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By Nguyen Kim Ngan, World Vision Vietnam Communications
Typhoon Ketsana swept through central Vietnam killing 38 people and leaving ten others missing. The typhoon is estimated to have affected around 300,000 people.
World Vision Vietnam is seeking an initial amount of US$500,000 from the Partnership to conduct a relief response for 50,000 people in 14 project areas.
World Vision Vietnam has already spent US$30,000 on emergency food distributions for those affected by the storm.
“As the storm gained strength we provided instant noodle packs to some 700 families hunkering down in evacuation centres in Trieu Phong District in Quang Tri Province,” said National Director Daniel Selvanayagam.
“Children and their families living in low-lying areas were evacuated by the government to schools, hospitals and community buildings. Our staff met them there to provide rice, noodles and fresh water to 5,000 people in Hoa Vang District in Danang yesterday. Today (1 Oct 2009) we plan to give rice, dried fish and cooking oil to 90 ethnic minority students at a boarding school in Dong Giang District, in Quang Nam Province,” he continued.
Government statistics reported more than 5,800 houses destroyed, 125,000 others are flooded and another 163,000 houses have had their roofs blown off.
The Vietnamese government is sending helicopters to rescue people in isolated areas and providing food aid to typhoon-affected people. However, the government has not yet requested for any international assistance.
The government evacuated more than 350,000 people in the central provinces to safety ahead the typhoon. All schools in these areas are closed.
Torrential rains resulting from the typhoon have caused serious flooding and landslides, blocking many roads to the central provinces including Quang Nam and Quang Ngai. In many areas the electricity has been cut and phone lines are down.
“Flooding and landslides have been reported in six World Vision project areas in Quang Tri and Quang Nam,” said Le Van Duong, Relief and Disaster Mitigation Coordinator. “Our staff tell us that the flood water is about two metres high in some areas,” he said.
“We have yet to learn the impact on children and their families in remote regions. Communications systems are down and we are not able to contact our staff,” he added.
“We will also look to provide families with construction materials,” said said Le Van Duong.
World Vision attended a Disaster Management Working Group meeting with the United Nations and other agencies to coordinate a rapid assessment of the damage. World Vision will lead the rapid assessment in Quang Nam while supporting assessments in Quang Ngai and Quang Tri provinces. The timing of the assessments has not been finalised.
Some 14 World Vision projects were in the typhoon’s pathway. There are with 31,000 sponsored children and 90 staff living in Danang City, Quang Tri, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces.
Other international NGOs including Oxfam, Plan, East Meets West, Peace Tree and MAG have projects in Danang City, Quang Tri, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai Provinces.
I WISH TO HELP!
World Vision in Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are aiming to raise funds to support the emergency relief and rehabilitation plans in Typhoon Ketsana floods that have swept across the nation, destroying the lives of many.
If you wish to help, please click here, and indicate that your contribution is for the Typhoon Ketsana floods in Manila. |
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