Hanoi joins nationwide drive to aid flood-hit central Vietnam

THE HANOI TIMES — Hanoi has joined nationwide efforts to support communities hit by floods as residents across the capital show remarkable compassion for people in central Vietnam recovering from torrential rains and landslides.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front in Hanoi has joined the Central Committee’s nationwide appeal, urging officials, employees and businesses to contribute at least one day’s salary to the city’s relief fund.

At No.102 Xuan Dieu Street, a steady stream of residents arrived with whatever they could carry. Bags of rice, packets of candles, bottles of water, folded clothing and boxes of instant noodles stacked taller than some of the children who came to help.

Stacking boxes and marking each one to show whether it contained dry food, milk, torches or raincoats, Nguyen Thi Nga of the Cau Giay Charity Club told the Vietnam News Agency that each package felt like a message of encouragement because people had packed the items with care. She said the goal was to make distribution easier once the supplies reached flood-hit areas.

Contributions have come in steadily enough for trucks to depart at regular intervals with essential goods.

Enterprises join the effort

Local businesses quickly joined the effort. Mini-supermarkets donated bottled water and quality raincoats, roadside eateries provided fresh bread and dry rations, and private shops supplied toiletries and blankets.

Several small transport companies offered their trucks free of charge, collecting donations from different neighborhoods and delivering them to central warehouses.

Hanoi’s Zero-dong Vehicle Team has been one of the most visible groups on the move. Team leader Lo Minh Tuan said they had raised about VND140 million (US$5,300), which they used to buy additional food and dry goods for communities in flood-hit regions.

“Every hour, someone new arrives with something to give,” Tuan said, noting that 10-ton trucks loaded with supplies have already departed for Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa and parts of the Central Highlands.

Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate Vingroup has announced an additional emergency relief package worth VND500 billion (US$20 million) to support ongoing disaster response and recovery efforts.

This is the group’s second major contribution in less than two months, following the US$20 million funded for post-Typhoon Bualoi recovery in October. The new package will continue to prioritize communities suffering the most severe losses.

Beyond immediate relief, the fund will support the rebuilding of schools to restore learning conditions and may also finance the repair of essential public infrastructure in remote and mountainous areas hit hardest by the floods.

The Vietnam Railways Corporation transported more than 15,300 packages of essential supplies to flood-affected communities across the south-central region from October 10 to November 24.

To ensure the aid reached affected areas quickly and safely, the corporation prioritized loading relief goods onto luggage wagons attached to North–South passenger trains as well as fast-schedule freight trains running along the same route.

Relief packages were delivered to the nearest stations with active train services to ensure efficient reception, unloading and distribution by local authorities. The corporation continues to provide free transport of relief goods to provinces severely affected by flooding.

Telecommunications units also deployed large-scale emergency measures. Viettel mobilized nearly 6,000 mobile generators, more than 1,900 backup batteries, 17 satellite phones, 48 walkie-talkies and nine mobile broadcasting vehicles to maintain connectivity amid prolonged power outages.

In Khanh Hoa, four Viettel transport drones delivered supplies and supported search and rescue teams, while roaming between operators was activated to keep communications stable.

The Vietnam National Industry - Energy Group (Petrovietnam) also delivered swift aid to flood-hit central provinces with nearly VND20 billion ($780,000) in cash and supplies, including 20 tons of rice and 4,000 boxes of bottled water.

Alongside relief efforts, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment instructed specialized units to assess damage and help localities restore agricultural production, prioritizing seeds, livestock and essential supplies so farmers can replant, rebuild herds and recover their livelihoods ahead of the Lunar New Year in mid-February 2026.

Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City has received VND245 billion ($9.3 million) in cash and goods from agencies, organizations, enterprises and residents to support affected communities.

By November 24, donors had contributed 1,276 tons of essential goods. Shipments have been dispatched with 691 tons sent to Khanh Hoa, 220 tons to Dak Lak, 265 tons to Lam Dong and 100 tons to Gia Lai.

HCMC has also joined on-site relief efforts in Khanh Hoa, operating four field kitchens that serve 24,000 meals a day for residents and response forces, providing essential items and social welfare support, and supplying 10,000 household medical kits. The city has maintained a daily team of 30 to 50 doctors to support medical care and disease prevention after the floods.