Pope Francis requested prayers for those affected by flooding in Kazakhstan, which has impacted many regions of the Central Asian country and forced thousands of people to evacuate. He also asks for prayers for those suffering from conflicts in the Holy Land, Ukraine and Myanmar.
“I wish to convey to the people of Kazakhstan my spiritual closeness at this time,” Pope Francis stressed during his Wednesday General Audience, as he recalled the massive flooding that has affected numerous regions of the country, which he visited in September 2022.
“I invite everyone to pray for all who are suffering the effects of this natural disaster,” he said.
“I invite everyone to pray for all who are suffering the effects of this natural disaster”
The Pope’s comments came during his greetings to English pilgrims.
“Even in times of difficulty, we recall the joy of the Risen Christ,” the Holy Father affirmed.
Massive meltwater has overwhelmed scores of settlements in Russia’s Ural Mountains, Siberia, Volga and areas of Kazakhstan.
The troubles come after major rivers such as the Ural, which flows into the Caspian Sea rose more than 70 cm beyond their bursting point to over 10 metres.
In Orenburg, a Russian city with a population of 550,000 about 1,200 km east of Moscow, hundreds of homes were flooded. Authorities said at least 7,700 people were evacuated as the Ural River rose swiftly beyond the critical level of 9.3 metres.
Residents in Orenburg said it was the worst flooding in living memory while Russian officials described it as the worst flooding in the area since the record began.
In Kurgan, a Russian region which straddles the Tobol River, 4,500 people were evacuated and fears grew that thousands – or even tens of thousands – more would need to be evacuated.
The flood situation was acute in parts of Russia’s Western Siberia region, the largest hydrocarbon basin in the world, where the peak is expected in three to five days, and some areas around the Volga, Europe’s largest river.