13 Nov 2017   

Typhoon Damrey Takes Over Southern Vietnam

Typhoon Damrey, which hit on November 4th, has affected at least one million children over the central region of Vietnam, says the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Over 80,000 homes and 250,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed. Vietnam’s coastline is frequently victim to tropical thunderstorms however Damrey is being classed as Vietnam’s strongest typhoon to make landfall in 16 years.

Earlier this week CTGN reported that at least 27 people have been killed and a further 22 were missing, in areas of Southern Vietnam. The death toll has now risen to over 100 people and a further 197 people are receiving treatment.

This has been the second natural disaster to hit Vietnam in the past month and over the past 20 years natural disasters have caused over $6.4 billion in damage and taken the lives of 13,000 Vietnamese residents, according to the World Bank. Due to having such a vast coastline, the country is prone to natural disasters, varying from drought to floods.

The government has provided $44 million in relief for typhoon Damrey’s victims. Although weather forecasters have said that water levels within the region were decreasing, the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority has stated that some highway areas are still covered up to three feet of water. Since Vietnam is such a high risk location to natural disasters constant efforts to adapt to climate change are vital.

Disaster preparedness and resilience is imperative to the survival of victims and the countries agriculture, once hit. The Aid and International Development Forum will be hosting the Global Disaster Relief and Development Summit on 5-6th September 2018 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. The Summit will gather industry experts to share best practice and technology to enhance disaster preparedness and strengthen disaster management capacities. Participants will also look into how to manage climate-related disaster risks more effectively and technological innovations used to better reach and engage communities.

To learn more about the Global Disaster Relief and Development Summit, visit the website

 

Picture Credit: Jorge Silva - Reuters