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Viet Nam

Viet Nam: Typhoon Yagi and Floods Situation Thematic Update No.1: Gender and Protection (As of 23 September 2024)

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This is a thematic report led by the Protection and Gender Working Group (PGWG) for the Viet Nam United Nations Country Team (UNCT). The PGWG is a coordination forum through which protection actors provide technical guidance and oversight to ensure effective, coherent, and predictable interventions to support the Government of Viet Nam in its efforts to respond to protection needs of persons of concern. The PGWG is co- led by UN Women and Viet Nam Women’s Union and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development/ Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority. This thematic report covers the period from 9 to 23 September 2024.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

On 7 September, Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to strike the Viet Nam in three decades, made landfall in northern part of the country causing widespread destruction. The hardest-hit areas were Lao Cai, Yen Bai provinces, as well as Quang Ninh and Hai Phong provinces, which saw winds of up to 213 km/h. As of 18 September, the storm claimed 291 lives, left 38 missing, and injured 1,922 people due to landslides and flash floods. Over 100,000 households were evacuated from coastal and high-risk regions, with extensive damage to homes, crops, and infrastructure, heavily affecting livelihoods. 251,000 hectares of crops were also flooded, posing food insecurity risks over the coming months. The Government of Viet Nam from national to local level, supported by local authorities, mobilised a large-scale response force involving over 438,000 personnel, while coordinating relief efforts with national and international partners.

Women, particularly in rural areas, are heavily involved in agriculture and natural resource management, making them more vulnerable to the effects of floods and other climate events, and more at risk of falling into poverty. Due to traditional gender roles, women often bear the brunt of unpaid care work, which intensifies during crises as they care for children, the elderly, and the sick. This limits their ability to engage in recovery efforts and decision-making processes. Moreover, the stress of livelihood loss can exacerbate risks of gender-based violence (GBV), further marginalising women during disaster response and recovery.