HUE (UCAN): Caritas workers in central Vietnam have consoled and offered financial support to hundreds of people who had their properties damaged by Tropical Storm Noul which cut swept a swath along the coastline stretching from Quang Binh province to Da Nang on September 18. The violent storm claimed six lives and injured 112, damaged over 22,000 houses and public facilities and battered 4,000 hectares of crops and fishing farms.
Father Anthony Nguyen Ngoc Ha, head of Caritas in Archdiocese of Hue, said priests visited and financial support was provided for 268 families who could not afford to repair their shelters. They are from the districts of Huong Tra, Phong Dien and Quang Dien, where they live in shanty houses, work on farms and forests and catch fish in rivers for a living.
“Many people have lived in houses of some 40 square metres for three generations for the past 60 years,” Father Nguyen said, adding that they had to live in houses without roofs for one week after the disaster because they had no money.
“It is urgent to help them to have safe shelters because many storms and floods are expected to hit the area in October and November,” he said.
Father Nguyen said Caritas offered families two to five million dong ($670 to $1,676) each. Caritas Vietnam, local Jesuits and benefactors covered the total cost of 600 million dong ($201,200).
On September 26, Jesuit Father Truong Van Phuc, who is in charge of Vietnamese Jesuits’ charitable activities, together with other Caritas workers gave money to 12 families from Quang Thanh commune who were severely battered by the storm.
Many sisters from Hue-based Daughters of Mary of Immaculate Conception congregation offered free health checks, medicines, rice and instant noodles to over 500 patients from storm-hit areas.
Vietnam has been struck by five storms this year.
