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| Houses are submerged in flood water in the central province of Quang Binh – PHOTO: VGP |
Vietnam has recently been hit by four typhoons, resulting in significant flooding, landslides and damage to infrastructure. In central Vietnam, over 1.3 million people have been severely affected, nearly 300,000 houses submerged and significant disruptions caused, only adding to the challenges already caused by Covid-19 restrictions.
The £500,000 UK aid will go to the International Federation of Red Cross through the British Red Cross Society and help scale up activities to provide shelter, clean water, food and support livelihoods to up to 160,000 people affected in Vietnam.
The aid is announced as part of a £1 million UK aid package to Vietnam and the Philippines, which has also been severely impacted by recent typhoons and flooding.
Announcing the package, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Minister for Asia Nigel Adams said, “The typhoons that have hit the Philippines and Vietnam have had a devastating impact on lives and livelihoods across the region. Today’s £1 million UK aid package will help deliver life-saving food, clean water and safe shelter to those who need it most and help both the Philippines and Vietnam recover from such destructive natural disasters.”
British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward said, “The impacts of this year’s typhoon season have been devastating. On behalf of the UK, I send my condolences to the people of central Vietnam for the tragic loss of life and the large-scale destruction of property. The financial aid announced today by my Government will enable local agencies to help the affected communities recover, in line with the Vietnamese Government's response. We stand together with the Vietnamese people to overcome the challenges during this difficult time.”
This announcement is the latest support by the UK to Vietnam to prevent infectious diseases through improving hygiene and increasing forecast and prevention capacity to respond to natural hazards.
The UK is co-partnering with PSI and Unilever through the Hygiene and Behavior Change Coalition to help the flood-affected people in Central Vietnam. This includes providing sanitization products and essential medicines with a focus on preventing water-borne diseases and applying technology in the early detection and risk assessment of an outbreak of diseases in all affected areas.
