The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) has provided VND 1 billion (USD 44,000) in financial relief for the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai, which was severely hit by floods over the past few days.

Search and rescue forces are making all efforts to address the impacts of floods in the hardest-hit district of Van Chan, Yen Bai province. (Photo: VNA)

Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the VFF Central Committee Hau A Lenh visited the province on July 22 to hand the donation to the local administration.

Lenh extended his sympathies over the losses of the province and praised local authorities’ efforts to cope with the heavy rains and floods. He asked the provincial administration to promptly repair damaged roads in isolated communes, intensify searches for missing people and evacuate households living in areas prone to landslides to safety.

Firstly, the province needs to ensure social security for affected people, the official said.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Do Duc Duy expressed his thanks for the support from the VFF Central Committee, affirming that the province will allocate the donation to people in need without delay.

Duy also updated Lenh on the flood situation in Yen Bai, particularly the hardest-hit district of Van Chan, the local operation to search for and rescue missing people and reconstruction efforts.

On the same day, the VFF Central Committee leader visited Luong Son commune in Van Chan district to inspect the situation there. He called at three severely-affected families in Tu, Muoi and Tanh Hanh villages in the commune and presented them with aid.

As of July 22, Van Chan district had three out of five communes isolated due to road damage and interruptions in electricity supply and communication access.

All efforts are being made to access these communes to provide support for people there.

Typhoon Son Tinh, the third in the East Sea this year, brought downpours and floods that ravaged the northern and north-central parts of the country last week. The floods wreaked havoc in Yen Bai, resulting in heavy casualties and property damage.

As of 16:00 of July 22, the floods have claimed 11 lives, injured 11 and left six others missing in the province.

About 4,170 houses have been damaged, including 119 pulled down or washed away and more than 3,350 others submerged in floodwater. More than 690 local households have been moved to safer places.

In addition, more than 2,100 hectares of crops have been destroyed and nearly 1,260 head of livestock and poultry and some 198 hectares of aquatic farming lost. A total of 422 road sections and bridges have been crumbled or been swept away.

Total economic losses were estimated at VND 200 billion (USD 8.7 million).

One July 21, the VFFCC Standing Board announced a decision to send VND 5 million (USD 220) in aid to each family of the bereaved and missing, VND 3 million (USD 30) to each seriously injured person and 40 million VND (USD 1,760) to each family made homeless by the floods.

According to Director of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Hoang Duc Cuong, from July 23, extremely heavy rains are forecast in the northeastern region, mostly in Quang Ninh and Lang Son provinces, which will then spread to the whole northern region from July 24-27./.

VNF/VNA