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Two successive typhoons created psychological shadow in Macau, Macau Red Cross supports post-disaster emotion in community

Countries
China - Macau (Special Administrative Region)
Sources
Macau Red Cross
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(Macau Daily) Last Sunday, after monster typhoon Hato disastrously struck Macau, typhoon Pakhar followed its steps, and dumped terrible torrential rain in the region. Macau Red Cross (MRC) stays focus to the community’s needs, and continues on relief efforts, donating ‘domestic cleaning kits’ to residents in the seriously affected Rua da Praia do Manduco and Rua de Cinco de Outubro. Also, MRC collaborates with Hong Kong Red Cross to provide post-disaster counselling service to the needy residents, and conducts an assessment on post-disaster needs.

The disaster left behind chaotic mess in many neighborhoods with mountainous piles of trash, and Rua da Praia do Manduco and Rua de Cinco de Outubro suffered the most. After restoration of electricity and water supply, residents were busily engaged in cleaning of their homes and streets. Unfortunately, the recovery progress has distressingly hampered by the consecutive typhoon Pakhar.

Thousand cleaning kits distributed to prevent epidemic outbreak

Macau experiencing shortage of cleaning materials, and MRC urgently acquired them locally and in Zhuhai sources, in addition to receiving items donated by Hong Kong business sector via Hong Kong Red Cross. With all these much needy supply, some 1,000 home cleaning kits were packed with broom, mop, disinfectant and bucket. They were distributed door to door and at open squares, also given chips for exchange of these kits in the affected neighborhoods. After resumption of water and electricity supply, residents kept busy cleaning up shops and their homes, with the popularized home cleaning items for their convenience and for epidemic prevention.

Many Macau residents were seriously impacted by the storm, and some suffered from emotional and psychological problem, because of losing their loved ones and/or property destructions. Based on humanitarian value, MRC provides post-disaster support, with help from the disaster relief personnel, clinical psychologists and psychological support volunteers from Hong Kong Red Cross. They team up with MRC disaster relief staff to establish a working force, aiming on post-disaster psychological support relief mission, which includes distribution of relief supplies, hotline inquiries, home visits and psychological lectures.

9 clients received help and relieved

Up till now, MRC received 8 cases seeking for assistance, which involved 9 residents. According to these clients, their emotional and psychological stress were much relieved, after receiving solace and psychological education from Red Cross employees.

MRC staff and volunteers distributed 100 copies of psychological education leaflets, and propagated psychological education to residents.

The phase of emergency rescue is now over, and MRC keeps a speedy pace on disaster assessment, and continues to supply water, food, daily necessities, cleaning materials to the under-privileged victims. The other day, MRC conducted a survey sampling on some affected residents in the vicinity of Rua da Praia do Manduco, and successfully visited 36 households, including 31 families and 5 commercial establishments.

Based on the collected data, the preliminary analysis indicated the post-disaster needs had generally been met, namely, the basic livelihood, water and electricity supply, household, damage of doors and windows at homes and in shops and loss of business, and victims received assistance from government and NGOs.