IFRC Launches Emergency Appeal Following Severe Floods in Vietnam

BANGKOK, Nov. 17 -- The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies issued the following news release:

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an emergency appeal for 1.4 million Swiss francs (USD 1.4 million, Euros 1.3 million) to support the Viet Nam Red Cross Society in delivering emergency assistance to over 30,000 people affected by severe flood that have struck the country.

Since mid-October, thousands of people in Vietnam have been forced out of their homes as two successive waves of heavy flooding triggered by torrential rains inundated several provinces in the central region of the country. The worst affected provinces are Ha Tinh, Quang Tri and Quang Binh, where floods have inundated and damaged more than 40,000 houses and swept away thousands of livestock. The total economic loss is estimated to be 2.5 trillion Vietnamese Dong (107 million Swiss francs).

In response to the first wave of floods, the Viet Nam Red Cross Society released 1.97 billion Vietnamese Dong (85,000 Swiss francs) to provide emergency relief to the worst-hit communities. This assistance included cash grants, household items, shelter kits and water purification tablets. A water treatment unit was also deployed to Quang Binh to treat and provide water to two affected districts. Red Cross volunteers have also been conducting 'hygiene promotion' to help prevent the spread of diseases which are common during floods such as cholera and diarrhoea.

"The fact that the same areas in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri were hit by two consecutive floods puts communities at greater risk," says Tran Quoc Hung, Director of the Disaster Management department from Viet Nam Red Cross Society. "Priority will be placed on restoring people's livelihoods and re-building flood and typhoon resistant houses."

The IFRC's emergency appeal will enable the Viet Nam Red Cross Society to carry out a range of activities over the coming nine months. These include health and hygiene promotion; shelter support through the building of flood resistant houses; provision of boats for local people to evacuate during monsoon season, and replenishment of the Viet Nam Red Cross emergency relief stocks for future responses.

Since the floods began, the IFRC released 144,866 Swiss francs from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund to support the the Viet Nam Red Cross to replenish pre-positioned relief items which have already been distributed and to support the logistical costs of the relief operation and the deployment of National Disaster Response Team and Provincial Disaster Response Teams.

"Viet Nam Red Cross depleted its relief stocks and cash reserves in its response to the emergency needs of affected people over the last few weeks", says Hung Ha Nguyen, Disaster Risk Management Delegate with the IFRC's Sub-Mekong Country Cluster Support Team.

"The emergency appeal will enable the Viet Nam Red Cross Society to respond to immediate needs of affected communities and will enhance their resilience to future disasters."

The Viet Nam Red Cross Society also launched a domestic fundraising appeal to mobilize resources in order to support the flood-affected communities. As of the beginning of November, 7 billion Vietnamese Dong (310,000 Swiss francs) had been raised.

30FurigayJane-5704150 30FurigayJane