Vietnam News Today (Sep. 17): Vietnam Receives More Relief Aid From International Organizations

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Three batches of relief supplies from AHA Center arrive at Noi Bai International Airport to support Vietnamese people affected by typhoon Yagi and subsequent floods and landslides.

Vietnam receives more relief aid from international organizations

A number of foreign governments and international organizations have swiftly sent emergency aid in support of northern Vietnamese localities as they strive to overcome the consequences of super typhoon Yagi.

Accordingly, on September 16 a total of three batches of relief supplies from the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Center) were sent to support Vietnamese people affected by typhoon Yagi and subsequent floods and landslides.

The AHA Center’s cargoes include 2,000 household tool kits; 1,000 home repair tool kits; 1,000 kitchen tool kits; and 3,000 personal hygiene tool kits, with a total value of about US$250,000. The aid is set to be delivered to the landslide-and-flood-stricken provinces of Yen Bai and Lao Cai.

On the same day, the New Zealand Government announced a US$617,000 contribution to support the ongoing Vietnamese recovery from the devastating impact of typhoon Yagi, according to the New Zealand Embassy in Hanoi.

The aid will be channeled through New Zealand’s NGO disaster response partners active in Vietnam and UN agencies based locally, focusing on emergency response and livelihood restoration.

This comes after a batch of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief supplies from India worth US$1 million also arrived at Noi Bai International Airport on the night of September 15, cited VOV.

This came as part of India’s Operation Sadbhav which provides flood relief assistance to Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam after they were hit by typhoon Yagi and severe subsequent flooding.

Following the recent extreme weather, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have swung into action deploying ships and aircraft to aid the situation. The 35-tonne shipment consists of water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, and solar lanterns.

On September 15, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) also received emergency relief supplies, including 40 portable water filters and 200 multi-purpose plastic canvas covers worth over US$124,000 from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

On September 13, the UN Development Program (UNDP) handed 700 gender- and disability-sensitive household kits to MAR to support communities in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai, which has been severely affected by typhoon Yagi.

The super typhoon has damaged the lives of nearly 19 million Vietnamese people, including 5.5 million children, in the hardest-hit cities and provinces in the north of the country, namely Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang, Yen Bai, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Thai Binh, Hai Duong, Hoa Binh, Thai Nguyen, and Phu Tho.

The disaster ravaged a total of 26 northern localities, leaving 330 people dead and missing, including 24 children. It has also damaged an estimated 141,469 homes, 550 health facilities, and 805 schools, while around 400,000 homes lack access to safe water.

Approximately two million children have been left without access to education, psychosocial support, and school feeding programs.

Vietnam contributes to global climate change response efforts

As a signatory to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, Vietnam has over the past years realized its responsibility to manage and eliminate greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh said on September 16.

He made the statement while attending a conference in Hanoi to mark Vietnam’s 30-year membership of the pacts which drew the participation of domestic and international experts from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Bank.

Thanh highlighted that Vietnam has completely phased out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halon, carbon tetrachloride (CTC), and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC)-141b, and effectively controlled the substances in accordance with the Montreal Protocol, adding methyl bromid is now only used for sterilization purposes, according to VNA.

Planting forests contributes to the protection of the ozone layer. (Photo: VNA)

The country aims to stop importing HCDC by 2040, and phase down the consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) by 80% by 2045, he added.

According to Megumi Seki, Executive Secretary at the UNEP’s Ozone Secretariat, Vietnam has been a proactive and responsible member of the two pacts, as the nation has made efforts to carry out solutions to managing and phasing out greenhouse gas and ozone depleting substances. The country has got rid of some 220 million tonnes of carbon dioxide since it signed the deals.

The management and elimination of the controlled substances, implementation of sustainable cooling, technology transformation, and collection, recycling and treatment of the substances in Vietnam were on the table at the event.

Participants held that with a view to effectively implementing the pacts, Vietnam needs to complete institutions and policies on the management of the substances, issue standards and technical guidance, encourage climate-friendly technologies, and provide training to improve the management capacity of the enforcement officials.

The Vienna Convention was adopted in 1985, and the Montreal Protocol two years later.

In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed September 16 the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the date of the signing, in 1987, of the Montreal Protocol.

