Vietnamese embassies and expatriates rally aid for storm-affected compatriots
Contributions from the Vietnamese embassies and communities in foreign countries will help bring comfort and hope to storm-affected families in the central region and Central Highlands.
THE HANOI TIMES — Vietnamese embassies and overseas communities are mobilizing donations and coordinating relief efforts for residents in the central region and Central Highlands, which have suffered severe losses from storms and prolonged flooding since early November.
Delegates at the fundraising ceremony in Paris. Photo: VNA
“Natural disasters may damage houses and crops, but cannot diminish the compassion and solidarity of the Vietnamese people,” said Ambassador Thang.
On November 30, the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany launched a fundraising drive in Berlin to aid those affected in the central region and Central Highlands. Ambassador Nguyen Dac Thanh urged the Vietnamese community in Germany to support flood-affected residents, noting the urgent need for encouragement from compatriots at home and abroad.
Fundraising event at the Embassy of Vietnam in Germany. Photo courtesy of the embassy
According to Thanh, Nguyen Quang Anh, Vice President of the Vietnamese Association in Germany, has transferred a second installment of US$16,000 to the Vietnam Fatherland Front, while the Golden Lotus Charity Association Berlin is distributing rice and noodles to 200 households in flood-hit Phu Yen Province.
He stressed that every contribution, large or small, helps compatriots recover from the storms.
On November 27, the Vietnamese delegation in Geneva received nearly $10,000 from the expatriate community to aid those affected in the region.
Minister Counselor Cung Duc Han, Chargé d'affaires of the Vietnamese Delegation in Geneva, speaks at the event raising funds to support central region and Central Highlands. Photo: VNA
Meanwhile, the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the UN, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other international organizations in Switzerland held a meeting with the local Vietnamese community to launch a fundraising campaign for disaster-affected compatriots.
The delegation is also engaging international organizations in Geneva to request emergency support, including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
In response, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) activated an emergency aid package, WHO pledged funds, medical equipment and personnel and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is conducting field assessments to assist Vietnam in both immediate relief and long-term response efforts.
Vietnamese expatriates in Switzerland participate in supporting compatriots back home. Photo: VNA
According to the Disaster and Dyke Management Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, severe flooding has hit Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong since November 16, with Dak Lak and Khanh Hoa exceeding historical water levels.
The floods killed or left 106 people missing, destroyed 1,154 houses, flooded 186,000 homes, damaged over 80,000 hectares of crops and killed or swept away more than 3.2 million livestock and poultry. Transport, irrigation, education and health facilities were also heavily damaged, with initial losses estimated at VND9 trillion (US$343 million).
Since early 2025, Vietnam has faced 11 storms, including six landfalls and four tropical depressions, causing over 200 deaths, hundreds of injuries and widespread home destruction.
