Australia, Germany Grant $2.37M to Vietnam Mekong Delta Flood Victims

Australia and Germany have pledged to grant a total of $2.37 million as relief aid to people seriously affected by floods in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region. Of the total, EUR1.4 million ($1.87 million) comes from the Germany government and AUD500,000 ($496,200) is from the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The grant is aimed to support emergency activities, including providing sufficient food, improving agricultural areas inundated by floods, supplying crop seeds and upgrading key infrastructural facilities. Among the EUR1.4- million aid, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development will provide EUR1 million more for development projects in Vietnam. These projects will be targeted at building coastal defense roads and improving infrastructure devastated by floods.  The floods hit seven Mekong delta provinces in late September, causing great losses in human and property. Statistics by the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control showed that the floods damaged more than 150,000 houses and 1,000 schools, claimed 85 lives, including 72 children, and destroyed nearly 11,000 hectares of paddy fields. The recent floods in the Mekong Delta provinces are among the worst since 1927, experts said, adding that narrowed acreage of upstream forests has made the floods more severe and unpredicted. (Nhan Dan – The People Nov 29 p8, Phap Luat Viet Nam – Vietnam Law Nov 29 2, Thoi Bao Kinh Te –Vietnam Economic Times Nov 29 p2, news.gov.vn Nov 28)