The theme for the International Day this year is “Montreal Protocol: Advancing Climate Action”.

Tropical depression forecast to strengthen into storm appears near East Sea

A tropical depression is currently operating in the waters east of Luzon Island of the Philippines, according to details given by the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

On September 16, the center of the tropical depression was situated at approximately 17.1 degrees north latitude and 124.4 degrees east longitude.

The strongest wind located close to the center of the tropical depression is between a six and seven category, with gusts of category 9, moving mainly west at about 15 km per hour.

Over the course of the next 24 to 48 hours, the tropical depression will move primarily to the west and is forecast to strengthen into a storm.

Moving ahead to the next 48 to 72 hours, the storm is likely to change its direction, moving in a west-northwest direction at speeds of 10km to 15km per hour, VOV reported.

Photo: VOV

The tropical depression will cause strong winds to occur at sea. From the morning of September 17, the northeastern area of ​​the East Sea will see showers and strong thunderstorms, with strong winds gusting up to category nine at 75 to 88km/h, along with rough seas.

Furthermore, the tropical depression will cause the northeastern sea area of ​​the East Sea to suffer waves of two to four meters high.

Assessing natural disasters from now until the end of the year, the meteorological agency said that from now until the end of September, the East Sea is likely to see one or two more storms, likely concentrated in the final 10 days of September, with this potentially impacting the north and north central regions.

There will therefore be a high risk of heavy rain and floods in the central region during the flood season from October to November this year.

Vietnamese community aids Laos's post-typhoon recovery efforts

A delegation of the Vietnamese community in Laos, led by Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of Vietnam Phan Minh Chien, on September 16 came to the Lao Prime Minister’s Office to hand over financial aid to support those affected by Typhoon Yagi in the country’s northern region.

At the event, Lao PM Sonexay Siphandone expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the timely support from Vietnam, although Vietnam has also suffered heavy losses from the natural disaster. He noted that this gesture reflected the two nations’ enduring solidarity and mutual support in any circumstance.

The government leader assured that the received fund will be distributed to flood victims in various Lao localities, cited VNA.

The delegation of the Vietnamese community in Laos presents to the Lao side a token of their aid for those affected by Typhoon Yagi in the country’s northern region. (Photo: VNA)

For his part, Chien expressed his confidence that under the leadership and close attention of the Lao Party and Government at both central and local levels, local people will overcome the difficulties and that life in the affected areas will soon return to normal.

In the presence of PM Siphandone, Chien, on behalf of the embassy and its related agencies, the Vietnam Business Association and Vietnamese community in Laos, presented 300 million LAK (13,580 USD) worth of aid to Lao Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Baykham Khattiya.

Vietnamese in Brussels celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival

Vietnamese expatriates across Belgium gathered in Brussels on September 15 to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, turning the event into a warm reunion.

Held by the General Association of Vietnamese in Belgium (UGVB), the event saw the presence of Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao and officials from Ixelles district, a hub of the Vietnamese community in Belgium.

UGVB President Huynh Cong My opened the event with a tribute to the victims of Typhoon Yagi, urging the community to rally support for those affected by the devastating natural disaster.

A cultural highlight of the event was the traditional 'Ao dai' fashion show, featuring Belgian husbands and Vietnamese-Belgian children. The flowing 'Ao dai', imbued with rich Vietnamese symbolism, created a bridge between the two cultures.

Beyond the runway, the festival was a sensory feast, with a vibrant food and traditional product fair. Aromas of familiar Vietnamese delicacies, from mooncakes and 'pho' (noodle soup) to spring rolls and sticky rice filled the air, enticing visitors to indulge in the tastes of home.

A Vietnamese book stall offered a literary escape, while an 'Ao dai' stall showcased exquisite designs, allowing visitors to take home their favorite pieces, VNA reported.

UGVB President Huynh Cong My speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)

A charitable aspect of the event was the sale of Vietnamese goods by the Friends for Vietnamese Kids group, aimed at raising funds for underprivileged students in the northern province of Bac Giang.

Additionally, the festival raised a total of 1,110 EUR (1,234 USD) to support Vietnamese flood victims.

Lion and dragon dance performances also added to the festive atmosphere, delighting children and adults alike.

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