The Government would ensure sufficient food for people in flood-stricken central provinces and request local authorities supply prompt relief to people in need, said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung while visiting the hardest-hit central province of Ha Tinh on October 20.
Talking with the provincial Party Committee and people after visiting and presenting gifts to households in Huong Khe district, which reported a total loss of over 700 billion VND with 22 communes submerged, PM Dung extended deep sympathy to people in flooded areas, especially families of dead people.
He said, “the Party and State always looked towards the central people and would seek every measure to help them quickly overcome the consequences of national disasters and normalise their lives.”
The Government leader urged the three provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Nghe An to continue search and rescue work, provide food for flood victims and mobilise all resources to help repair houses and prevent diseases.
“If any province lets people in flooded areas go hungry, its leaders will be responsible to the Party and State,” he said.
Ha Tinh has so far reported a total loss of nearly 5.4 trillion VND (270 million USD) with 21 deaths, one missing, 26 injured and over 175,000 houses submerged.
The PM has decided to extract 660 billion VND from the State budget and 11,000 tonnes of rice from the national reserve in support for central provinces to surmount the flood consequences.
The National Committee for Search and Rescue and the Ministry of National Defence have mobilised over 19,000 soldiers, police and militia, 392 canoes, one helicopter, seven electric generators and five tonnes of instant noodles and dry provisions to the central region.
On October 20, many agencies nationwide, including the Office of the State President, and National Assembly deputies, contributed money in support of central flood-hit people. Ho Chi Minh City also raised over 18 billion USD for the victims.
Not only compatriots in the country but also overseas Vietnamese look towards central flood victims with deep sympathies. Vietnamese residents in the US State of Texas have donated 50,000 USD for people affected by the historical floods over the past 60 years in central Vietnam .
To date, 11 international organisations have pledged an emergency aid of around 450,000 USD for Vietnamese flood victims.
According to a report by the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, by October 20, the flood death toll rose to 46, including 16 in Nghe An province, 21 in Ha Tinh province, eight in Quang Binh province and one in Thanh Hoa.
The floods also left 21 missing and injured 18 others./.
