Nearly 60 Reported Dead, Missing Due To Typhoon Yagi

HANOI, Sept 9 (Bernama-VNA) -- A total of 59 people have been reported dead or missing due to prolonged heavy rains and floods caused by Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam’s northern region as of 11:30 am on Monday, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) quoted Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep.

During a meeting hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to report the damage caused by the typhoon, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam Pauline Fatima Tamesis affirmed readiness to provide housing support for the poor and food aid. She expressed the hope that the Vietnamese government will accurately assess the damage to ensure that support is provided quickly and appropriately.

Meanwhile, UNICEF Representative in Vietnam Silvia Danailov said the agency can coordinate with partners to provide clean water for affected mountain dwellers and support access to sanitation for women and children.

bootstrap slideshow

She added that the agency wants to understand the essential demand of affected schools in order to offer support.

According to Remi Nono Womdim, Representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in Vietnam, the agency can work with teams to quickly provide support in ensuring food security, food supply, cash assistance, and livelihood recovery, and is committed to providing emergency support.

Representatives from the Vietnam Red Cross Society announced that it begins relief efforts in Hai Phong and Quang Ninh on September 9 afternoon, and is also launching support activities and calling for assistance from international organisations for northern localities.

Doan Thi Tuyet Nga, Head of the Department of Science, Technology, and International Cooperation at the ministry, stated that on September 10, disaster risk reduction partners will arrange three groups to assess damage in Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and another northern mountainous province.  

At the meeting, disaster risk reduction partners discussed and shared information about the damage caused by the typhoon in Vietnam. They also committed to supporting Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and stabilising community life in affected areas.

So far, partners have committed to providing 3,000 personal hygiene kits, 1,000 household toolkits, 1,000 kitchen sets, and 2,000 home repair kits for Vietnam, which are expected to be handed over to the country in the coming days.

According to the Department of Dike Management and Disaster Prevention and Control under the MARD, initial statistics from localities as of 6:00 am on September 9 indicate that the disaster caused injuries to 247 people.  Nearly 13,600 hectare (ha) of rice have been submerged by floodwater, along with 22,047 ha of vegetables and other crops and 6,900 ha of fruit trees.

The typhoon also uprooted nearly 121,700 trees, including 6,059 in Hai Phong, 24,807 in Hanoi, 9,036 in Hung Yen, 40,000 in Hai Duong, and 31,860 in Bac Ninh.

Over 1,500 aquaculture cages were damaged or swept away, including 1,000 in Quang Ninh and 300 in Hai Duong; while 25 boats were sunk at anchorage points in Quang Ninh.

The storm also damaged 9,851 houses, caused problems in 12 sections of 500kV transmission lines, 36 sections of 220kV lines, and 161 sections of 110kV lines, while also toppling many low-voltage power poles.

-- BERNAMA-VNA