Foreign relief aid pouring into typhoon Yagi-hit localities

An initial tranche of emergency relief supplies arrived in Hanoi on September 11 evening. A Royal Australian Air Force C-17 landed at Noi Bai International Airport carrying 264 personal hygiene items, 120 kitchen utensils, 600 blankets, 264 home repair tools, 600 sleeping bags, 522 tarpaulins, and 360 mosquito nets.

Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Andrew Goledzinowski handed over the relief aid to Vu Thi Hien Hanh, deputy head of the administration of Yen Bai province, a locality most severely affected by flooding, where more than 21,000 households have been impacted.

“Australia is here to help Vietnam in any way we can. We are pleased we’ve been able to quickly mobilise support to the most impacted areas and are working closely with the Government of Vietnam and to ensure support reaches affected families and communities. We know there’s a long road ahead and we stand shoulder to shoulder with Vietnam at this difficult time,” said the ambassador.

According to the Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in addition to Australia, the United States has announced that it will provide Vietnam with US$1 million in relief aid through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

This aid will be allocated to humanitarian relief partners to provide shelter, clean water, sanitation, and other non-food assistance.

Over the past 5 years, through USAID, the US diplomatic mission in Vietnam has provided US$7.7 million in emergency assistance and disaster preparedness support.

The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) said it will deliver 2,002 family kits, which include plastic buckets, water bags, bath towels, t-shirts, mosquito nets, candles, and FM radios.

Additionally, it will also provide 1,008 home repair kits containing ropes, hand saws, metal nails, shovels, hoes, scissors, corner nails, tying ropes, and hammers, as well as 1,015 kitchen kits.

Furthermore, the AHA Centre will dispatch 3,031 personal hygiene kits, which include laundry powder, sanitary pads, hand towels, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and shampoo.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announced it will provide 40 portable water filters and as well as 200 multifunctional plastic tarpaulins to flood-hit areas. The aid is expected to arrive in Hanoi on September 16-17.

The Department of Dyke Management and Disaster Prevention has reported that it is coordinating with several organizations, including UN Women, Samaritan's Purse, the Swiss Embassy, the French Embassy, and Save the Children, to finalize emergency assistance support.

At a meeting of the Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership in Hanoi on September 9, Pauline Tamesis, the UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, stated that UN agencies are ready to support the government in order to provide assistance to people in the disaster hit areas as quickly as possible.

The UN is committed to working with its partners to provide assistance to most vulnerable individuals, including women, children, and people with disabilities, ensuring they receive the protection and support they need, she said.

Super Typhoon Yagi, with wind gusting combined more than 150kph, slammed into northern Vietnam on September 7, wreaking havoc across the region. Subsequent heavy rain, flash floods and landslides have so far left more than 300 dead and missing.