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Indian nuns in Iraq safe, more deputed
A group of nuns from Mother Teresa's missionary group has stayed put in Iraq to help sick children amid the war, but two more sisters en route to Baghdad are stranded in Jordan.
A group of nuns from Mother Teresa's order has stayed put in Iraq to help sick children amid the war, but two more sisters en route to Baghdad are stranded in Jordan.
"Four of our sisters in Baghdad are safe and doing fine. We are in touch with them," Missionaries of Charity official Sunita Kumar told IANS.
The four sisters -- Dency, Rosalyn, Theresina and M Joseph -- were among 30 Indians who refused to leave Baghdad when the US launched a war on Iraq March 20.
Though the nuns in Baghdad, who are looking after 22 Iraqi children, most of them mentally challenged, haven't asked for any reinforcement, two more sisters are waiting to go to the Iraqi capital.
"Two sisters volunteered to go to Baghdad. But they are stuck at Amman because of the war," Kumar said.
Sister Nirmala, who heads the Missionaries of Charity, spoke to the four nuns about two weeks ago. "Since then we have been getting news of their well-being from our regional office in Amman," she said.
Kumar said the nuns had said they were receiving "every help" locally and that they didn't need any supplies.
The Missionaries of Charity is hoping to be involved in a bigger way in providing relief to those affected by the war in Iraq.
"There is no immediate plan to step up activities in Iraq, but, yes, once the situation settles down a bit, we will try our best to ease the sufferings of the Iraqis," Kumar said.
The Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa, has about 650 centres in 123 countries run by about 4,000 nuns and sisters.
