Major typhoon devastates areas of central Viet Nam
Kuala Lumpur/Hanoi/Geneva, 29 October 2020–A major typhoon has devastated areas of central Vietnam, with dozens of people feared dead in tragic landslides in Quang Nam. There are 53 people buried and feared dead in two landslides caused by the storm, according to Vietnam Government authorities and Red Cross teams have been working through the night to help with rescue efforts. The storm has worsened floods in areas of central Vietnam and has caused fresh flooding in new areas, including the central highlands near the Laos border. MadamNguyen Thi Xuan Thu,Viet Nam Red CrossSociety President said: “We are heartbroken by more tragic loss of life as this typhoon has brought further misery and hardships to hundreds of thousands of people in central Vietnam. Around 89,000 homes have roofs blown off, with many destroyed by this storm.” “Red Cross relief teams are working non-stop to rescue people and provide critical relief as hundreds of thousands of lives have been turned upside down with so many homes and livelihoods devastated in this massive storm.” Infrastructure has been damaged including electricity and roads, with over 700 communities without power. More food crops and safe drinking water supplies have also been damaged or destroyed in regions of Vietnam already reeling from some of the worst flooding in decades. Nguyen Hung Ha, Bangkok based Program Coordinator, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said: “This massive storm is another crippling blow to millions of people already struggling to cope with some of the most dangerous floods on record in central Vietnam.” “Relief teams are stretched to the limit due to these back-to back storms. We must redouble our efforts to get critical relief supplies, food, drinking water, tarpaulins and blankets to all those who need it in the coming days and weeks,” Mr Nguyen Hung Ha said. In response to the existing flooding and impacts as a result of Typhoon Molave, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an Emergency Appeal for 3.9 million Swiss Francs to fund relief and recovery efforts for an estimated 160,000 people. IFRC has already provided 500,000 Swiss francs to support local emergency efforts. It is estimated that at least 150,000 people are at immediate risk of food shortages and hunger after thousands of hectares of crops have been destroyed, while over 2 million cattle and poultry are dead or swept away in some of the worst flooding in decades. About IFRC IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian network, comprising 192 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies working to save lives and promote dignity around the world.www.ifrc.org-Facebook-Twitter-YouTube