Marco Carvalho
Caritas Macau has raised almost 900 thousand patacas in donations for the victims of the fire at the Wang Fuk Court residential complex, in neighboring Hong Kong. This sum adds up to the thirty million patacas that the Macau government has offered the authorities of the nearby Special Administrative Region to assist with the building’s refurbishment.
In a swift show of solidarity, Caritas Macau raised almost 900,000 patacas in donations within less than two weeks to aid survivors of the devastating fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court residential complex, in Tai Po.
The blaze, which erupted on November 26th, claimed over 150 lives, including victims aged from one to 97, leaving families shattered and communities in mourning. Deeply moved by the tragedy, Macau residents came forward and contributed generously, despite ample aid already flowing from Hong Kong sources: “The initiative did not originate from Caritas. In this particular case, Caritas only serves as a platform to get the money from Macau to Hong Kong. Many people contacted us offering to help and we told them that we were ready to receive their donations and channel them to Hong Kong,” the secretary-general of Caritas Macau told “O Clarim”. “In the case of the Tai Po Fire, there are already considerable amounts of money being allocated for victim assistance, but Macau’s people are very generous and were profoundly touched by the events”, Paul Pun Chi Meng added.
Caritas Macau’s secretary-general emphasized the outpouring of compassion from local residents, noting that people insisted on channeling their help directly to those affected, either through Caritas Hong Kong or through other relief organizations that are providing assistance to the injured, bereaved families and displaced residents. This grassroots effort underscores the strong ties between Macau’s Catholic community and their neighbors across the border. The campaign reflects broader Catholic responses, including prayer services in every church of Macau, where local Catholics gathered to honor the dead.
In addition to making its bank account at the Bank of China and ICBC available for the purpose of raising money to help the victims of the Tai Po fire, Caritas Macau activated its emotional support hotline on the evening of November, 26th to provide assistance to distressed residents. The requests, Mr. Pun acknowledges, were not very significant, with local residents calling the lifeline with other concerns in mind: “On Wednesday night, a few hours after the fire started, we made our psychological helpline available to help residents who might feel harrowed by the images and news coming from Hong Kong. We didn’t receive many calls from people in distress, so to speak. However, we did receive a lot of calls from people inquiring how they could help”, the Secretary-general of Caritas told “O Clarim”.
Complementing these private initiatives, the Macau SAR Government stepped up with a substantial 30 million patacas donation through the Macau Foundation to bolster Hong Kong’s relief and reconstruction efforts. Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai expressed profound condolences, extending sympathies to victims’ families, the injured, and all impacted, while urging the community to unite in support. This official aid addresses immediate rescue needs and long-term rebuilding at the charred Wang Fuk Court site, where over 1,700 families have received emergency financial assistance from Hong Kong funds totaling around 1.2 billion Hong Kong dollars.
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