Vietnam Loses $10.82M from Natural Disasters in Aug: GSO

Vietnam is estimated to have lost VND225 billion ($10.82 million) from natural disasters in August, the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO) said. Natural calamities have also left seven dead and missing, damaged over 274 houses and inundated 2,300 hectares of rice and other crops during the month. Between Jan and Jul, disaster-hit localities received more than VND110 billion in relief aid to help locals stabilize their lives and resume production. Vietnam is one out of the ten most vulnerable countries by natural disasters, particularly tropical storms, floods, landslides and droughts. It is estimated to suffer ten storms a year.  Natural disasters have claimed 500 Vietnamese lives and caused the country a loss of around VND14.5 trillion annually in recent five years, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said. (GSO Aug Edition)