The German government has announced a financial aid of US$380,000 to launch a two-year project to help reduce disaster risks for physically-challenged people in flood-prone Quang Nam Province in the central region.
The new disaster risk reduction project started in April in Quang Nam with the aim of increasing the living conditions of people with disabilities, promoting direct participation of disabled people in disaster risk reduction programs and helping them receive additional training in early warning and evacuation. In cooperation with the Disabled Persons Organization (DPO) Quang Nam, Malteser International -- the worldwide relief agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta for humanitarian aid -- will train people with disabilities and their families in 46 villages to empower them to actively contribute to the local disaster risk reduction processes.
Attention is paid to the population living along the coast and rivers of Vu Gia and Thu Bon that are regularly affected by floods and typhoons. Despite this permanent threat, the area lacks appropriate emergency response measures. Only a few families own boats which could be used for evacuation. “The people do not know how and where they could evacuate”, explains Mai Thi Dung, Malteser International project manager in Da Nang. “Current warnings often come through village loudspeakers when the water is almost reaching the doorstep. Particularly for people with disabilities, this is far too late.
“Even if their families are able to help them, they need very early warning and additional assistance to evacuate in time”.
The project also focuses on the implementation of direct evacuation and emergency response measures, which include setting up, training and equipping local rescue teams, who assist persons with disabilities and their families.
Since 1966, Malteser International has been working in Vietnam, currently in projects regarding disaster risk reduction and natural resource management. The organization provides aid in about 100 projects in more than 20 countries. Minh Phat