PM inspects post-flood recovery in central region

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on October 24 underlined the urgent need to ensure normal lives and livelihoods for people in flood-hit areas in the central region, and to help them soon stabilise their lives.

During his working trip to Quang Binh province, the worst flooded area in the central region, PM Phuc asked for attention to measures to support people affected by natural disasters to quickly overcome the consequences of the floods.

The Government has sent many missions to the central region to coordinate with regional localities to promptly overcome consequences of floods, and provide timely essential goods and medicines to residents, and necessary equipment for rescue, he said

He praised rescue forces and authorities for taking timely actions in their work and ensuring traffic in the locality.

The PM sent his kind regards and profound sharing from leaders of the Party and State to the people and soldiers in the region, expressing his wish that the authorities and people of central localities will soon overcome consequences of the natural disaster and stabilise people's lives.

The Government leader asked ministries, sectors and agencies to strengthen coordination with and support for the central provinces in responding to natural disasters.

He underlined the need to increase the awareness and understanding of local authorities, people and businesses about natural disasters, especially issues related to climate change impact.

It is urgently necessary to strengthen disaster forecasting capacity, especially expanding the application of forecasting technology, and international cooperation in this work, he noted.

He asked ministries and central sectors to define specific responsibilities to support flooded localities in the fields of production, agriculture and health and education.

The PM also mentioned the requirement for developing hydropower plants, saying that the work must be implemented in line with the plannings to ensure safety, and limit the development of new facilities.

Affirming that the Government will add more resources to the central provinces to overcome the consequences of natural disasters, PM Phuc assigned the Ministry of Finance to revise decrees concerning humanitarian aid and donation, towards facilitating funding activities.

He directed all sectors and localities to create favourable conditions for donors to go directly to flood-hit areas for their relief work.

The leader also reminded relevant sectors and localities to focus on measures to deal with upcoming storms.

According to statistics from central localities, recent heavy rains and floods claimed 119 lives, and left 21 others missing.

Meanwhile, over 37,500 houses, 1,325 ha of rice and 12,479 ha of crops were damaged. Over 20km of embankment, 116km of canals, 43km of river and sea banks, more than 163 km of national roads and nearly 162 km of local roads are eroded and damaged.