|PIC1|Action by Churches Together International is helping hundreds of Pakistani Christians who lost their homes in an attack by Islamists in Punjab province over the weekend, which left eight people dead.

ACT said on Wednesday it has dispatched $50,000 to the victims through its partner Church World Service in Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS-P/A), who will co-ordinate with local partner Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS).

ACT International said it aimed to provide one-month food rations and basic non-food relief items within the next six weeks to 235 families in Gojra city.

Hundreds of angry Muslims attacked Christian homes and churches in Gojra – a remote village about 100 miles west of Lahore in Punjab province on Saturday on an alleged incident of desecration of the Holy Quran. Gojra is a Christian town with about 2,000 Christian families residing there.

CLASS visited the affected area after the attacks. It reported that 47 houses were torched by a mob in the village of Korian and a further 100 out of 200 houses in the Christian colony in Gojra. A number of houses were also looted and two churches were set on fire.

Families displaced by the violence initially took shelter at the local church compound and facilities. CLASS reported that they are salvaging whatever belongings they can from their damaged houses. The majority of the families are now living with relatives within the village or in nearby communities until their houses are inhabitable again and require immediate assistance.

In their survey of Korian village, Caritas Faisalabad found that a large number of livestock belonging to villagers had been stolen by the mob, destroying their livelihoods.

While Pakistan security forces continue patrolling the streets of Gojra City, a demonstration held by around a thousand Christians on Sunday ended only after the Provincial Minister shared a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) which included complaints of negligence by the District Coordination Officer (DCO) and District Police Officer (DPO).

Christian schools all over Pakistan were closed from Monday to Wednesday to mourn and protest the incidents.

ACT said the Pakistani government has announced a compensation package for families who lost a family member in the violence. Further compensation for damage to property is being looked into by the government.