World Vision is providing food aid and water to affected families after Typhoon Ketsana (Storm No.9) struck Central Vietnam on September 29, killing 38 people and leaving ten others missing.

“As the storm gained strength we have provided instant noodle packs to some 700 families hunkering down in evacuation centres in Trieu Phong District in Quang Tri Province since yesterday. Children and their families living in low-lying areas were evacuated by the government to schools, hospitals and community buildings,” said National Director Daniel Selvanayagam.

“Today, we gave rice, noodles and fresh water to 5,000 people in Hoa Vang District in Danang. 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 tomorrow,” he continued. “The initial relief is worth of about US$30,000.”   

Government statistics reported more than 5,800 houses have been destroyed, 125,000 others have been flooded and another 163,000 houses have had their roofs blown off after the typhoon swept several central provinces in the country. The disaster is estimated to have affected around 300,000 people.

The Vietnamese government is sending helicopters to rescue people in isolated areas and providing food aid to typhoon-affected people. 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 the flood water is 1-2 meters 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 continued.

 “After the relief, we’ll provide local people with construction materials,” Duong added.

World Vision attended a Disaster Management Working Group meeting with the United Nations and other agencies to conduct 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.


World Vision is the first among INGOs who has begun relief work to the typhoon-hit families in Quang Tri, Quang Nam and Danang.

Thirteen World Vision ADPs and one special project 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.   


List of World Vision’s ADPs and projects in Central Vietnam:

Quang Tri:  

1.    Trieu Phong ADP funded by WV Germany.
2.    Vinh Linh ADP funded by WV Germany.
3.    Hai Lang ADP funded by WV US.
4.    Huong Hoa ADP funded by WV Korea.

Quang Nam:

5.    Hiep Duc ADP funded by WV Austria and WV UK.
6.    Tra My ADP funded by WV Taiwan.
7.    Phuoc Son ADP funded by Taiwan. (We can’t contact with the ADP because of the breakdown of communications and roads.)
8.    Hien ADP funded by WV Australia.
9.    Tien Phuoc ADP funded by WV Australia.
10.    Nong Son ADP funded by WV Germany.

Danang:

11.    Hoa Vang ADP funded by WV Korea.

Quang Ngai:
 
12.    Tra Bong ADP funded by WV Australia.
13.    Son Tay ADP funded by WV Australia. (We can’t contact with the ADP of the breakdown of communications and roads.)
14.    VANGOCA Project funded by WV Australia. (We can’t contact with the project because of the breakdown of communications and roads.)

Staff of Trieu Phong ADP provided instant noodle packs to local people.

Typhoon Ketsana caused heavy rain and strong wind in Danang City and Trieu Phong Disrict.

*Photos are taken by World Vision Vietnam staff.