Japanese relief supplies arrive in Hanoi to support flood recovery efforts

Japan is the first country to dispatch relief equipment to the northern provinces of Viet Nam that have been impacted by Typhoon Matmo, according to the VDDMA under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

The handover ceremony at Noi Bai Airport was attended by Mr. Nguyen Van Tien, Deputy Director General of the VDDMA; Mr. Ito Naoki, Japanese Ambassador to Viet Nam; and Mr. Kobayashi Yosuke, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Viet Nam.

In total, the relief package comprises 40 water purifiers, 5,100 blankets, 1,000 plastic jerry cans, and 50 multi-purpose plastic linens. There were two air deliveries of the cargo, one arriving at Noi Bai on the evening of October 12 and the other at noon on October 13.

Deputy Director General Nguyen Van Tien expressed his profound gratitude to the Government and people of Japan, as well as to JICA, for their prompt support in providing essential equipment to assist northern localities in stabilizing their lives and restoring their livelihoods following the disaster during the handover ceremony.

Representatives of the Department reiterated their dedication to collaborating closely with local authorities to guarantee the prompt distribution of relief supplies to disaster-affected communities.

Ambassador Ito Naoki conveyed his sincere condolences to the families of the victims in the northern provinces on behalf of Japan and expressed his optimism that the afflicted regions would soon resume their daily lives and production activities.

The Government and the people of Japan have provided relief supplies to support approximately 2,000 households in restoring their lives, in response to the appeal from Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep, through JICA, Ambassador Ito emphasized.

Finally, he observed that Viet Nam has experienced an increase in the frequency and severity of cyclones in recent years due to climate change. To fortify Viet Nam's resilience, the Japanese government is preparing to expand its collaboration, which will include the provision of a 50-billion-yen concessional credit to improve Viet Nam's disaster preparedness and response capabilities. Furthermore, Japan is contemplating infrastructure assistance programs that are specifically designed to address the vulnerabilities of the northern mountainous regions of Viet Nam, which natural disasters have increasingly impacted.