Melco and Wynn donate $7m to Macau typhoon relief efforts

u heavyweights Melco Resorts and Wynn Resorts have donated $3.75m each to relief efforts in the area following last month’s devastating typhoon Hato.

The category 10 storm battered Southern China and Macau, with winds of up to 129mph, causing mass devastation, flooding and killing twelve people, eight of which were in Macau.

Melco Resorts and entertainment said that two thirds of its donation will go to support their employees and families with the remaining funds being used to help rebuild the community as a whole.

In a statement following the donation, Chairman and CEO of Melco Resorts & Entertainment Mr. Lawrence Ho, said: “Right now, our top priority is to get all of Macau to stand tall again so that all of us are better prepared and more resilient for the future.”

The company also confirmed that it is in the process of establishing an independent committee comprised of representatives from community groups, trade unions and other civic organisations to oversee the allocation of funds to the people that need it most.

Fellow Macau casino operator Wynn Resorts is splitting its relief efforts between Macau and Texas, following the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, pledging $3.75m to relief efforts in Macau, with a further $3.75m pledged to Texas.

Wynn Resorts Chairman Steve Wynn said: "It is a very sad and tragic coincidence that in two major cities where we have our employees and customers – Macau, in the People's Republic of China, and Houston, Texas -- tragedy struck within a few days of each other.”

"In Macau, our employees' homes have been damaged and their lives have been interrupted; many of them have suffered. So, too, have our customers who were caught in the grip of the typhoon. In the United States, in the state of Texas, many of our customers and business associates have experienced the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.”

Wynn also said it will “continue its aggressive community volunteer efforts”, in which hundreds of its employees distributed water and supplies to the local community, assisting in cleaning up and helping to rebuild affected neighborhoods.