By James East, World Vision Asia Pacific Communications and Nguyen Kim Ngan, World Vision Vietnam Communications
Typhoon Ketsana’s storm path has left World Vision aid workers scrambling to track its potential trail of destruction, assess needs and provide aid.
Humanitarian staff have been dispatched to remote villages in Laos and rural areas of Vietnam to determine how much assistance people need. In Vietnam, some areas where World Vision has long term projects remain cut off by flood waters, fallen trees and landslides.
In Laos, World Vision humanitarian worker Ms Vatthanathavone Inthirath said Khammouane province had been hit by rains. Staff were still waiting to hear what the impact had been on four outlying project areas and would be conducting assessments either this afternoon (30 Sept 2009) or tomorrow with provincial officials, depending on accessibility, to determine the needs of villagers.
She said, "We have the capability to urgently ready 500 aid packs if our assessment teams find these are needed. Included in them will be blankets, medicines and plastic sheeting."
On Wednesday, aid workers in the Savannakhet province were on their way by car to Setone district where they had heard five to six villages were flooded, to establish what kind of help was needed.
In Vietnam, recovery operations have started after the worst of the storm hit at 2pm to 4pm yesterday. The government is now using helicopters to rescue people from more remote regions.
Today, World Vision workers are planning to distribute 1,000 family food aid packs to some 5,000 people in several project areas, including to Quang Tri, one of the worst impacted areas, which is still cut off from the outside world. Staff based in that region are using prepositioned supplies for the distribution. Distributions are also in the plans for Phuoc Son and Tien Phuoc districts in the central province of Quang Nam. Initial distributions will be followed by handouts of family kits and construction materials.
Aid worker Mr Le Van Duong, World Vision’s Relief and Disaster Mitigation Coordinator, currently based in Danang, said, “Some areas remain inaccessible due to fallen trees and power lines, landslides and flooding. In some places the flood waters are two metres high.”
In Manila, World Vision is planning to meet the needs of 20,000 families and is globally attempting to raise US$2 million to enable a comprehensive response. Staff are distributing hundreds aid packs at an evacuation centre today, and will also launch a Child Friendly Space - a special area for hundreds of children to play, and escape the distress of the last few days this afternoon.
Food packs include rice, noodles water, cans of sardines, corned beef and pork and beans, oatmeal, biscuits. Recipients are those worst affected by the floods.
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