Vietnamese bishops hold a concert for typhoon victims

The event is scheduled for November 27 in Ho Chi Minh City in the south. Under the motto "Mutual help in life", the goal is to raise funds for as many people as possible. Participants are asked for a contribution of around 100 euros. Singers, musicians and artists will alternate on stage.

Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - The Vietnamese bishops are promoting a concert in the name of charity and solidarity to raise funds for the victims of the typhoons and tropical storms that have recently ravaged the country.

A note issued by the Bishops' Conference on November 17 explains the event will be held on November 27 in the southern metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) and is a further confirmation of the commitment of the local Church to the poorest and those in need.

The goal is to raise enough funds to help those left destitute, thus contributing to their return "as soon as possible" to normalcy. In the context of the event, the largest number of benefactors will be gathered "regardless of their respective social position and professed religious faith. Because, in this case, what matters "is to have funds and donations" to repair "the damage caused by disasters".

The leaders of the Episcopal Conference report that the evening will be held around the theme "Ganh nhau trong doi" (Mutual help in life). During the event, various singers, musicians and artists will alternate on stage, while each guest will be asked to contribute with the payment of at least 3 million songs each (about 109 euros).

In recent weeks, at least seven typhoons and tropical storms have hit Vietnam, particularly affecting the central regions. The greatest damage was recorded in the dioceses of Hué and Ha Tinh, where according to local media there are at least 130 dead and 214 injured, along with several thousand displaced persons, houses and businesses destroyed, crops and fields damaged for an overall estimate. of almost 84 million euros.

In mid-October a delegation of bishops visited the most affected areas to show solidarity and closeness to the population, Catholic and non-Catholic.

Truong Thi Nhan, a resident of Hué, tells Eglises d’Asie (EdA) that heavy rains destroyed his home. "We need money for the reconstruction operations," adds 38-year-old Truong Nhan, who lives with his children and trusts in the help of the Church to remedy the damage suffered. "We survive thanks to the donations that come from Caritas Hué and local authorities," says Nguyen Luu, a resident of Huong Tra district.