(VNF) – The Republic of Korea (RoK) will sponsor Vietnamese households affected by typhoon Damrey nearly USD 1 million to assist them in rebuilding and repairing their houses.

The signing ceremony (source: UNDP)

The information was announced in Hanoi on Tuesday in an agreement on the implementation of the aid package, which was signed between representatives of Vietnam, the Korean embassy, and the UNDP.

The donation, which is channeled through the UNDP, aims to help repair and restore damaged houses in typhoon-affected areas and enhance resilience against future disasters.

Speaking at the ceremony, Tran Quang Hoai, Permanent Member of Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Director General of the Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority, said: “We appreciate this support from the Government of the Republic of Korea through UNDP. The support is very timely and important, which will help more than 1,200 affected people to have safe houses after the Storm No 12 in 2017.”

H.E. Lee Hyuk, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Viet Nam, for his part, stated that the relation between Korea and Vietnam has gone beyond economic cooperation, to bonds of friendship and solidarity. He emphasized that the partnership is also about supporting each other during times of difficulty and working together to address common challenges.

The ambassador also affirmed that Korea will continue to stand by Vietnam’s side in dealing with climate change.

Last year, Korea worked with Vietnamese and UN partners to provide humanitarian aid to communities that were severely affected by drought and saltwater intrusion.

A family affected by typhoon Damrey. (Photo: VNA)

On 4 November 2017, Typhoon Damrey (Storm No. 12) made landfall in Viet Nam, the country’s strongest storm in over a decade. More than 4.3 million people were affected, 3,500 houses were destroyed in the Typhoon, and 300,000 houses were partly damaged.

In Khanh Hoa province alone, 114,000 homes have been either partly or fully damaged. Heavy rainfall and flooding in the following weeks have continued to cause extensive damage, in particular in Quang Nam province./.

( VNF )