The green light was finally given for reconstruction measures (financed by the Relief Corps of the German Association) after widely extensive preparatory work in the villages of the badly hit Indian region of Gujurat, where nearly all the houses were destroyed by the earthquake of January 2001.

This is a vast project to re-build entire villages (totalling 3,019 houses) located in the district of Bhuj, near to the epicentre of the earthquake.

The families, still living in makeshift homes, received food, items for personal hygiene, blankets and tents from Malteserhilfe immediately after the catastrophe.

This wide-ranging project for the reconstruction of entire villages in the area devastated by the earthquake is organized locally by Caritas India and supported both by Caritas International organizations and by the Order of Malta. The German Malteser Hilfsdienst made its contribution for around 1.25 million Deutsche Marks, donated by the German people as an immediate relief fund for the population hit by the earthquake.

In the meantime Elmar Noè, manager for India of the MHD foreign office, has made several journeys to the areas devastated by the earthquake, together with various representatives of Caritas International, to be able to assess the needs of the country’s population.