The Organization of Young Filipino Americans held a vigil on the Rotunda steps Friday evening for victims of typhoon Haiyan, which recently devastated the Philippines. The storm hit last Nov. 7, killing a confirmed 3,600, displacing nearly 700,000 others, and impacting an estimated 10 million people.
Attendees divided into groups based on their respective stages of grief. Families of at least two University students were directly impacted by the disaster.
Greg Hsu, the campus minister for the Asian-American Intervarsity, who helped plan the vigil, said the event was intended to provide an “all-inclusive” space.
“[People needed a space to] personally process their experience,” Hsu said. “Members of the [Charlottesville] community are still hearing from family [in the Philippines].”
Currently, transportation and communication is severely limited in affected areas in the islands. An estimated 11 million Filipinos remain in need of assistance, and the process of identifying and caring for the dead is moving slowly, according to a United Nations press release. The UN has called for $301 million in aid.
Since the typhoon struck, OYFA has begun a dual-phased relief effort, focusing both on providing immediate necessities and foodstuffs to the Philippines, as well as raising funds for future rebuilding efforts.
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