Devastating
floods in Vietnam's central and southern regions have killed at least 59 people
and forced thousands of people to flee their homes, the Central Committee for
Flood and Storm Control reported Wednesday.
Seasonal flooding in the Mekong Delta has
claimed the lives of 49 people and inflicted damage estimated at more than
VND1.2 trillion (US$57.4 million), with An Giang and Dong Thap provinces
suffering the most.
More than 88,000 houses and 22,700 hectares of
rice fields have been inundated and 1,472km of dikes damaged.
Meanwhile, floods caused by torrential rains
have left 10 people dead, three others missing and forced 6,517 households to
flee from their homes in central Vietnam.
Quang Tri Province had the highest toll with
five, followed by Quang Binh with three, and Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam with
one each.
Three people, two in Quang Tri and one in
Quang Binh, are still missing.
Around 75,612 houses and more than 15,600
hectares of paddies and other crops have been damaged by the floods.
In Quang Ngai Province, around 4,500 houses in
the districts of Mo Duc, Duc Pho and Binh Son are still submerged by
floodwaters. Floods have also caused severe landslides on the Tho An Mountain
Pass – a key route connecting Binh An Commune with Tho An Hamlet, leaving
around 160 households in the hamlet completely isolated.
In Quang Binh Province, all schools in Le Thuy
and Quang Ninh districts have been closed to deal with the aftermath of the
flooding.
Landslides have also blocked roads leading to
mountainous areas in Quang Nam Province.
In Thua Thien-Hue Province, flood waters have
receded but some districts are still submerged.
On Wednesday the National Hydro-Meteorology
Forecasting Center said that waters in the upper reaches of the Mekong River,
Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds) and the Long Xuyen Quadrangle will ebb slowly
over the next five days, but remain at high levels until late this month.
Helping out
On Tuesday, representatives from Thanh Nien
newspaper arrived in the affected provinces and gave VND5 million each to the
families of the dead victims.
The same day, Thai Foreign Minister Surapong
Tovichakchaikul handed over three million baht ($97,500) to the Vietnamese
Embassy in Bangkok to help flood-affected people in Vietnam.
Thailand itself is struggling with the most
devastating floods it has faced in 50 years, which has left at least 315 people
dead and more than 700,000 houses destroyed.
Australia is helping delivering assistance to
families affected by the flooding crises in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos
and the Philippines.
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd announced Tuesday
that Australia would provide blankets, mosquito nets, hygiene kits, water
containers, kitchen sets, sandbags and healthcare services to the eight million
people in desperate need across the Mekong basin region and in the Philippines.
The contribution of up to $5.15 million will
help repair damaged agricultural land and irrigation systems, he said.
On Tuesday, the United Nations voiced deep
concern over the devastating floods in Southeast Asia and offered to assist the
affected countries in responding to the disaster that has claimed more than 700
lives thus far and caused heavy damage to property and infrastructure.
Elisabeth Byrs, spokesperson for the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told reporters in Geneva
that a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team was on standby for
deployment in the stricken countries if requested.
Thanh Nien News
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