US grants US$100,000 aid to storm Linfa-affected victims

The aid will be channeled by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VNRC), according to a media release by the US Embassy in Hanoi.

Linfa, the sixth tropical storm to hit Vietnam in 2020, made landfall on October 11. Three days later, Nangka, another tropical storm, slammed into northeastern Vietnam.

As of October 15, the flooding had adversely affected over 136,000 households, claiming at least 40 lives, injuring 15 people, and leaving 29 people missing. As many as 150,000 people have been evacuated from flood- and landslide-prone areas.

VNRC, USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance partner, has mobilized rapid disaster response teams to support evacuation, search and rescue, and emergency response operations.

“The US Mission in Vietnam expresses our deepest condolences to the people of Vietnam for the loss of life, destruction of property, and displacement of people due to the flooding in central Vietnam. We stand together with the Government and the people of Vietnam as they mourn their loved ones, address the damage caused by this terrible flood, and move forward, as the people of Vietnam have always done. We pledge to assist you in your work to rebuild,” said US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink, announcing the aid.

“I would also like to express my concern for persons with disabilities in the provinces affected by the typhoon as they are amongst the most vulnerable populations in this disaster. They are often home-bound, have less access to information and cannot take full advantage of preparedness activities and evacuation protocols,” he added. 

It is estimated that the provinces impacted by tropical storm Linfa are home to over 200,000 persons with disabilities, of whom 61,000 persons with disabilities are directly affected by this disaster.

Since 2000, USAID, through the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, has provided more than US$26 million in disaster response, preparedness, and risk reduction assistance in Vietnam. Through the Department of Defense, the US Government has also provided more than US$28 million since 1998 to train military and civilian emergency responders and develop and equip disaster management centers, maritime response centers, and disaster shelters at the community level.

USAID continues to support Vietnam’s disaster relief efforts and plans are underway to provide additional assistance, according to the media release.