The visit on 6 May 2026 in Dong Hy commune focused on households and infrastructure being restored after Typhoons Matmo and Bualoi struck Vietnam in October 2025, causing widespread flooding and landslides across central and northern regions.

In Thai Nguyen alone, the Cau River exceeded historic flood levels, inundating more than 200,000 homes and causing estimated economic losses of VND4,295.6 billion.

The Australian Government responded quickly to Vietnam’s request for assistance, providing funding for UNDP to implement a project in Thai Nguyen, focusing on restoring livelihoods and strengthening community resilience. It prioritised assistance for the most vulnerable groups, including poor and near‑poor households, women, ethnic minorities, children, older persons, people with disabilities, and displaced populations.

During the visit, the delegation witnessed key early recovery activities, including the handover of an upgraded rural road, the groundbreaking of resilient housing, and support for livelihood recovery projects.

At the event, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for a new house for Hoang Thi Lien, one of the project’s most vulnerable beneficiaries. She said her previous home was severely damaged by flooding, leaving her family without safe shelter.

“The support to build a new home not only helps stabilize our lives but also reduces risks from future disasters,” Lien shared.

Vu Thai Truong, head of Climate Change, Energy and Environment at UNDP Vietn, emphasized, “This new house is not just a shelter. It is an investment in climate adaptation - one that reduces future risks and strengthens the family’s resilience to increasingly frequent and intense storms and floods.”

Deputy Ambassador of Australia to Vietnam, Renée Deschamps, said the visit reflected Australia’s solidarity with Vietnam and the resilience of affected communities.

“Vietnam is a key partner for Australia in Southeast Asia, and we stand in solidarity with the Vietnamese people in times of crisis. It is deeply moving to be here in Thai Nguyen Province and to see both the impact of Australia’s support and the resilience of the Vietnamese people following last year’s devastating floods.”

Meanwhile, VDDMA officials emphasised that upgrading rural infrastructure plays a key role in restoring connectivity, supporting livelihoods, and linking early recovery with sustainable development.

“Investing in the rehabilitation and upgrading of rural transport routes not only addresses disaster-related damage, but more importantly restores connectivity, facilitating travel, production, trade, and access to essential services. This is a clear demonstration of the principle of ‘early recovery linked with sustainable development’,” noted VDDMA Deputy Director Nguyen Van Tien.

The project also includes capacity-building for commune-level response teams, provision of rescue equipment, multi-purpose cash assistance, and livelihood recovery initiatives. These efforts support local cooperatives to resume production, contributing to job creation and income stabilization for affected communities.

Lessons learned from this visit will help inform future emergency response, recovery, and resilience‑building efforts in Vietnam.

Typhoon Koto moves slowly in East Sea, rare tropical depression forms near Malaysia

VOV.VN - On the morning of November 29, the center of typhoon Koto (Storm No. 15 of 2025 in Vietnam) was located in the northwestern part of the central East Sea. Maximum sustained winds near the center reached force 9-10 (75-102 km/h), with gusts up to level 13, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).