Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ton Le (Agenzia Fides) – More than a month after the floods that heavily struck the central part of Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of residents are still suffering the consequences. Many of them have lost everything. Over 250,000 homes were under water and about 200 were destroyed. Thousands of families were forced to evacuate and are at least 143 people were reported dead. Of the five affected provinces, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue, Ha Tinh was the worst affected. About 80% of the province's annual rainfall fell in just 10 days. Over half a million people in the province of Ha Tinh, about 70% of the population, were affected in this predominantly agricultural, impoverished area. The central part of the country is not new to the floods, but this year they were particularly serious. The residents, who generally keep their stocks of food in attics, saw them washed away. Others lost their autumn crops, household belongings, tools and seeds for the next planting season.
In addition to the infrastructure damage to roads, bridges and canals, 2,000 hectares of paddy fields of the 3000 in the district of Vu Quang were lost, putting people at risk of starvation before the next harvest in May 2011. The most affected farmers are receiving short-term food assistance from the Government and humanitarian organizations such as Vietnam Red Cross, but the food gap is significantly bigger, revealed Oxfam, an organization committed to poverty and injustice. “The primary needs at this point are food security over the next three to five months, as well as livelihoods”, Oxfam's emergency response manager, Viet Vu Xuan explained. It will take supplementary efforts for the next crop season, particularly seeds and fertilizers. Of the region's three crop seasons, the winter spring season which goes from November to April, was the most important, accounting for about 70% of total annual production. Rice, maize, sweet potatoes, beans and peanut crops are at risk unless more aid is forthcoming. According to Oxfam, the recovery of income and food sources may take three to six months until the harvest of the winter-spring season. However, for many families over five years may be needed to recover their losses. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 26/11/2010)
