EU provides 1.3 million euro to assist floods victims in Vietnam

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The European Union is providing €1.3 million (over 35.6 billion Vietnamese Dong) to provide critical humanitarian assistance to families affected by severe flooding, which has wreaked havoc across large parts of central Vietnam since the beginning of October. 

The aid will focus on addressing the urgent needs of the most affected people in the central provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue provinces.

Photo for illustration. Source: VNA.

“This contribution underlines our solidarity with the people of Vietnam, many of whom have suffered the loss of homes, livelihoods and belongings in the wake of the devastating floods,” said Olivier Brouant, who oversees the EU’s humanitarian response in the Mekong region. 

The EU funding will support our humanitarian partners in delivering life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable, ensuring they have enough means to go through this difficult time.

The funding, which is part of the EU’s Acute Large Emergency Response Tool (ALERT), will support the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Save the Children and World Vision in delivering much-needed assistance to those most in need. This includes the distribution of hygiene kits and other essential relief items while ensuring access to drinking water, sanitation facilities and the promotion of good hygiene practices. 

Cash transfers will also be provided, allowing people to buy food or items of their choice. Special attention will be placed on the most vulnerable and marginalised groups, including female-headed households and people with disabilities.

More than 130 people have been killed and over 1.3 million directly affected after weeks of unusually heavy rainfall hit central Vietnam since early October. The rains triggered the worst floods and landslides to hit the country in the last 20 years. Following the disaster, more than 290,000 houses were flooded, leaving many displaced. The floodwaters have also left large swathes of agricultural land inundated and livestock killed, significantly affecting the livelihoods of people in this predominantly agricultural country.

The EU funding is made available by the Commission’s European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) using the Acute Large Emergency Response Tool (ALERT), which aims to respond to the immediate needs of the most vulnerable in the hours and days after a sudden-onset large-scale emergency or a new humanitarian crisis.