CHURCH

Catholic Church in Vietnam mobilizes support for typhoon-hit areas

Since Typhoon Yagi ravaged northern Vietnam more than a week ago, civil authorities and the Catholic Church have launched extensive reconstruction and relief efforts to support the devastated communities.

By Chainarong Monthienvichienchai, LiCAS News

“The Catholic Church in Vietnam has been actively mobilizing the faithful to support relief efforts in the northern regions,” according to Sr. Teresa Eml Vu Hang, superior of the Religious of the Assumption in Ho Nai community, located about an hour’s drive from Ho Chi Minh City, in an interview with LiCAS News.

In northern Vietnam, where the Archdiocese of Hanoi is situated, nearly a week of heavy rainfall has caused rivers to swell, resulting in widespread flooding and landslides throughout the region.

The storm’s destructive impact has also been felt in other Southeast Asian nations, including Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, and Laos.

Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien of Hanoi issued an appeal for aid for the flood victims, stressing the importance of “brotherhood, solidarity, and mutual support.”

The prelate said the typhoon had caused “serious damage to the lives and property” of families who were already “in dire need of help.”

Preliminary statistics from the Archdiocese indicate that the typhoon and its aftermath have led to 329 deaths and missing persons, along with 1,929 injuries.

In Vietnam, many parishes and churches were submerged due to the severe flooding. Photo from My Ha parish by the Archdiocese of Hanoi

Among the missing is 35-year-old Sister Maria Hang from the Lovers of the Holy Cross congregation, who disappeared after a bridge over the Red River collapsed.

Around 234,000 homes, 1,500 schools, and numerous infrastructure projects have been either destroyed or severely damaged. The total property damage caused by Typhoon Yagi is estimated to exceed $2 billion.

“Many parishes and communities have canceled their Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations to redirect resources toward assisting flood victims,” she Sr. Teresa.

Sister Maria Hang from the Lovers of the Holy Cross congregation, is missing after a bridge over the Red River collapsed. (Photo supplied)

The country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development acknowledged significant shortcomings in the response to Typhoon Yagi.

Officials pointed out that warnings about the potential storm and flood damage lacked specificity, leaving many unprepared for the severe aftermath that followed the typhoon’s arrival.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), by September 16, Typhoon Yagi and the resulting floods and landslides had claimed nearly 300 lives, with around 40 people still missing and over 1,900 injured.

These figures are expected to rise as relief teams gain access to more remote, mountainous areas. Humanitarian needs are expected to be especially critical among marginalized rural communities and ethnic minorities, who often face greater challenges related to livelihoods, health, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and education.

Ethnic minorities make up over 55% of the 12.5 million residents in Vietnam’s Northern Midlands and Mountains region, where 14 of the 27 provinces affected by the typhoon are located.

Meanwhile, India has extended a gesture of solidarity by sending humanitarian aid to Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos.

The assistance includes 35 tons of relief supplies for Vietnam and 10 tons for Myanmar, consisting of dry food rations, clothing, and medicines.

A group from the Caritas of the Archdiocese Ha Noi visited and delivered 570 gift packages to Dong Chiem Parish and Bac Son Parish in the My Duc – Hoa Binh diocese. (Photo from Archdiocese of Hanoi)

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