Viet Nam: Typhoons Revised Appeal no. MDRVN001 - 22 Dec 2006

The Federation's mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization its millions of volunteers are active in over 185 countries.

In Brief

THIS REVISED EMERGENCY APPEAL SEEKS CHF 4,210,045 (USD 3.49 MILLION OR EUR 2.64 MILLION) IN CASH OR SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE VIET NAM RED CROSS IN ASSISTING 99,500 BENEFICIARIES FOR 12 MONTHS.

Appeal history:

Preliminary emergency appeal for Typhoon Xangsane launched on 5 Oct 2006 to seek CHF 1.01 million (USD 0.81 million or EUR 0.64 million) for 61,000 beneficiaries for 12 months.

The appeal was revised on 13 October 2006 to CHF 1.67 million (USD 1.4 million or EUR 1.05 million) for 60,400 beneficiaries to reflect operational realities.

The appeal was re-launched as Viet Nam Typhoons Emergency Appeal (MDRVN001) on 7 December 2006 to incorporate Typhoon Durian.

Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) allocated: for Xangsane and Durian at CHF 100,000 each. Unearmarked funds will be needed to repay DREF.

Appeal revised on 7 December 2006 for CHF 2,977,458 (USD 2.47 million or EUR 1.87 million) in cash, kind or services to support 98,000 beneficiaries for 12 months.

Viet Nam has experienced two destructive typhoons in the past two months creating damage across the south and central areas of the country. Two major cities and 22 provinces have felt the force of typhoons Xangsane and Durian. The Viet Nam Red Cross, supported by the Federation, has responded to the two disasters effectively. The impact of the two typhoons has stretched local and national resources and as such the Viet Nam Red Cross has requested the Federation to facilitate international assistance.

This appeal revision is undertaken based on recent assessments by the Viet Nam Red Cross and the national disaster management working group for both typhoons Xangsane and Durian. In light of these assessments for typhoon Durian and taking into consideration the commitments for typhoon Xangsane, activities under this appeal have been revised and focused towards supporting the early recovery needs of those most affected by both typhoons. As such, the number of beneficiaries to be supported will increase slightly from the initial estimate of 98,000, to 99,500.

Global Agenda Goals:

Reduce the numbers of deaths, injuries and impact from disasters.

Reduce the number of deaths, illnesses and impact from diseases and public health emergencies.

Increase local community, civil society and Red Cross Red Crescent capacity to address the most urgent situations of vulnerability.

Reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion and promote respect for diversity and human dignity.

The Situation

Viet Nam has been severely affected by two typhoons over the past three months. The most recent and destructive, Typhoon Durian, hit the country in early December moving parallel to the southern Vietnamese coast, making landfall in the province of Vung Tau and the Mekong river delta on Tuesday 5 December 2006. The eye of the typhoon crossed Phu Qui island in Binh Thuan province. High winds and heavy rains caused localized flooding and landslides in the provinces, destroying homes, community infrastructure and disrupting communications and electrical systems.

Typhoons occur regularly in the South China Sea between September and November and communities have developed ways to rebound from their devastating effects. Some of these ‘coping mechanisms’ are risk mitigation measures supported by the Viet Nam Red Cross (VNRC) such as the mangrove reforestation project. Although common, the scale and frequency of this year’s storms impacted harder than expected and made it difficult for communities to recover. According to the latest information, more than 2.5 million people have been affected with over 154 people killed and 12 still missing. Hundreds of thousands of houses have been destroyed or damaged and the impact on livelihoods is vast with approximately 15,894 hectares of agricultural land damaged and more than 506,000 livestock lost. The latest information on the impact of the two typhoons is detailed in the table below.

In the wake of the typhoons, prices of building materials increased by a further 50-100 percent. This, combined with limited stocks, is hampering individual efforts to return to the way of life prior to the disaster.

In response to the disasters, the central government has been quick to support the affected populations. It released VND 311 billion (CHF 24.5 million) to help recovery and rehabilitation; and 1,980 metric tonnes (MT) of rice and construction materials. However, much of this support, especially for rebuilding, will only be available in 2007. The Vietnamese government will further assess the food subsidy to affected people and reduce the tax burden on businesses that were affected by the typhoon.

Unlike typhoon Xangsane the government will not officially request international assistance in response to Durian. However it does welcome any humanitarian assistance. Its agency, the People Aid Coordination Committee, sent an official request for emergency assistance from international organizations.

Additional support from local organizations is being provided through the National Fatherland Front (NFF), a political coalition organization. It has appealed for contributions, released emergency food and other relief, and provided cash to help the affected population. The NFF is also cognizant of the need to support recovery efforts. It has pledged to provide assistance USD 620 (CHF 750) to families whose homes have collapsed; those whose homes are partially damaged will receive between USD 200-350 (CHF 223- 425). In addition, other mass organizations and government institutions are collecting donations.

According to a Save the Children report on 13 December only 15 percent of children have gone back to schools in Ben Tre province. Save the Children is calling for textbooks and learning materials to help the youngsters.

Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (OXFAM) has initially released USD 102,980 (CHF 125,152) to provide cash relief to families in Binh Dai district of Ben Tre Province. OXFAM will provide cash to buy food (not rice as the government is providing this), clothes, kitchen materials, school education materials, well-water testing and hygiene promotional activities.

Although much assistance has been pledged, gaps in relief and early recovery have been identified. According to the national disaster management partnership, there is an urgent need to rebuild 22,000 houses and repair another 130,000. There is also a need to provide various seeds in Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Long An and Tien Giang provinces. The affected fishing community also needs prompt support. Total needs are put at VND 1,000 billion (CHF 77.5 million). There is a gap of at least VND 800 billion (CHF 62 million).

For further information, please contact:

Viet Nam Red Cross: Trinh Bang Hop (director of international relations and development department), email: vnrchq@netnam.org.vn, phone: +84.4.822.4320; Phung Van Hoan, disaster management manager, email: vnrcdp@fpt.vn; phone +84.904.117.981

Federation country delegation in Viet Nam: Irja Sandberg (Federation representative), email: irja.sandberg@ifrc.org, phone: +84.4.942.2980 (ext. 216), fax: +84.4.942.2987; or Dang Van Tao, disaster management manager, email: tao.vandang@ifrc.org, phone +84.913.361.581

Federation Southeast Asia regional delegation in Thailand: Bekele Geleta (head of regional delegation); email: bekele.geleta@ifrc.org; phone: +66.2.661.8201; fax: +66.2.661.9322; or Michael Annear, head of regional disaster management unit, email: michael.annear@ifrc.org; phone +66.817539598.

Federation Secretariat in Geneva (Asia Pacific department): Gert Venghaus (regional officer); email: gert.venghaus@ifrc.org; phone: +41.22.730.4258; fax: +41.22.733.0395; or Sabine Feuglet (senior assistant); email: sabine.feuglet@ifrc.org; Phone: +41.22.730. 4349; Fax: +41.22.733.0395.

The International Federation undertakes activities that are aligned with its Global Agenda, which sets out four broad goals to meet the Federation's mission to "improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity". All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) in Disaster Relief and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (Sphere) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.

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