid agencies have expressed alarm over a serious lack of food, clean drinking water and medicine as the potential for disease grows.
While Pope Benedict offered his prayers for the dead and condolences to their families, he said, "May our solidarity and the concrete support of the international community not be lacking for these brothers and sisters of ours, who are so harshly tried."