The HCM City Overseas Vietnamese Affairs Committee and the Overseas Vietnamese Business Club (OVBC) have sent over VND445 million to victims in central Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam provinces and Da Nang city.

On October 10, Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper, the HCM City Association for Poor Patients, the Pepsico Vietnam Company and a number of units and individuals in HCM City handed over gifts and cash, worth over VND2.2 billion in total, to typhoon victims in Quang Nam province.

Many other units and individuals have sent through singer Anh Tuyet VND220 million as relief aid to victims in Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces.

The Cement Corporation, the Young Entrepreneurs Association in southern Dong Nai province, Sacombank, the UK Dacotex group and the Vietnam Air Caterers have donated almost VND2 billion for those affected by the typhoon.

Many other agencies, organisations and individuals also joined efforts in easing the difficulties for the victims by contributing VND2.7 billion to the Tam Long Vang (Golden Heart) Fund of  Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper. The fund plans to build 100 houses, worth VND15 million  each, for families whose houses were destroyed by Xangsane.

Another 10 houses are also being built in the city with financial assistance from Sony Vietnam company and Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

The Vietnamese embassy staff in Russia each donated one day's salary to help typhoon victims, while Vietnamese in Moscow and Upha city have raised 168,000 ruble (approximately VND100 million) in donations.

Toyota Motor Vietnam donated a total of VND100 million to victims of Typhoon Xangsane in the hardest hit central city of Da Nang.

Members of the company's management board visited and presented the donation to 20 affected households in Son Tra district with a view to helping them quickly overcome the aftermath of the typhoon.

Earlier, the company donated nearly VND100 million to victims of Typhoon Chanchu, which ravaged the central region in May.

Canon, a world leader in imaging products and solutions, has provided aid to 200 families in the fishing village of Hoa Hiep, one of the hardest hit areas in the central region.

The Vietnam-based Canon Singapore, Canon Vietnam and distributors of Canon in Vietnam donated more than VND100 million to help rebuid the village.

A mission from Canon visited the village and presented local victims with necessities like food, water, clothes and construction materials to help them quickly resume their normal lives.

Typhoon Xangsane raged the country's central region on October 1, causing widespread devastation. According to the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control's recent report, the typhoon had killed or left missing 69 local people, and injured some 500 others.

Total losses from the typhoon were estimated at US$625 million.

Chinese leader extends sympathy to typhoon victims

Party General Secretary and State President of China Hu Jintao has extended rofound sympathies to the Vietnamese Party, government and people over the losses caused by Typhoon Xangsane.

In a message signed on behalf of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese government and people, Hu Jintao also expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party and the Government of Vietnam, people in disaster-hit localities would overcome the aftermath of the typhoon and bring production and life back to normal soon.