Singapore helps Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines with disaster relief

	Emergency relief pouring into flood-stricken Vietnam's central region
	Netherlands announces over USD 2 million disaster relief aid for Vietnam
	Overseas Vietnamese communities continue supporting flood victims

Within October, central Vietnam got struck by three floods, four storms and a series of landslides that claimed 159 lives and left 71 missing.

According the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on November 5, the contribution will be seed money to support the Singapore Red Cross' (SRC) public fundraising appeal to aid disaster relief and recovery operations in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines.

This supplements the SRC’s earlier donations of S$50,000 (USD 36, 849) to the Philippine Red Cross, and about S$33,000 (USD 24,321) each to the Red Cross societies in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

The four countries have been hit by typhoons, severe storms and floods in recent months.

Four subsequent storms, including Storm Molave, the strongest in 20 years, and a prolonged low-pressure system together triggered historic rainfall, with Quang Nam province recording in excess of 500 mm a day and other areas 2,000-4,000 mm in a short period of time.

Landslide-hit areas in Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Quang Nam provinces, meanwhile, are all at an altitude of 300-900 metres above the sea level and are on sloping terrain and geological faults that have moved recently.

Since late September, 235 people in the Vietnam's central region have been listed as dead or missing from storms and floods, which have also caused estimated economic losses of about VND 17 trillion (USD 730 million), according to a Government report to the National Assembly on November 2.

Fierce storm has blown off the roof of a row of classrooms in Vietnam. Source: UNICEF

Conducted by the Government, UN agencies and foreign non-governmental organisations, a joint assessment in the five most affected provinces, namely Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai, identified the need to provide multi-sectoral assistance for 177,000 of the most vulnerable people in affected areas.

An estimated 153,000 children are also at risk of discontinued learning due to damaged schools and in need for emergency education supplies, including hygiene supplies and learning devices.

Humanitarian support is also required in evacuation sites that currently do not have enough supplies to meet basic needs, including access to clean water and sanitation facilities, putting people at risk of sickness and disease.

"As a close friend and fellow ASEAN Member State, Singapore stands by Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines at this difficult time," the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said./.

Singaporean newspaper calls Vietnam a ‘leading Asia-Pacific country in digital progress pace’ The famous Singapore-based Asean Business newspaper on November 2 ran an artical touting Vietnam’s digital transformation efforts, saying it’s the biggest improvement among regional economies.

Vietnamese community in Singapore, Thailand, Czech supports citizens in Central Vietnam The Vietnamese community in Singapore, Thailand, and the Czech Republic has held many meaningful and practical activities to support the people in the Central region ...

Vietnamese in Russia, Singapore, RoK and Germany raise funds for flood victims Vietnamese embassies in Russia, Singapore, the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Germany launched a range of fund-raising programmes to support flood victims in the central ...