On the morning of October 30, the entire emergency relief shipment from the Government of the Russian Federation landed at Noi Bai Airport (Hanoi), then was urgently transported to Hue city to support people who are being severely affected by the historic floods.
The entire relief shipment included 58 rescue boats and working boats, 1,000 sets of dishes, 1,000 blankets, 1,000 sets of bedding, 55 tents and a large quantity of canned food, with a total weight of up to 29 tons. The entire shipment was transported by special aircraft number SUM-9121 of the Ministry of Civil Defense, Emergencies and Disaster Relief of the Russian Federation, landing at Noi Bai airport at 6:35 am.
The aid handover ceremony took place at Noi Bai airport with the participation of Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Bezdetko and Mr. Nguyen Truong Son, Deputy Director of the Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention and Control (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment).
The ceremony to receive relief goods from the Russian Federation took place at Noi Bai airport (Hanoi)Immediately after completing the receiving and customs clearance procedures, all 29 tons of aid were handed over to the Vietnamese side for urgent delivery to Hue city on October 30. The locality will coordinate with rescue forces and local authorities to organize distribution to households in areas severely affected by flooding.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Ambassador Gennady Bezdetko expressed his deep condolences to the Government and people of Vietnam for the great losses caused by floods in the Northern and Central regions. The Ambassador affirmed that Russia always considers Vietnam a reliable partner and is willing to share difficulties in times of emergency. "We believe that this support will help people in flood-affected areas stabilize their lives soon," he said.
Receiving the relief goods right at the airport, Mr. Nguyen Truong Son, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, expressed his sincere gratitude for the timely gesture of the Government and people of the Russian Federation. He affirmed that the Vietnam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority will ensure the coordination, transportation and distribution of goods quickly and to the right recipients, helping people in disaster-affected areas to overcome difficulties soon.
The historic flood in Hue City has caused thousands of houses to be deeply submerged, many traffic routes to be cut off, and the electricity and telecommunications systems to be interrupted. According to the report on October 29 of the Department of Hydrometeorology, the rainfall in 24 hours at Bach Ma peak (Hue City) reached 1,739 mm, breaking the highest record in Vietnam's history and only lower than some rare records in the world. This figure is nearly equal to the average rainfall of the whole year in the whole territory of Vietnam (1,400 - 2,400 mm). The timely support of the international community, especially from the Russian Federation, is considered a great source of encouragement both materially and spiritually for the people of the Central region.