Viet Nam receives relief aid from AHA Center

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the first and second flights carrying the supplies landed at Noi Bai International Airport at 4:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. on Friday, respectively.

The third flight is scheduled to arrive at 1:50 p.m. on Saturday.

The AHA Center's cargoes includes household tool kits, home repair tool kits, kitchen tool kits, and personal hygiene tool kits, with a total value of approximately US$254,091.

This aid is intended for delivery to the landslide-and-flood-stricken Yen Bai and Lao Cai provinces.

The same day, the UNDP handed 700 gender- and disability-sensitive household kits to Viet Nam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to support communities in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai, which has been severely affected by Typhoon Yagi.

The kits contain items thoroughly selected to alleviate the hardships faced by the most vulnerable population in Yen Bai, responding to the specific needs of affected communities who lost their belongings and providing them with immediate relief in the early stages of response. These kits include water buckets, rain boots for adults and children, blankets, medicine, sanitary pads, whistles, and other essential supplies.

During the handover ceremony, UNDP Resident Representative Ramla Khalidi extended her deepest condolences to the Government of Viet Nam and all those affected by the devastation caused by Typhoon Yagi. She acknowledged the profound loss and suffering that the typhoon has inflicted upon communities across the northern mountainous region and the Red River Delta, praising the spirit of unity and solidarity displayed by the nation as it faced the typhoon.

"We commend the Government's swift and decisive leadership in responding to this disaster, particularly in coordinating relief operations and ensuring the safety and resilience of affected populations," said Ramla Khalidi.

UNDP stands ready to support Viet Nam in undertaking intersectoral needs assessment, emergency relief, as well as early recovery planning, and long-term resilience building. Recovery efforts must include the voices of those most affected. By consulting with communities and ensuring that gender- and disability-sensitive plans are in place, we can create solutions that meet the needs of all populations, she asserted.

On 12 September, the World Health Organization (WHO) donated one million water purification tablets to protect the health of hundreds of thousands of people across northern Viet Nam following the tragic devastation of Typhoon Yagi.

WHO Representative in Viet Nam Dr Angela Pratt said, "We are deeply saddened that the death toll continues to rise and that many people remain at risk".

"As part of WHO's support to the Government's response, we handed over an emergency supply of one million water purification tablets and 500 water containers to the Ministry of Health yesterday which are expected to arrive in needed areas today", she shared.

This will provide as much as 15 million liters of purified water–for safe household drinking and use in health care facilities in the eight hardest-hit provinces in the coming days and weeks: Bac Giang, Cao Bang, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen and Yen Bai.

Clean water is critical to help prevent food and waterborne disease, and for maintaining safe care and operations at health care facilities, whether it is for people injured in the typhoon and or those needing urgent routine health care, Dr Pratt said.

Super Typhoon Yagi made landfall in Viet Nam on September 7, causing widespread destruction across 26 coastal and northern provinces. The typhoon brought torrential rains, with some areas receiving over 400 millimetres of precipitation, exacerbating severe flooding and triggering landslides and flash floods in the northern mountainous region and provinces in the Red River Delta. The devastation has left many communities in despair.

With extremely strong winds, heavy rain, floods and landslides affecting millions of people in northern provinces, 345 people have been killed or are missing, with hundreds of people injured and thousands displaced. The typhoon also damaged 168,000 homes and hundreds of health-care facilities.

Earlier, Australia, Japan, the U.S., Switzerland, South Korea, UNICEF and India's Adani Group have confirmed their assistance for Viet Nam in response to the devastating impacts of Typhoon Yagi./.