Houses must be rebuilt for flood-hit residents by January 31, 2026: PM

THE HANOI TIMES — Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for accelerated efforts to and rebuild houses for flood-hit residents in the south-central provinces by January 31, 2026.

The request was made as the prime minister chaired an online meeting over the weekend with officials from Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, and Gia Lai to review flood response and recovery efforts.

He said the government aims to rebuild housing that can better withstand floods, ensuring homes function as both living spaces and shelters during storms.

Chinh asked the Ministry of Construction to urgently develop flood-resistant designs using steel or concrete frames with solid foundations, walls and roofs for residents to choose from.

He requested ministries to speed up environmental sanitation and disinfection to prevent disease, secure electricity and clean water, stabilize schools and supply seedlings, livestock and equipment to help residents resume production.

Earlier in the day, Chinh visited areas hit by the historic floods in Hoa Thinh Commune, Dak Lak Province.

The prime minister asked local authorities to mobilize all available forces and work closely with the military and police to restore infrastructure and resume production before the Lunar New Year in mid-February.

He assigned clear tasks to each ministry to support localities in addressing the consequences of natural disasters, stressing the need for provinces and cities to receive and distribute relief aid efficiently and avoid waste.

During his meeting with the World Health Organization's Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at the G20 Summit last week, Chinh asked the WHO to help Vietnam recover from the floods. The WHO chief agreed and the next move would be action for urgent support.

According to the Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, severe flooding has struck Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong since November 16, with Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa experiencing water levels exceeding historical records.

The floods caused extensive damage, including 106 people dead or missing; 1,154 houses destroyed; 186,000 homes flooded; more than 80,000 hectares of rice and crops damaged; over 3.2 million livestock and poultry dead or swept away; and widespread destruction of transport, irrigation, education and health facilities. Initial economic losses are estimated at VND9 trillion (US$343 million).