World University Service Germany Offers More 18 Water Filter to Vietnamese Typhoon Victims

Due to the devastating floods and serious disruption to the water supply caused by Typhoon Yagi in northern Vietnam and the current situation in central Vietnam caused by Storm No. 4, the World University Service (WUS) Germany sent another 18 PAUL water backpacks to Hanoi.
September 21, 2024 | 11:24
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The people in the areas affected by Typhoon Yagi in northern Vietnam and now also in central Vietnam due to Storm Soulik urgently need clean drinking water, as many water pipes were damaged by Typhoon Yagi and many water reservoirs with dirty water are unusable.

That is why World University Service (WUS), with the support of the State of Hessen, on September 19 asked a delegation from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy led by Prof. Dr. Luu Van Quang to take 18 more PAUL (Portable Aqua Unit for Live Saving) water backpacks with them to Hanoi.

World University Service Germany Offers More 18 Water Filter to Vietnamese Typhoon Victims
The Portable Aqua Unit for Live Saving (PAUL) water backpacks, are transported free of charge to Vietnam by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on September 19. Source: World University Service (WUS)

According September 20 press release of the World University Service (WUS), Portable Aqua Unit for Live Saving (PAUL) water backpacks, are transported free of charge to Vietnam by national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines.

The state of Hessen provided the funding for 10 water backpacks, while the other 8 water backpacks were financed by donations from school classes, companies and private individuals. The transportation was kindly provided free of charge by Vietnam Airlines.

The special feature of the PAUL water filter system is that it treats water in an extremely resource-efficient way. No chemicals, electricity or external specialists are required; instead, a membrane filter treats the water. Each PAUL device unit can filter about 1,200 litres of water daily, meeting the needs of at least 400 people based on an average daily requirement of 3 litres per person. The inventor of PAUL is Professor Dr.-Ing. Franz-Bernd Frechen from the University of Kassel in Hessen.

So far, WUS has provided a total of 411 “PAUL” water treatment plants in Vietnam in recent years, so that more then 1.6 million people in Vietnam have clean drinking water every day with the financial support of some German states and with private donations from students and their parents and companies.

World University Service Germany Offers More 18 Water Filter to Vietnamese Typhoon Victims
Water filter is presented to Vietnamese delegation at Frankfurt Airport. Source: World University Service (WUS)

“Climate change is constantly increasing the risk of flooding: rising sea levels, forest fires, changing rainfall patterns and much more. This is not only affecting Vietnam, but also Europe at the moment. Forest fires in Portugal, floods in Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania. It is, therefore, more than vital for human survival that concrete and binding decisions are taken at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) from November 11 to 24, 2024 in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku in order to stop climate change Our generation, and the international community in particular, has an obligation to stop climate change so that future generations have an environment worth living in“, says Dr. Kambiz Ghawami, chairman of the World University Service (WUS).

Earlier, on September 12, Dr. Kambiz Ghawami, also presented a water filter to Politburo member and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council Nguyen Xuan Thang as the Vietnamese official was leaving for Vietnam after a working visit, VNA reported.

According to the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority (VDDMA) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Yagi and subsequent flooding claimed 291 lives and left 103 others missing and 38 injured as of September 17.

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