The Catholic Churches in the Philippines has launched a fund drive to help communities affected by the typhoon Vinta that stormed the southern Mindanao region last weekend. His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the Archbishop of Manila has urged Catholics in the country to help the victims of the recent Urduja and Vinta that have swept the archipelago of the Visayas and the island of Mindanao. His Lordship Cardinal Tagle also reminded the faithful that Christmas means helping each other, just as Jesus did.
As reported by vaticannews.com, Holy Father Pope Francis expressed his solidarity with the people in the Philippines and remarked that “I wish to assure my prayer to the population of the Island of Mindanao, in the Philippines, hit by a storm that has caused numerous victims and destruction.” As reported by AsiaNews, Rey Henderson, head of communications and development of NASSA/ Caritas highlighted that “The emergency caused by typhoon Vinta is worsened by the fact that the population already suffer from the devastation produced by the siege of Marawi. Most of the affected families have already been displaced by the fighting between government forces and Islamist militia in the city of Marawi.”
Typhoon Vinta is now considered as one of the deadliest storms to hit the Philippines this year and it left at least 164 people dead and 171 missing in landslides and flash floods in the provinces of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur and on the Zamboanga Peninsula. Caritas Philippines are urging support for the campaign to raise additional funds for relief efforts and first aid targeting up to 3000 families/ 15,000 individuals, in the southern provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Misamis Oriental.Caritas Philippines is appealing for an initial figure of 5.8 million pesos, in order to respond urgently to the need for food rations, hygiene kits, blankets and emergency supplies
