International partners seek solutions to support Thai Nguyen after floods

The working delegation of members of the Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership (DRRP), including United Nations agencies and international organizations in Vietnam, coordinated with the Thai Nguyen Department of Agriculture and Environment to conduct a rapid assessment of the impacts caused by recent floods in the province. This assessment aims to develop timely support measures for affected residents.

According to Mr. Duong Van Hao, Deputy Director of the Thai Nguyen Department of Agriculture and Environment, heavy rainfall triggered an exceptionally severe flood, surpassing the historical record of 2024 that was caused by the circulation of Typhoon Yagi. At Gia Bay station, the flood peaked at 29.9 m, exceeding the third alert level by 2.9 m at 4:00 a.m. on October 8.

"At certain times, floodwaters rose by 40–50 cm within just one hour. The rapid flooding caused widespread isolation of residents. Areas affected by floods were mainly communes and wards of the former Thai Nguyen province area, while northern localities were severely impacted by landslides," Mr. Hao said.

In discussions with international organizations, Deputy Director of the Thai Nguyen Department of Agriculture and Environment Duong Van Hao expressed the province's hope for attention and timely support across multiple areas. "In addition to demands for clean water, food, medicines, and essential supplies, the people of Thai Nguyen also urgently need long-term support in terms of livestock seeds, pesticides, and other resources to help farmers quickly restore production," Mr. Hao shared.

Thai Nguyen province is continuing to conduct damage statistics across all sectors in order to soon implement support for residents in accordance with state regulations.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Thinh, Deputy Director of the Thai Nguyen Department of Education and Training, stated that the aftermath of Storm No. 11 caused far deeper flooding than the circulation of Typhoon Yagi in 2024. Schools suffered severe damage. Preliminary assessments indicate losses roughly doubled those caused by Typhoon Yagi, totaling about VND 40 billion. Flooding damaged electronic equipment,  desks and chairs and caused wall collapses.

In the immediate term, the education sector urgently needs support with textbooks, notebooks, desks, and chairs to allow students to return to school as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the representative from the Thai Nguyen Department of Health emphasized a pressing need for flood-prevention medicines, disinfectant chemicals, and water disinfection tablets.

Mr. Duong Van Hung, representative of UNDP Vietnam, emphasized that in the coming period, members of the Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership, including United Nations agencies and international organizations in Vietnam, will focus on closely coordinating with local governments to conduct more detailed assessments of the damage, particularly in the fields of agriculture, education, and health.

Based on these assessments, the organizations will consider mobilizing emergency support resources and simultaneously propose long-term solutions to help Thai Nguyen strengthen its disaster response and recovery capacity, aiming for safer and more sustainable development in the face of climate change.

According to the Thai Nguyen Red Cross Society, as of October 12, the unit had received and coordinated over 150 tons of goods and essential supplies to serve rescue and relief efforts for flood-affected areas in the province. These included 4,050 cartons of instant noodles, 45 tons of rice, 7,100 cases of bottled water, 950 sets of clothing, 7,600 blankets and bedding, medicines, life jackets, and more than 17,000 meals (rice, sticky rice, cakes, bread, etc.) from 63 charity groups, with a total estimated value exceeding VND 8 billion.

Previously, on October 7, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Thai Nguyen province issued a call for support for residents affected by floods in the province. Numerous localities, businesses, and organizations nationwide responded, contributing substantial aid to help Thai Nguyen overcome the consequences of the heavy rains and floods.

* USD 1 = VND 26,114 (Source: Vietcombank)