Int'l organizations support storm-affected communities in Vietnam

THE HANOI TIMES — Vietnam has been receiving international emergency assistance after back-to-back typhoons Bualoi and Matmo triggered widespread flooding and destruction across the country's northern and central regions.

Australia pledges US$1.94 million

The Australian government will provide up to AU$3 million (US$1.94 million) in humanitarian assistance to Vietnam with a support package of emergency relief supplies such as kitchen kits, hygiene kits and shelter tool kits.

The funding will be directed through United Nations agencies and it will work closely with the Vietnamese government to coordinate delivery.

Australia will also mobilize the Australian Humanitarian Partnership to enable Australian non-government organisations to deliver lifesaving assistance.

The media release quoted Penny Wong, Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, as saying: "We know the path to recovery will take some time and as longstanding friends and partners, Australia stands with Vietnam in its time of need. Australia will continue to work with Vietnam on immediate relief efforts and building disaster resilience."

Meanwhile, Anne Aly, the Australian Minister for International Development, said: "Our thoughts are with the people of Vietnam during this difficult time."

"Our thoughts are with the families and communities affected by the recent destructive typhoons. Australia and Vietnam are partnering together to ensure families and the most vulnerable, including women, children and people with disability, receive lifesaving assistance."

World Vision International in Vietnam targets 50,000 people for aid

In response to the Government’s call for emergency support, the World Vision International in Vietnam (WVIV) is working closely with government agencies to urgently expand its emergency operations to support tens of thousands of people left without homes, food, or clean water.

This expanded operation will run over the next 12 months, with the goal of reaching at least 50,000 people, especially vulnerable children, elderly individuals and families who have lost everything. Assistance will include food support, safe water and sanitation, emergency shelter rehabilitation, protection for children, livelihood recovery and cash-based assistance to help families rebuild.

To deliver this response, the WVIV is appealing for $1.5 million in urgent funding from international donors, humanitarian agencies and global partners.

“Families are overwhelmed. Entire livelihoods have been swept away. We are committed to standing with them, not just today, but through the long and difficult process of recovery,” said Vu Thi Nga, Operations Director of the WVIV.

Since early August, three powerful storms, typhoons Kajiki, Bualoi and Matmo, have torn through central and northern Vietnam. The relentless rainfall, peaking at 855mm in some regions, has submerged homes, destroyed schools and clinics and wiped out rice fields and livestock in eighteen provinces.

The WVIV has already reached more than 5,600 people in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa with emergency food aid, hygiene kits, disinfection supplies, and urgent communications for protection. Now, World Vision is expanding its response to three more severely affected northern provinces of Phu Tho, Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen.

With swift and coordinated support, the WVIV believes these communities can recover and rebuild stronger than before.

In the latest move, today [October 15], the WVIV partners with the northern province of Thai Nguyen to implement the National Emergency Response Fund (NEPRF) worth US$50,000.

European Union donates $540,000

The European Union has announced a humanitarian aid package worth about US$540,000 to support communities hit hardest by recent tropical cyclones in northern and central Vietnam.

The funding, to be implemented through UNICEF, will focus on helping the most vulnerable populations by providing safe drinking water, water treatment equipment and cleaning supplies to address urgent needs in the aftermath of the storms.

In addition, the EU has activated its Copernicus Emergency Management Service to produce satellite-based emergency maps that will assist in coordinating relief operations and assessing the extent of the damage. 

This latest contribution follows previous EU assistance to Vietnam. In 2024, after storm Yagi struck the country, the bloc provided roughly $860,000 in humanitarian aid to support recovery efforts for affected communities.

Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of people affected by conflicts and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels, Belgium and a global network of field offices, the EU provides assistance to the most vulnerable populations based solely on humanitarian needs.

Samsung Vietnam donates over $379,000 

Samsung Vietnam on October 14 donated VND10 billion ($379,000) to help local residents in flood-affected provinces, responding to the appeal of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF).

Particularly, $190,000 will be transferred to the VFF for distribution to flood-hit localities, while the remaining amount will be given directly to the VFF Committees of Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen northern provinces, each receiving $95,000.

"We hope that the contribution will help locals recover from the typhoons' damage. Samsung factories across Vietnam have also launched various donation activities so that the affected areas would soon recover and resume normal life," said Na Ki Hong, General Director of Samsung Vietnam.

He affirmed that Samsung pledges to fulfil its corporate social responsibility and share difficulties with the local people.

Receiving the donation, Do Van Chien, President of the VFF Central Committee, promised that it will be distributed promptly, transparently and effectively, ensuring that affected communities receive timely support.

Overseas Vietnamese raise funds 

Vietnamese communities around the world have raised funds in support of people back home, following two powerful typhoons strucking central and northern Vietnam in early October.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Laos raised about $30,000 while the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic donated more than $61,000 to help storm victims in the fatherland.

The Vietnamese Associations in Poland and Hungary have also launched fundraising campaigns to support areas heavily affected by floods. In the United States, staff at the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco recently held a donation drive, each contributing one day’s salary to help people back home.

In late September, Typhoon Bualoi devastated northern and central Vietnam, killing at least 51 people and causing an estimated VND16 trillion (US$606 million) in damages. Meanwhile, widespread flooding triggered by torrential rains in the wake of Typhoon Matmo in early October has left 18 people dead or missing, inundated hundreds of thousands of homes, and caused severe infrastructure damage in four northern provinces of Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, Lang Son and Bac Ninh.

Since the beginning of the year, natural disasters have claimed 238 lives, injured more than 400 people and caused an estimated US$1.4 billion in economic losses.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has warned that up to three more storms may hit Vietnam before the end of 2025.