ADB grants US$2.5 million to support Vietnam’s disaster response
VOV.VN - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$2.5 million grant to assist Vietnam in providing emergency and humanitarian services to residents affected by the recent floods in the country’s central region.
“We commend the Government of Vietnam for their quick emergency response to the disaster,” said ADB Country Director for Vietnam Andrew Jeffries in a press release on November 9.
“ADB’s grant will augment the wider government response to deliver immediate, life-saving assistance to people who need it the most, especially people who were already experiencing adverse economic impact due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic,” Jeffries continued to say.
The grant is funded by the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund, which was designed to provide support to ADB’s developing members affected by major natural disasters.
Since 6 October, Vietnam’s central region has experienced prolonged and heavy rains, storm surge, and strong winds, leading to severe flooding and landslides. As of 29 October, 214 people have been killed or reported missing, according to the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority.
About 7.7 million Vietnamese live in the areas damaged by the flooding. That includes 1.5 million people in 9 central provinces who were directly affected and about 380,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed.