Vietnam Loses $206.73M from Natural Disasters in Jan-Sept: GSO

Vietnam is estimated to have lost VND4.3 trillion ($206.73 million) from natural disasters in  the first nine months of this year , the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO) said. Natural calamities have also left 125 dead and missing; injured 145 others while damaged over 700 houses and submerged 28,000 hectares of rice and other crops during the period. The central province of Nghe An is the hardest-hit area by natural calamities with 21 deaths and missing as well as 280 collapsed houses. 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 Southeast Asian country a loss of around VND14.5 trillion annually in recent five years, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said. (GSO Sept Edition)