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Viet Nam

Vietnam: Typhoon Kammuri DREF operation No. MDRVN003 Final report

Attachments

GLIDE no. FF-2008-000128-VNM

The International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) is a source of un-earmarked money created by the Federation in 1985 to ensure that immediate financial support is available for Red Cross Red Crescent response to emergencies. The DREF is a vital part of the International Federation's disaster response system and increases the ability of national societies to respond to disasters.

Summary: CHF 200,000 (USD 182,335 or EUR 124,057) was allocated from the International Federation's Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Vietnamese national society in delivering immediate assistance to some 6,000 families.

The DREF operation was carried out within one month starting from late August. The support has reached about 6,000 families (approximately 24,000 people) who are in most need of assistance for basic items such as water containers, cooking utensils, blankets, and mosquito nets in September 2008.

The International Federation would like to thank the Netherlands Red Cross for their contribution of EUR 30,000 to help replenish the DREF.

The situation

In the night of 6 August, Typhoon Kammuri hit the north-western mountainous region of Viet Nam, causing heavy rainfall in several areas. This was followed by rising water levels in rivers and streams, compounded by torrential rain on the night of 8 August that caused flash floods on a large scale, covering the eight provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Ha Giang, Bac Can, Lai Chau, Son La and Tuyen Quang. About 130 people were reported dead with 30 missing and 90 others injured. Statistics from the Central Committee for Flood and Control (CCFSC) show losses caused by the flash flood were as high as USD 120 million (CHF 146.8 million or EUR 95.4 million).

A needs assessment report jointly done by the Red Cross and other international non-government organizations highlighted that those affected needed food and non-food items, including daily basic family items, urgently. While food support was given by the government and other international non-government organizations; the Red Cross fulfilled the need for basic family items. The International Federation's DREF allocation enabled the Viet Nam Red Cross (VNRC) to provide relief items to the most affected in the three provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, and Phu Tho.

Distribution of some 6,000 household kits was carried out in the eight provinces, with priority given to the most impacted of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, and Phu Tho as planned with the support of the DREF allocation. The national society also released 4,000 household kits from its relief stock which were replenished following the relief operations for Typhoon Lekima in 2007. All in all, 10,000 household kits were distributed to an equal number of families.

The government of Viet Nam assisted provinces with VND 200 billion (CHF 12.9 million or USD 12 million), focusing on the rebuilding of schools, infrastructure and houses. The government has also distributed 800 tonnes of rice from its national stocks, focusing on those worst-hit provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai and Phu Tho.

Other international non-government organizations also joined the government's efforts to assist those affected through distribution of food, seed, fertilizer, and rehabilitation of infrastructure such as repairing school facilities. An information-sharing mechanism is also in place, run by the people's aid coordinating committee (PACCOM), a government body bringing together international non-governmental organization activities in Viet Nam to improve partnership and relief efforts.