Catholic Church says more aid needed for Damrey Storm victims
The Bishops Council and Committee of Charity and Social Action are still accompanying the victims, not only financially but also with development programmes.
Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) Victims of the Damrey Storm, which hit northern Vietnam last September, still need financial and psychological aid urgently, said the Bishops Council and Committee of Charity and Social Action, which are involved in distributing already donated aid.
On 27 September, Damrey ("elephant" in Cambodian) struck the east coast and north of Vietnam, unleashing fierce floods. Yen Bai province was the most severely afflicted, and registered the worst damage. In all, 57 people died and 100,000 homes were destroyed, and 200 schools, 54 clinics and health structures were damaged; 60,000 hectares of cultivated land were flooded.
Right after the disaster, the Committee of Charity and Social Action received 600,000 dollars in aid from social organizations and international and local Catholic groups; experts in economics, development and social work pitched in with advice about how to best use the funds.
At first, part of the funds, which were pumped into initiatives for dioceses in the north, were invested in food and medicine. At a later stage, the need for human resources to help victims, over and above economic aid, became clear.
Workers involved in initiatives promoted by the Catholic Church emphasise that aid is given to "all those in need without distinction of race and religion".
International organisations sent not only money but also technical tools to launch development projects in afflicted areas. The dioceses in question are: Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Yen Bai, Quang Ninh, Thai Binh, Ninh Binh, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Bac Can, Bac Giang and Hoa Binh . Here, damaged buildings are being repaired and rebuilt and, at the same time, training courses for people in agriculture and handicrafts are under way.
The Bishops Council and Committee of Charity and Social Action have just successfully ended one such course, which took place from 3 to 6 January. Twenty representatives of dioceses interested in development projects took part.
Meanwhile, the dioceses of Vinh, Thanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Bui Chu, Hai Phong, Nha Trang and Da Lat have planned six aid projects targeting poor people in the diocese.
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13/01/2005
