MAE and UNICEF provide emergency support in response to storms and flooding

In recent days, the prolonged heavy rainfall caused by the circulation of Storm No. 11 (Matmo) and Storm No. 10 (Bualoi) has led to severe flooding and landslides in several northern mountainous and north-central provinces, including Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, and Lang Son. In immediate response, UNICEF in Viet Nam has coordinated with its partners to deliver emergency supplies of clean water and sanitation essentials to affected households.

Specifically, with funding from the European Union (EU) through the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), UNICEF, in collaboration with the Department of Water Works Management and Construction under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, has provided 800 water storage tanks, 800 essential hygiene kits, 800 bottles of 20-liter drinking water, and 80,000 Aquatabs water purification tablets to schools, health stations, and severely affected households in Thai Nguyen and Cao Bang provinces.

In the coming period, UNICEF will continue to deliver essential water and sanitation supplies to heavily affected communes in Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, and Lang Son. In addition, UNICEF will provide cash assistance to affected households to help them restore access to clean water and household sanitation facilities, thereby stabilizing their lives and preventing the outbreak of diseases in the aftermath of the disasters.

Earlier, in late September and early October, heavy rainfall triggered severe floods and inundation, causing significant loss of life, extensive property damage, and destruction of infrastructure, severely disrupting production and daily life in the provinces of Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Bac Ninh, Tuyen Quang, and Phu Tho.

Storm Matmo made landfall in Guangxi Province, China - near the Viet Nam–China border - on the morning of October 6. Although the storm did not bring extremely strong winds over Viet Nam’s mainland, its circulation caused record-breaking rainfall across the northeastern mountainous region, leading to unprecedented flooding on several rivers. Historic levels of inundation occurred in Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, and Bac Ninh, surpassing even the records set in 2024 by Super Typhoon Yagi.

More than a week after the disaster, Thai Nguyen remains the hardest-hit province. Torrential rains on October 6-7 led to the most severe flooding ever recorded in the area, leaving eight people dead due to flash floods and landslides, and causing material losses estimated at 12.2 trillion VND.

Bac Ninh also suffered particularly heavy damage from post-Matmo flooding. As of the evening of October 15 - over a week after the disaster - 502 houses in the province remained submerged. The floods claimed six lives and caused material losses estimated at over 1.67 trillion VND.

Located near the storm’s path and hit by intense rainfall, Cao Bang reported one fatality due to a landslide, with property losses reaching 2 trillion VND. Lang Son also endured severe flooding, with total damages estimated at roughly 1.05 trillion VND.

Just eight days before Storm Matmo made landfall, Storm Bualoi had already wreaked havoc along Viet Nam’s coastal regions. This storm was highly unusual and extreme, moving at an exceptionally fast speed - averaging 30-35 km/h, nearly twice as fast as a typical storm. Its duration over land, spanning more than 12 hours from Nghe An to northern Quang Tri, was also exceptionally long, intensifying the storm’s destructive impact across central Viet Nam.

Remarkably, despite being hundreds of kilometers away from the storm’s eye, several northern provinces experienced rare and violent weather phenomena between the early morning and midday of September 29, including tornadoes and whirlwinds that caused severe human and material losses. Storm Bualoi left 67 people dead or missing and caused economic damages estimated at over 16 trillion VND.

During the first nine months of this year, the East Sea recorded 14 storms and tropical depressions - significantly higher than the long-term average. Six of these storms directly or indirectly affected Viet Nam, creating a relentless sequence of natural disasters with barely any recovery interval between events.

This situation underscores UNICEF’s continued commitment to standing with its partners in protecting every child and family from the impacts of natural disasters. Guided by the principle of “leaving no one behind,” UNICEF remains steadfast in its efforts to help communities strengthen resilience and recover sustainably in the face of increasingly severe climate and weather challenges.

$ 1 = VND 26.305 - Source: Vietcombank.