Australia’s Greek Orthodox faithful who attended church today had the opportunity to contribute directly to a fundraiser in aid of the flood victims of Thessaly.
As part of its emergency fundraising appeal, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia arranged for a special collection tray by all Greek Orthodox Churches on Sunday, 17 September, to raise money in aid of those affected by the devastating floods in Greece.
In the Encyclical read out on on Sunday at all Greek Orthodox churches, Archbishop Makarios emphasised the inestimable destruction caused by the recent floods in Thessaly, as well as the multi-faceted crisis faced by the residents of the impacted area.
“The Orthodox Church and the Greeks of Australia are called to once again show their love by contributing whatever they can to alleviate the repercussions and urges everyone to mobilise in an act of solidarity,” a statement by the Archdiocese notes.
According to the latest available data, at least 17 people have been declared dead following the flash floods which hit Greece early last week. All of the deaths occurred in the central Thessaly region, with many declared missing.
And given the large number of undocumented migrant workers in the region’s agriculture industry, the real death toll could be much higher.
With roughly a quarter of Greece’s wheat and barley being produced in Thessaly, the economic cost amounts to billions of euros.
Around 35-45 percent of the region’s livestock population have died in the floods, and a fifth of all arable land on the Thessaly plain is estimated to be under water.
Monetary donations in support of the fundraiser can be directly deposited into the following bank account.
ACC NAME: GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA
BSB: 083-419
ACC NO.: 48-742-6512
