On September 9, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held an urgent disaster risk-sharing meeting with the Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership (DRR), a coalition of over 20 international organizations and embassies.
The meeting, aimed at coordinating recovery efforts following Typhoon Yagi, was marked by continuous updates of the catastrophic damage across Vietnam.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep described the typhoon’s impact as “beyond imagination,” noting that even during the meeting, news of further casualties and destruction continued to pour in. Just after announcing 24 deaths and nearly 250 injuries, he received word of additional landslides in Lao Cai, where eight people were reported missing, and the collapse of the Phong Chau Bridge in Phu Tho.
The devastation extended beyond human loss, with 1 million hectares of forests destroyed and widespread infrastructure damage reported. In Ha Long, 90% of trees were felled, and many low-rise houses lost their roofs. Additionally, over 100,000 hectares of rice fields were submerged, with as much as 30% of the crops expected to be a total loss.
Mr. Hiep urged international partners to swiftly coordinate support, particularly to help displaced families rebuild homes and ensure students can return to school.
Ms. Pauline Tamesis, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, expressed the UN’s deep concern for the affected communities. She emphasized the UN’s readiness to assist the Vietnamese government in providing urgent aid, particularly to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children. Ms. Tamesis underscored the importance of an accurate damage assessment to effectively mobilize resources.
UNICEF Representative in Vietnam, Ms. Silvia Danailov, announced that $300,000 had been secured to support vulnerable populations, including ethnic minorities. UNICEF will also provide immediate assistance with clean water, sanitation, and essential supplies to 2,000 households, as well as mental health support and infrastructure assessments for 700 schools in the affected areas.
International organizations including JICA, FAO, GIZ, and USAID, along with the embassies of the UK, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, and Australia, have also pledged support. On September 10, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will collaborate with the DRR Partnership to conduct damage assessments in the hardest-hit provinces of Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Yen Bai, and Lao Cai.
Typhoon Yagi, which made landfall on September 7, brought winds reaching up to level 14, with gusts as high as level 17 in Bai Chay, Quang Ninh. As of the evening of September 9, nearly 100 lives had been lost, primarily due to landslides and flash floods, and about 250 people had been injured. The storm also left thousands of homes damaged, boats sunk, and aquaculture operations devastated, while large-scale power and telecommunications outages persisted across 15 provinces and cities.
The international community’s response highlights a unified commitment to assist Vietnam in its recovery efforts, with a focus on restoring critical infrastructure and providing humanitarian relief to those most in need.
Related
Source: Vietnam Insider